Is mixing Vitamin C and Niacinamide a problem? Episode 268

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 268 I'm your host, a real cosmetic chemist, Perry Romanowski, and with me today is another real cosmetic chemist, Valerie George. Hello, Valerie.

Valerie George (0:34)

Hi, I'm the real Valerie George.

Perry Romanowski (0:36)

The real Valerie George. Now, nobody has called you George this week, have they?

Valerie George (0:40)

Not this week.

Perry Romanowski (0:42)

Well, you know, Valerie and I have been a bit busy with work stuff.

I actually had been teaching an online course about cosmetics to some industry insiders today, and Valerie, well, her day job always keeps her busy, and her side job also keeps her a bit busy. So, but we didn't want to skip a week. So today we figured that, you know what, let's just answer an audio question that was sent in, and it actually turns out that it was a few questions in the one audio question.

But also, you know, chat about some things that we saw in the news. So today's question we are gonna cover is actually a few parts. It's also a question we've gotten from a few people. So this isn't just like one person's question. It represents questions we get from a lot of people. So today we're gonna cover, what's the deal with vitamin C and niacinamide? Is using them together bad? What's the difference between reactive and sensitive skin? And are the products who disclose their percentages on their bottles better than everybody else? There's so much marketing in cosmetics where people pretend they're better than other people, aren't they?

Valerie George (1:49)

Oh my gosh. I have my soapbox prepared for today.

Perry Romanowski (1:53)

I know, I'm looking at you, clean beauty.

All right, but first, Valerie, our patented, ah, Pat, that was your old last name, wasn't it? Our patented chit chat.

Valerie George (2:06)

Yeah, well, you know, not too much going on this week, aside from just lots of work, I'm finally back posting about books I've read this year so far. I don't know if I'm gonna be able to get 52 in this year, because I've only read three.

I've done some audiobooks, so.

Perry Romanowski (2:23)

Yeah, you know, audio, I think audiobooks count.

Valerie George (2:26)

Do they?

Perry Romanowski (2:27)

I think so.

Valerie George (2:29)

I don't post the audiobooks I read on my Instagram, just the physical books that I get from the library. I understand. But I'm back posting, and I haven't had a whole lot of time to read this year, because starting a business and all, and running it with Mr. Cosmetic Chemist, who is a very stressful person.

It just takes a lot of time, so I haven't, but I'm back posting, I posted my first book yesterday, The Fabric of Civilization.

Perry Romanowski (2:56)

Oh, how was it?

Valerie George (2:57)

Oh, incredible. We take fabric and clothing for granted, and it really ran civilization for millennia.

Perry Romanowski (3:05)

Oh, it's about actual fabric. I thought it was just a history book.

Valerie George (3:09)

No, it's not a metaphor. No, it's like, no, literally, the fabrics that built the world. It was very good.

Perry Romanowski (3:16)

It sounds very cool. A book I read in that same vein was Sapiens.

Valerie George (3:22)

I think you've talked about that before.

Perry Romanowski (3:24)

Yeah, if you haven't read that one, that's an excellent one. You know a book I'm reading right now.

Valerie George (3:28)

What are you reading?

Perry Romanowski (3:28)

It's quite a challenge. Ulysses.

Valerie George (3:32)

Are you still reading that?

Perry Romanowski (3:33)

The James Joyce book. Yeah, well, it's a hard book to read.

Valerie George (3:36)

I feel like you've been reading it for a while.

Perry Romanowski (3:38)

I've been reading it for about a month. And I have to say this. I listen to a lot of audio books, but I also, for this book, I decided I'm listening to the audio book while I'm reading the book. So I have the book while I listen, I listen to somebody reading me the book, and I actually really enjoy doing that.

Valerie George (3:55)

Is that like the juggling of reading?

Perry Romanowski (3:59)

It is kind of the juggling of reading. Audio books that you read in your head.

Well, it's a whole new trend. I hope I can start it.

Valerie George (4:09)

Oh my gosh. Well, upcoming this month, and I just want to tell listeners so we get it out there and get some time. I am doing a talk for the Professional Beauty Association on behalf of The Beauty Brains and my employer. And the talk is, what are these 10 ingredients doing in your salon professional products? It's on Monday, June 28th, 11 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time.