Has this man overdone the shampoo?
This was a question posed to me by a journalist on the Daily Telegraph. The answer is of course no, but I’ll get onto that later. First this is quite an interesting example of how stories like this originate. Here is the full text of the e-mail I was sent. Continue reading
Who wouldn’t want a citrus fruit extract?
I have just got off the phone from discussing a citrus fruit extract I have commissioned. I have been disparaging in the past about what are called tip ins – but there are times when you want a particular extract and it is rather splendid that companies exist that have the expertise and capabilities to produce, within reason, any extract that you want. Continue reading
I am not a big fan of Facebook. I find the interface a bit busy and confusing, and I haven’t really worked out who can actually see stuff when I post it. But it is a big platform so I feel obliged to got on it every now and again. I was on it recently and a side bar suggested I should join a group called “Get Methylisothiazolinone Removed From Products!”. It sounded interesting so I clicked on it and thought no more about it. Continue reading
Preservatives = P&G come clean
Preservatives in cosmetic products are a problem and will remain so until the way they are made and used changes significantly. I imagine someone somewhere is working on a project to create cosmetics in a small machine which you can programme with your favourite recipes. That would enable people to choose their own preservative option or to not use them at all and just make their personal care products fresh as needed. But until that technology becomes widespread preservatives are a necessity, and some people will have allergic reactions to them. Even the ones with a low propensity to cause allergic reactions, like the parabens and methylisothiazolinone, still cause plenty of people issues.? Continue reading
Can a shampoo prevent hair loss?
I recently appeared on Channel 4’s Supershoppers to talk about Alpecin shampoo. I have been amused for some time the way they run adverts for this shampoo on the television that manage to talk about it without actually mentioning that it is intended as a treatment for hair loss. I was quite surprised to discover, literally in front of the camera, that they have no such inhibition on the pack itself. It states in big letters that is what the product is for. I had assumed that if they were following the rules in their on air promotion, they would be just as scrupulous across their whole marketing platform. Continue reading
My interest in blogging and my blog varies. Sometimes I wake up and before I have done anything else I check my stats eagerly to see how I am doing. I then spend the rest of the day either elated or dejected, depending on the numbers. More often I don’t give it a second thought and just get on with the rest of my life allowing whatever happens online to take its course. Continue reading
Lauren Luke’s YouTube Channel is still there
Back in 2009 I blogged about one of the first beauty vloggers to really make a big impact in the UK. (Incidentally, the word vlogger hadn’t come into currency back then. I coined beauty tubees which I thought was a good name, but it never caught on.) At that point it looked like it was possible that home made videos on YouTube would become the norm and that the highly controlled airbrushed/photoshopped coverage in the glossy magazines would be eclipsed. I found Lauren’s down to earth less polished approach much more appealing. When I last wrote about her the world seemed to be her oyster with a column in the Guardian and her own range of cosmetics coming out. Continue reading
If you are interested in making your own cosmetics you probably don’t need me to tell you about Lisa Anderson’s Lisa Lise blog where she shares her knowledge and experiences making cosmetics on a small scale. Continue reading
Is Exercise A Pointless Exercise?
I spend a lot of my time looking at claims made for various cosmetic products. People selling products are easily convinced of the benefits of those products, and are eager to share those benefits with potential purchasers. But it’s very often the case that the claims they make are based on the flimsiest of evidence. That is how the world works. The more you spend time looking at cosmetic claims, the more cynical you get about all claims across the board. So when someone tells me that exercise is good for you my first reaction is to be suspicious, even though this claim is often made, seems reasonable and doesn’t seem to be especially controversial. And it is one that I think most people assume is backed up by solid science. Continue reading
If you can win a medal, can you create a great cosmetic?
My apologies to all non-British readers, but like many of my fellow countrymen the big news at the moment is that the UK came second in the tally of medals scored at the Rio Olympics. And given that nobody expects Britain to outshine America in this particular contest, this is in effect winning the Olympics. (Particular apologies to American readers there – but when you win something every year it is inevitable that people start taking it for granted.) Continue reading