Exfoliation, Beef Tallow and a baby - episode 403

Perry Romanowski (0:00)

Hi, I'm Perry, and you're listening to The Beauty Brains! Hello, and welcome to The Beauty Brains, a show where real cosmetic chemists answer your beauty product questions and give you an insider's look at the cosmetic industry. This is episode 403 I'm your host, Perry Romanowski, and I'm not solo today because Valerie George is back. Hello, Valerie.

Valerie George (0:30)

Hi, Perry.

Perry Romanowski (0:31)

You know, since Valerie is still taking care of the little one, we're gonna make this a slightly shorter episode, but we will be covering some of your questions. We have a big backlog, so we'll get to those in the next show, but we've got a bunch here today. And those include, does product build up cause breakage in hair? Is a chemical exfoliant better than a soft silicone scrubber? What are your thoughts about beef tallow facial creams and are rinse-free shampoos any good? But first, Valerie, you're back. It's just been, it's less than a month, but you're back.

Valerie George (1:07)

Yeah, it's a few weeks, but you know, I missed you guys. And so I said, let's come back. I had a baby boy, baby C will call him, and he's so sweet, he hardly cries. Hardly meaning I've only ever heard him cry once, and that was because I actually accidentally bopped him on the head.

Perry Romanowski (1:26)

But wait, you're not going to call him baby cosmetic chemist.

Valerie George (1:31)

Well, that's what baby C is short for.

Perry Romanowski (1:32)

Oh, got you. Baby C.

Valerie George (1:35)

Yeah. Yeah. But he's the sweetest thing. He's so kind. And it's important to talk to babies to keep them engaged. And when we first had him, guess what I said to him?

Perry Romanowski (1:49)

Anti-disestablishmentarianism.

Valerie George (1:52)

No. Hi, I'm Valerie and you're listening to The Beauty Brains. Because he heard us record so many episodes when he was in my belly. And when I start talking like that, he calms down right away. He loves my voice. He turns his head when I walk in the room and say something and he likes to hear me talk. So I give him The Beauty Brains' opening spiel sometimes because he doesn't know what I'm saying. And he likes it.

Perry Romanowski (2:20)

He just hears the tones. So yeah, that's very cool. And you look like you feel better.

Valerie George (2:28)

Yeah. Oh gosh. He was very big, also early. So he was poised to be bigger. And yeah, I feel, you know, I'm still recovering. It's very hard to have a baby. I also have a C-section full disclosure. So that's another thing on its own that's very difficult to recover from. And there's a lot of stuff they don't tell you about what happens after you deliver.

Perry Romanowski (2:50)

So they want people to keep having babies, right?

Valerie George (2:53)

That's what they told me. Yeah. So yeah, I'm just doing the best I can and trying to enjoy all the moments.

Perry Romanowski (3:01)

I think there's like some evolutionary significance to like pregnancy forgetting. Like you kind of forget all that stuff, that way you're primed to have another one.

Valerie George (3:14)

I'm not forgetting that stuff. I'm not forgetting.

Perry Romanowski (3:17)

All right. Well, we'll check back in a few years. So your schedule is what? Like nine to five now? The baby sleeps through the night.

Valerie George (3:25)

Oh, my goodness. Well, he actually, because he's bigger, he actually sleeps pretty well. But, I mean, he's not sleeping through the night. He's still just a few weeks old. But Mr. Cosmetic Chemist stays up until two to 2.3 and then I get up at two to 2.3 and take over. So my day pretty much starts very early. And I just tell myself, you know what? It's like you're on European time.

Perry Romanowski (3:48)

Sure. Yeah, it works fine.

Valerie George (3:51)

And the only problem is I have to go to bed really early.

Perry Romanowski (3:54)

Yeah, that is a problem. So we'll try to get the show in.

Valerie George (4:00)

Well, I'm glad to be back. So what have you been up to? I know we've been texting, but you're always on the go.

Perry Romanowski (4:06)

I've been traveling a bunch. I did a road trip to New Jersey, the Jersey Shore, the beaches there are very nice. Although, you know, they charge you to go on the beach, which seems kind of weird to me. Oh, yeah.

Valerie George (4:18)

I mean, I thought that was public property.

Perry Romanowski (4:20)

No, but I guess it pays for the lifeguard. And the cleanup, so I can see it. Here in Chicago, no charge to go to the beaches.