The Beauty Brains

Perry Romanowski (0:00)

Hi, I'm Perry, and you're listening to The Beauty Brains.

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 433 I'm your host Perry Romanowski, and with me today is Valerie George. Hello, Valerie.

Valerie George (0:29)

Hi, Perry.

Perry Romanowski (0:30)

Valerie, we got a big show today. On today's show, we're covering questions like, does Kerastase Thermique Heat Protectant work? What do we think of the Labo Hair Roll-On Serum? Do oils and body washes actually help with moisturization? Do derivatives of actives show good results? And is the Anua Azelaic Acid just clever to marking, or is it actually a working product?

First, some of that chit-chat. Valerie, it seems like you've got a little bandage on there sporting.

Valerie George (1:02)

Well, it's not little. I have three inch stitches on my cheek, kind of towards my ear.

And I had my basal cell carcinoma removed. And stitches were bigger than I thought they would be.

Perry Romanowski (1:16)

Oh, yeah. So, well, you know, they're not very noticeable, at least on camera here.

Valerie George (1:23)

Well, it's covered up.

But the challenge is they had to actually make the stitches bigger because the shape of the carcinoma was kind of round and extended out. And he wanted to do the stitches, you know, perpendicular to the ground so it didn't cut under the front of my eye. And in order to do that, he said usually the skin just kind of closes, especially if it's on like older people who have looser skin. And he said, but your skin is very taut. And so he had to make the incision a lot bigger due to the shape to get it to close in the direction he wanted. But I think it was, you know, the actual like carcinoma was nickel sized and they had to go a little bigger than that to make sure they got everything.

Perry Romanowski (2:10)

But you know, I have to say, hearing your story now, it makes me look at my skin differently.

So every little spot, you're like, oh, is that one? Is that one? It kind of makes you unnerved.

Valerie George (2:21)

Well, when's the last time you've had a skin check?

Perry Romanowski (2:23)

I went to one last year.

Valerie George (2:25)

Did they have any spots like, oh, hey, we'll watch that spot or you were good?

Perry Romanowski (2:29)

No, nothing. Although the way these dermatologists do it, I mean, he scanned me pretty quick. I'm like, really?

That's all you do?

Valerie George (2:38)

I'm like, yeah, they're very fast. My dermatologist always seemed to remember, oh, that guy, yeah, that one looks like our little fried egg friend and she knew, but I'd gone to her for like, I don't know, 15 years. But new guy, he scanned pretty quick.

I showed him my spots of concern and he agreed. So you got to check yourself in addition to being checked.

Perry Romanowski (3:00)

Yeah. Do you think he would have missed it though if you didn't tell him?

Valerie George (3:03)

Not the one on the cheek, I don't think.

Perry Romanowski (3:06)

Okay, we hope not.

It kind of reminds me of like a dentist though. You ever go to a new dentist? So you go to a dentist for years and you never have any cavity. Then you go to a new dentist and then you find all these cavities. I'm like, really?

Valerie George (3:19)

Yeah, all the things wrong. Yeah, but one interesting fact I learned having had a baby last year is that pregnant women are more predisposed to cavities like on the surface of the teeth.

Yeah, that's what my dentist told me. But they were able to just kind of file away some stuff. I didn't have to have like a whole lot of work done.

Perry Romanowski (3:40)

Well, I'm fortunate I haven't had cavities in years, but maybe as you get older, then you just don't get them.

Valerie George (3:46)

I've actually never had an adult cavity. I think once as a child, I had a cavity and I would be, I don't remember, I would have lost it in a baby tooth.

Perry Romanowski (3:56)

Yeah, I had like none and then I went to a new dentist. He's like, oh, you got eight. And I'm like, it seems a little suspicious that they would have missed all those years.

Valerie George (4:05)

I'd get a second opinion for sure.

Perry Romanowski (4:08)

Yeah. All right, Valerie, shall we move on to Beauty News?