Wait time between skincare products – is it necessary? episode 219

Perry Romanowski (0:00)

Hi, I'm Perry, and this is 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 from the perspective of a scientist at the cosmetic industry. This is episode 219 I'm your host, Perry Romanowski, and with me today is Valerie George. Hello, Valerie.

Valerie George (0:32)

Hi, Perry, happy May.

Perry Romanowski (0:34)

It's already May, go figure.

Well, we've got a big show today, cause on today's show, we're gonna be answering questions about whether the wait time is necessary when applying acids to your face, how you go about debating the product safety with somebody, whether skin products with natural moisturizing factor work better, and if you should avoid glycerin and dimethicone in your hair care products. I know you're gonna have a lot to say about that one, Valerie, right?

Valerie George (1:01)

Oh, yeah.

Perry Romanowski (1:03)

Well, before we get started with that and some beauty science news, let's get on with some of that chit chat that we're so famous for. Valerie, how are you holding up with this self-quarantining stuff?

Valerie George (1:17)

I'm doing good.

Perry Romanowski (1:19)

I see that your governor in California just had to chase all the people away from the beaches.

Valerie George (1:24)

Well, we have this rare algae bloom that is happening, and it's creating this electric-looking wave when there's motion and the algae are disturbed at night, or if a boat's cutting through the water. You guys can Google it. It looks like electricity, blue lightning in the water. It's pretty incredible. So people are flocking to the beaches. Also, it's been like 90 degrees here. This huge heat wave that first hit California and is kind of sweeping across the whole nation.

People want to go to the water. It's silly, but I personally want to stay in air conditioning when it gets that hot.

But people are flocking to the beaches, yeah.

Perry Romanowski (2:03)

It's understandable. And to see bioluminescence in real life sounds pretty cool.

Valerie George (2:08)

Yeah.

Perry Romanowski (2:09)

You know, here in Chicago, with the approaching new month, we're still kind of on lockdown, and they're adding this extra rule that if you're going into stores, now you're going to have to wear face masks.

Valerie George (2:21)

Yeah, that's been a rule in Los Angeles for a couple weeks now. Yep.

Perry Romanowski (2:25)

Oh, is it? Well, you know, I'm a little torn on the face mask thing. Now, of course, I will follow the rules, if it's a rule, you have to do it. I've just been a bit skeptical about whether that's really helping much. And I have to say, I go running every day. Actually, today was day 4,182 in a row.

And I really can't run in a mask.

But I'm not near people when I'm running, so it's probably not harmful. But what's your take on whether these masks, for the general population, of course, for doctors and nurses and people who are around the virus, of course, masks are going to be helpful. And even, I can totally understand it for people who work at grocery stores or they interact with a lot of people. But just some guy like me, who's mostly in his house, sometimes he goes out running and then maybe go to the grocery store once a week or something. You think I'm really being a little cavalier about my mask choices?

Valerie George (3:27)

Not at all. When I go walking outside with my dogs, I'm not wearing a mask. I'm not going near people. I don't think I need to wear one. If I'm not going near people, I'm not touching things. The virus lives in respiratory particles.

If I were to cough or sneeze, they go out, they fall to the ground. They're not gonna live hanging out in the air.

It's already been well-documented. This isn't an airborne virus in that sense, that it's just floating through the air and you can catch it. So I think some people, certainly, if they want to take an extra precaution, that's fine. I don't know that it has to be, if you're leaving your house, you have to wear a mask. But certainly, if you're going into a store, into a public space, wearing a mask will help you from spreading the virus to other people. Most of the masks people are wearing are not going to prevent them from getting the virus if they come in contact with someone who has it. So in that sense, I think it's providing a little bit sense of security, I think, in a bit, for some people, for sure.