What ingredients penetrate the skin? and more - episode 283

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 283 I'm your host, Perry Romanowski, and today I'm doing a solo show.

It's just been a couple of weeks since our last show, and I wanted to get you a new show out. Valerie is a bit under the weather, so rather than skip a whole week, I just figured I could do a solo show. And since you have lots of questions and there is plenty of material for me to cover.

I really do appreciate everyone who listens to this show, and I especially appreciate people who send in questions. You know, honestly, it's really helpful as a cosmetic formulator to know the types of questions that people out there who use pretty products have. So I thank you for that. And incidentally, if you have a question, you can feel free to record it on your cell phone or a portable phone and email that to the beautybrains at gmail.com. That's one way that you can get your voice on the show. So on today's show, the questions that we're going to cover were sent in.

And there are a number of them, including how to find an affordable alternative to expensive facial washes, what ingredients can really penetrate skin, which glycolic acid product is better to buy, one from The Ordinary or Paula's Choice. And I'm also going to cover an opinion on herbal infused facial oils.

But first, of course, as we always do a little chit chat, I always enjoy the end of the year as I have to scramble to finish as many of my goals from 2021 as I can. And then of course, come up with new goals for 2022 I'm very goal focused, and this time of the year just reminds me of the goals so much. Goodreads tells me I've got to finish six more books to get to my 70 book read goal for this year. I read some that I enjoyed very much, Ulysses, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, a number of really good books. And I also read some beauty books too, like skincare books, probably three of those. So I keep abreast on what's going on in beauty products too. So I wonder if anybody out there in Beauty Brains land is an avid reader also. Let me know somehow through our social media stuff.

Also, you know, Valerie isn't here, so that makes a bit of a different kind of show for me, at least this chit chat part. So I know a few people might be curious about Porch Kitty, because people, I've mentioned Porch Kitty before, this stray cat who lives in the alley comes by and gets food from me. I have to say the Porch Kitty is acting a little funny. We went on vacation in October, so I was gone a couple of weeks and she didn't get her daily food. I mean, I left food out for her, but usually she would come every morning and I'd give her like a little can of cat food, and she would sit and eat it by me and then run away. She never let me touch her, but she would let me get close.

And then I came back. She just didn't come back, come back around. You know, I thought maybe something happened to her living in the alley in Chicago. You can imagine it's not going to be an easy life for a cat. So, or maybe she hit the road or something. But then one night I was coming home and Porch Kitty was back in my yard. And I fed her and she got as close to me as she's ever gotten. And this was probably after not seeing her a month or so. So I thought maybe she would just start coming back and we'd slip back into our old routine. But alas, she just seems to be afraid of me now. She only comes out at night. And then when she does see me, she just runs away. So I don't really know what happened. Well, I guess I'll just have to earn her trust again. These outdoor feral cats, they're challenging. Or you know, maybe I should just break down and adopt one of the cats from the shelter that I volunteer at. Anyway, that's what's keeping me occupied these days. All right, enough of that chit chat. Let's get on to some of your questions.

First question comes to us from Ariel. Ariel says, really simple question, what's an affordable alternative to Arbon's Calma Face Lotion and Cleanser?