Coming Next Week: ANTHONY Logistics

SOME POSTS FOR NEXT WEEK:

I've been staying at the home of one of my colleagues, so I have happened to come across a lot of Anthony products and some others. Since you all voted (21-0) for me to review products that I use or come across, I'll be posting about these for you.

Also, a review of what's going on in the the beauty blogging world.

What's been on my mind.

It's Friday! Yesss!!!! Anyway, thanks for all your great emails you've been sending me. They really help to keep me going with this blog. I'm am super busy, but knowing that you readers are really enjoying it helps to keep me motivated! On that end, I do read all your emails, and, unfortunately, can't respond to each and every one. However, trust me when I say I hear what you are saying, and although I might not email you back right away, I may in fact address your concerns along with others in future posts! That being said, I do try to respond to most emails and comments, eventually :-)

Ok, so this has been on my mind now.
I remember when I was young my mom used to have a "Surprise Box" for me and my brother. Every time we did all our chores, studying, practicing, etc, we got to pick out an item from the Surprise Box. So my mom would give the box a shake to tease us and we would be so freakin' excited. So I'm taking a page from my own childhood memory, I was thinking of giving away a couple little gifts every week or so. This way it'll be more fun to read the posts hear at TinS, and a good way to have people pay attention to them, since I know some of them can be a little technical. So this is just a thought, but I'd love to hear your input! All in all it can be a great way to participate even more on this site (and more fun).

THE GIFTS
The gifts would most likely be products that I may get from sponsors (THAT IS IF I decide to have sponsors, I would have to really approve their products first)! Or from my own small line. I mean, tell me if I"m wrong, but what's the point in having something (like a skincare line) if you can give them away as gifts!

THE PROBLEM:
Since, as most of you know, I do have a small specialty skincare/aromatherapy line. The only thing is that I don't want to use this site to talk about my line or to promote it. So I wouldn't be talking about what products the winners would get. I know it might sound crazy, but I like to take extra precautions to keep the two pretty separate.

IT'S UP TO YOU!!!
This matter is up to all my readers. Please email me with your thoughts and I'll create a new poll to have you all vote as well! Either way, it's up to you!

REMEMBER
This is just food for thought. I won't be doing anything right away, but I wanted to test what you guys thought about this! If you are like "Heck No" don't involve that stuff on this site, then I sooo won't even do it. Just want to know what you all are thinking about this!

A Dangerous Trend . . . BORBA continues with misleading claims.

One of the TiS readers forwarded me this video (thanks!) of BORBA founder Scott-Vincent Borba talking about how his new "drinkable skincare" products will help improve various skin types or skin problems. Please remember, that this is a complete misrepresentation of the products and what they will do. This is my 2nd posting on BORBA because I think this is a dangerous market to start opening up. Watch the misrepresentation in action below.

For those who missed the first review of these so-called "drinkable" skin benefits, here's the original post. Remember, there is absolutely no way (with today's technology and science) to get targeted skincare from a drink, especially as this video claims. Stay smart and save your money.

Especially harmful is the notion that making martinis using these drinks would be helpful. Any hydrating effects of the drink (or any drink for that matter) would be voided by the dehydrating effects of the alcohol!

Someone else had emaled me about Beauty Scoop, another supposedly "drinkable" skincare powder with "peptides" and "lipids". (Which basically means pieces of protein and fat). This product, honestly, is nothing more than just a regular protein shake! So this does as much for your skin as a protein shake will . . . nothing! Misrepresentations are abound on their website too, and what make me so sad is that an Dr. Michelle Yagoda M.D. is behind this manipulation. And you all know I HATE IT WHEN M.D.'s MISREPRESENT THE TRUTH! Bad Bad Bad Beauty Scoop.

KISS MY FACE: Not with that ingredient List (part 2)

Somethings 'off' here
Ok, so here's the second part of our look at Rosemary Melon Almost Butter by KISS MY FACE. Click here for part 1. So what's the biggest glaring omission on this label? If you guys were thinking "Where the heck is the preservative?" than you were so right. Especially if this products is "99.9% Natural", I mean, it must have a preservative to keep it fresh and free from contamination. And we'll get to this claim in a minute.

It's all coming back now
Now, it's true that some people may claim that Rosemary extract helps preserve a product, but its simply not enough, especially for a product like this. I have a suspicion though. What's the one ingredient that's a bit suspicious? If you said GLYCINE, you're totally right. Remember my post on Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate? If not you can read it here (it's a long one!). I talk about how some companies (mostly "natural" marketers) use sodium hydroxymethylglycinate as a preservative, and how sometimes they claim it as a "natural preservative based on the natural amino acid glycine". Well, it seems that this product skipped the middleman and just listed glycine. And from that post you'll remember that sodium hydroxymethylglycinate is definitely NOT natural!

In a sticky situation:
Either there is no truly effective preservative in this product, since neither glycine and rosemary are not effective preservatives. OR glycine is incorrectly listed in place of sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, which is completely wrong.

Are there anymore errors in this product label?
Unfortunately, yes. The worst problem with all this is the overly zealous claim of "99.9%" Natural. How do I put this . . . THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! First of all, as TiS readers, you all know, that there is no natural preservative available! We wish there were, but there really aren't, and the ones that claim to be have been proven otherwise by reliable research. And for the effective use of any synthetic preservatives in today's skincare is ALWAYS GREATER THAN AT LEAST 0.3%, and often more than 1.5%! So, basically the numbers ain't adding up for this product label. Factor in the other non-natural ingredients like cetearyl alcohol, ceteareth-20, caprylic Acid and you get one big sigh and an equation that's REALLY not adding up!

So I have to say (and I do like KISS MY FACE in general) but this is one HUGE mistake in product labeling. THUMBS DOWN for (let's hope) this oversight!

So go ahead and pick up a product! You may find a funny (well, not so funny really) gem of your own. Go ahead and share with us your findings and I'll post it up here, and maybe give away prizes . . . hmmm that get's me thinking, well, I'll keep that to myself :-) for now.

AN EXAMPLE FOR US ALL: MADAME C.J. WALKER

When you hear of female pioneers, especially from the popular media, who do you think of? Now narrow that down to the field of cosmetics or personal care. Typical answers for the beauty world are those of Helena Rubinstein, Estee Lauder (real name: Josephine Ester Mentzer), Elizabeth Arden (real name: Florence Nightingale Graham). Truth be told, Lauder and Rubinstein were, well, bitches. In their lives, they did not embody the enlightenment of humanity that make up real heroes, real legends. Since I don't believe in criticizing without providing something towards a solution, luckily, I have an illustrious example: Madame C.J. Walker. For icing on the cake, it does relate to beauty & skincare.

I have known about Walker's achievements for some time, but had forgotten her name. And now that it's Black History Month, it has forced me to pull out some backbrain inventory and finally write about it (stuff you know but haven't really processed coherently, and it's definitely not a medical term!). Let's get started.

The Background
Walker (born Sarah Breedlove on the day before Christmas Eve in 1867, died 1919) was the 5th of 6 children. Her parents were both slaves. She was the first child born in her family immediately after the end of slavery. She did not have the ability to obtain a formal education, especially hampered by Louisiana's government withholding support for the education of blacks. Her parents died when she was 7. She then worked to support her siblings.

After a brief marriage (she was widowed at 20) she moved to St. Louis to be with her brothers. Here she worked as a launderer and earned just less than 2 dollars a day, enough to put her daughter through school. Madame C.J. Walker also pushed herself through self-education and improvement to the best or her abilities, attending night school and learning at the African Methodist Episcopal church (a Church with an awesome history, click here for the wiki on it).

She noticed her own hair loss near her temples (and that of other black women as well). She finally came up with a formula that supposedly restored the hair loss, strengthened hair, stopped dandruff and more. This is (as Oprah puts it) her "A-ha" moment. BTW, Madame Walker, was the first Oprah. She even had plans to build a school for girls in Africa, but sadly died before she could realize this. From here she went on to start the first female beauty empire with her company Madame C.J. Walker. First door-to-door then national. She started selling products targeted to the African community. A first on so many levels.

She had a deputy of agents not just selling her products, but also educating the public and customers on hygiene and a good appearance (um, I guess she was also the first Mary Kay). In fact, she believed, from her own experience, that with the difficulties facing young black women, if they took care of their appearance (skin, dress, and hair) they would find improved opportunities within the white dominated world. Her workforce employed African Americans and created entrepreneurs out of them. A typical agent of hers made more money than many white people. This, in a time where, as one can imagine, opportunities for blacks were severely limited to the lowest waged jobs. She built her own factory and started the first female beauty empire PERIOD. She went on to break barriers by building amazing properties such as the Villa Lewaro (pictured) in Long Island and drove her own car, illustrating the start of Blacks & Women breaking through socioeconomic barriers. According to various sources, she was the first self-made millionairess, black or white! These, however, are really the trivial points. Let's not get lost in glitz of these achievements.

Villa Lewaro


Mark Kay must have gotten this memo.

The Walker Theater in Indianapolis

Her REAL achievements
Madame C.J. Walker's brilliance and humanity shines in what she did with her money and resources. She knew this cardinal rule: supporting her community by giving back. She's helped countless people, especially helping African Americans in this most critical post-slavery timepoint. Here's a list of just some of the things she supported:

• contributed to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
• donated generous amounts of money to retirement homes in St. Louis and Indianapolis
• donated to the building fund for the YMCA of Indianapolis
• funded scholarships for students of the Tuskegee Institute
• donated $5,000 (we're talkin' 1920's money here) to the NAACP, making it the largest single gift to the organization at that time.
  
• Supported the Bethune-Cookman College
• Supporter of Churches
  
• Her company eventually employed over 3,000 people at its max
  
• In 1908, she opened a college in Pittsburgh to train her "hair culturists"

Trust me, the list goes on and on. My point is this: No matter what the industry, or how much one has achieved, it's always what you do with your resources (financial, intellectual, physical, whatever they may be). Madame Walker did not indulge in a fanciful lifestyle, she did not make money at the cost of integrity. She spent her time lecturing and protesting. A champion for the rights of Blacks. This is a person who has faced hardships that we couldn't fully understand or empathize with today. It always wakes me up to reality to see her ingenuity at work. I mean, just think about it. Anyone with a similar story today would still be regarded as a phenomenal success. Imagine doing it as an African American, living post-slavery, in the midst of segregation, being a woman, a single mother, and being widowed and divorced. Kinda gives us no excuse to complain about any barriers we face today; just find a way to break through them. Stories like Walkers are important in showing clearly that nothing is impossible.

In her own words it was her faith in God, creating quality products, and "honest business dealings that were her ingredients to success. (If these ingredients were a product on Truth in Skincare, I'd have to give it a THUMBS UP review! . . . .sorry, I'm a dork). But seriously, if companies followed these tenets they may actually feel guilty about some of their marketing efforts and empty product claims.

A quote about herself:
"I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations. I have built my own factory on my own ground" - Madame Walker

So I did my part and brought you a heroine of mine. Now, I ask you, please take it a step further. Keep the stories of people like Madame C.J. Walker alive for more people and the next generations. I've compiled a list of books and sites that help to tell the story of this role model.

A MUST SEE VIDEO:
It's only a few minutes and worth watching if doing anything at all. It tours the Theater and gives a lot of good info!
Doing Indy episode 42 - Madame Walker Building



Some Websites:
The Official Madame C.J. Walker Website at MadameCJWalker.com.

If you're every in Indiana and want to visit the Walker Theater (was built on her plans, but after her death. It is now a theater and is dedicated to promoting the visions of its namesake. It was fully restored in the 80's and is registered as a national historic place.

Here great-great granddaughter has written a biography about Walker. Her bestselling book, On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker , was a 2001 New York Times Notable Book. You can get a list of her speaking engagements here.

Some books for the younger generations:
Madam C. J. Walker--Entrepreneur by A’Lelia Bundles.

Vision of Beauty by Kathryn Lasky (Candlewick Press, 2000)

Madam C. J. Walker: Pioneer Businesswoman by Marian W. Taylor
(Chelsea House, 1994)

Madam C. J. Walker: Self-Made Millionaire by Patricia and Fredrick
McKissack (Enslow Publishers, 1992)

Mystery of the Dark Tower by Evelyn Coleman
American Girl History Mysteries (Pleasant Company Publications, 2000)

Click here for a list of books about Walker.

P.S. More to come. She wasn't the only millionaire of her time. In fact, Walker started by working for another African American woman who went on to become a millionaire multiple times over as well. I guess that means only one thing . . . a follow up post :-)

P.S.S. Her daughter did much to contribute to the Harlem Renaissance as well. The story will continue.

Oscars what?

Don't hate me. I am just so excited that the Oscars are O-V-E-R. I had been hoping the writer's strike would continue just long enough to cancel them. Darn. I actually haven't seen an Oscars or Golden Globes or other "award show" in years. I've been boycotting Hollywood now for years :-) I just feel most of what's being pumped out of that place is poison for our youth, even worse, under the guise of "entertainment". But that's a whole other blog! Instead I'll be contributing a post this week (probably tomorrow) to a REAL example of a role model! And, as a bonus, it has to do with skincare/haircare! So enjoy you're Mondays everyone and thanks for reading TRUTH in SKINCARE. BTW, if you do want some beauty recaps of the Oscars, please click on one of our bloggers from our blogroll, I'm sure they've got the scene covered. And a special shout out to them all. You girls rock! I enjoy reading your posts.

P.S. I'll be posting a new poll with an fun (no, really fun, I promise) way of hopefully getting readers to comment more! I was just reading somewhere that much less than 1% of readers comment, and I want to increase that number. But you guys will be deciding!

Weekly Rewind

Here's the rewind on the posts from this week!

Monday: I posted about my turmoil about whether or not I should post about the products I use or come across. Click here for my internal debate. You all responded with a resounding YES!
Tuesday: I shared with you one of my favorite charity/non-profit programs called Kiva. Click here for the post.
Wednesday: So I listened to you all. I shared with you the first product that I use regularly. Click here to find out what product that was.
Thursday: Talking all about Kaolin clay. Found in so many products, here is an overview of it.
Friday: Bringing together some of the principles I've talked about on this blog. We analyze a real-live and very erroneous product ingredient label. This was part 1 a post to be continued next week. Click here to see what product that was!

Over and out!

KISS MY FACE: Not with that ingredient list! (Part 1)

I am snowed in and can't get out! There's like a foot of snow here, well maybe 8 inches, and it's still snowing. I'm in Jersey as we speak, or as I speak, or as I type I mean! No better way to start this housebound day than blogging for you.

Someone pointed my attention recently to ALMOST BUTTER by KISS MY FACE. The 6 oz Rosemary Melon scented Ultra Creme is "obsessivelyorganic" (sic). Unfortunately, someone at the Kiss My Face corporation isn't disclosing their ingredient listings with the same obsession. Here's a great example of even one of the bigger companies just getting it plain wrong and then some!

I was actually so bewildered by this product (which claims it is 99.9% natural) that I bought it so I could have some hard evidence that I wasn't making up the ingredient listing!! Let's get started shall we?

Let's take a look at the ingredient list:

Juniperus Oxycedrus*, Melissa Officinalis*, Lavandula Angustifolia*, Aqua/Eau, Chamomilla Rectuta*, Angelica Archangelica*, Althaea Officinalis*, Avena Sativa*, Helianthus Annuus*, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearth-20, Glycerin, Caprylic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii, Jojoba Esters*, Glycine Soja*, Olea Europaea*, Theobroma Cacacao*, Rosmarinus Officinalis, Citrus Dulcis*, Citrus Nobilis, Cucumis Melo, Glycine, Xanthan Gum, Cyanopsis Tetragonalba, Tocopherol. *Organic ingredients are Certified by Quality Assurance International.

First of all, thumbs down for not "translating" some of these ingredients to plain English! Let me take a moment to decipher these.

• Juniperus Oxycedrus is Juniper (oil, extract, who knows with this label).
• Melissa Officinalis (Melissa flower, again oil/extract who knows).
• Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender)
• Angelica Archangelica (Angelica oil, probably)
• Avena Sativa (oats)
• Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower)
• Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow)
• Butyrospermum Parkii is just shea butter.
• Glycine Soja is just soybean oil.
• Olea Europaea means olive (olive what, we don't know since it's not listed, but probably olive oil).
• Theobroma Cacacao (cocoa butter)
• Citrus Dulcis (orange oil)
• Citrus Nobilis (madarin oil)
• Cucumis Melo (melon oil? extracts? who knows)
• Glycine
• Theobroma Cacacao (guar gum)
• Tocopherol (vit E)

I hope you haven't given up on me yet because that was just identifying the ingredients! Well, today we'll cover part one of this error strewn label. You already know that ingredients are listed in order corresponding to it's amount in the product (until 1%). Click here for an introductory post on reading labels.

Is there really more Juniper, Lavender, and Melissa in this product than water?!?!!? Impossible! For just so many reasons. And if there really was that much Melissa and Juniper and Lavender the product would be popping with color and smell to high heaven. Oh, BTW, the product does smell amazing though! The only thing that would make sense is that they might have used the floral waters of these ingredients. In this case, they should have noted it as such, nevertheless, it is still incorrectly labeled!

We know as well that a moisturizer is basically oil & water with added extras. This ingredient listing doesn't list a single oil (one that you can actually use in a moisturizer) until sunflower oil, which is way down on the ingredient listing. Thus, the label tells us that there is actually more Juniper, Melissa, Lavender, Chamomile, Angelica, Oats, and Marshmallow than the next listed Sunflower oil. Impossible. What an insane formula that would be! If the list were true, this certainly wouldn't be a moisturizer that anyone would dare put on their body.

Gut Check:
Unfortunately, the most serious mistakes made on this label seems to have been done deliberately (and will be covered in part 2). This is way sad, especially with KISS MY FACE, I mean, what a cute brand and a great story behind it :-( But, better not rush to any judgments yet. I've contacted the company to get further clarification and a statement from them. I'll keep you posted.

So whats part 2?
You tell me. There is something else very "off" about this ingredient listing. This even more important mistake/omission is a critical one. The fact that it's oh sooo natural is an added concern as well. We'll talk more in part 2! Hint: it's something we've kinda talked about before, check out this article. Also in part 2 we'll be examining the use of all of the ingredient in this label. We'll also determine if the claim 99.9% natural is truthful! (sigh . . . .)

Nevertheless, I can not tell you how happy I am to be able to share with you some tips and knowledge on these skincare/marketing matters. I hope that I am able to be at least a little helpful. I'm just glad that we can have a shared platform into seeing the good and the bad out there in the market. Thanks for listening, I think I'm already getting cabin fever! Time to shovel some snow.

Enjoy your weekends!

Kaolin Clay: On our faces and everywhere else!

Hi TiS readers! Today we'll talk about Kaolin clay. It's got a cool chemical structure (pictured) and is found in, well, a lot of things! Kaolin clay is made up of the constituent kaolinite and has the notable composition of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2). It is these constituents that help to confer the multitude of uses of Kaolin clays. You can find Kaolin used in pottery, toothpaste, lightbulbs, paper, food additives, and it has been used to help fight diarrhea (that's where the medication "kao"pectate gets its name!). For us now, we'll talk about the cosmetic and skin uses of Kaolin clay.

Kaolin has been used for hundreds to thousands of years in facial applications, masks, and has even been eaten. Unfortunately, there has been no serious scientific research on the dermatological effects of kaolin, but it's safe to say that with its rich history in personal use, it's a pretty safe natural ingredient. The only toxic effects that may be associated with kaolin are breathing in the dust from industrial level exposure such as mining. Unless you work in a kaolinite rich mine or other industrial setting, these shouldn't be concerns.

Being extra safe.
Being the ever paranoid doctor, I'll say if you are working to make your own skincare products that use kaolin clay (or any other clay for that matter) I'd recommend using a mask. Its good practice to prevent breathing in the fine dust particles of any clays. This is to be extra safe and eliminate any immunological or respiratory responses to the fine dust.

Skincare applications.
Ok, moving on to use in skincare. Hey, read your favorite makeup ingredients (especially powders, liquid powders, etc.) you'll find quite a lot of cosmetic products using kaolin. They are terrific at preventing powder based formulas from caking. Kaolin is used in cleansers as well. It has an ability to dry the skin and has uses to fight acne as well as increasing localized circulation, which can contribute to fighting inflammation. How does it work? It's not exactly known. I can tell you, however, the unique constituents of aluminum oxide and silica are natural minerals that most likely contribute to any (and possibly all) the effects we see on the skin. Minerals, especially when we are not exposed to them regularly, can have significant effects of the skin when we are finally exposed to them. However, these minerals/clays are not intended to be used regularly.

More data please!
Unfortunately, since there is no scientific or clinical data on kaolin in dermatological practices, there is a lot of contradicting descriptions out there. Some say it's great for sensitive skin, and some say it's to be avoided by sensitive skin. I say it's not the Kaolin that matters as much as the formula it is found in! There really is no harm in trying. I think it should be a good start to see if it works to clear up acne or excessively oily skin (before using harsher medications). The adverse effects (if any) will be limited to increased dryness, flakiness, and possible redness of the treated area, which all go away once its use is stopped. Many claim that Kaolin also tightens the skin, and anyone whose used it has felt that indeed. However, this is most likely a temporary effect due to the absorption of moisture from the skin, thus leaving it "tighter". Kaolin is the active ingredient in so many masks. This is why in my previous post on the Mint Julep Mask, I note that it's wise to look into your favorite masks. If kaolin is the active ingredient, you can think about switching to a cheaper mask with kaolin if you want to save money.

What to become experimental?
I'd say making your own masks from clays could be the best way to benefit from them. To get the maximal benefits from ingredients like Kaolin clay, it's best to use it fresh. It won't lose any effectiveness as it would sitting in a jar/bottle with other additives. Experimenting with these wonderful raw materials can also be a great experience by opening the doors to a personal understanding and that natural ingredients demonstrate powerful properties that are not limited to "modern cosmeceuticals".

Just a couple of masks I personally have used in fighting my own acne outbreaks are the Mint Julep mask and ProActive's Refining mask. Please Note: Unfortunately Proactive usually does not sell this mask alone. I think its definitely a great item, but not worth having to buy the whole system (shame on you Proactive!). Unless, you want to buy the whole system to give it a try, then it's best to be on the lookout to buy this item alone.

Note: I am not endorsed by, paid by, or receive free samples from the companies above, nor any company for that matter. The specific products mentioned are from my own personal use and there may be many other products that are just as effective.

Power Buff. A peak into the products I use.

It's been a very busy week for me already, but an awesome one. I'm sorry I haven't posted any nerdy TRUTH in SKINCARE articles, but I will have one for you tomorrow. I'll be posting more about clays (in masks) and why I like them and much more this week.

To hold you over let me post about one of my favorite scrubs that I finally found available again. And by my poll and your emails, it seems my readers would definitely appreciate hearing about the products I use . . . so your wish is my command! So here's a product from my life.

No, it's not some mad expensive line. It's L'Oreal for Men Power Buff Scrub. Yeah, there's a million scrubs out there, even for men, but this one is quite different. The difference is in the exfoliating aluminum oxide crystals. It's a finer grit and is a bit "rougher" than most, hence very effective at exfoliating. To be honest, it's almost like using ground pumice stone on your face! Which, of course, I would not suggest. I know that doesn't sound very nice, and you gotta be gentle when you use it, but it's very effective. It's definitely not an everyday scrub, but one that I feel is perfect for not-so-sensitive skin that needs a good scrub to wake up the top layers of your skin (well the top layers are dead, but you know what I mean!).

Here's the formula for the power buff:

Water Aqua , Alumina , Mineral Oil Paraffinum Liquidum , Glycerin , Dimethicone , Shea Butter Butyrospermum Parkii , PEG-100 Stearate , Stearyl Alcohol , Glyceryl Stearate , Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate , Peppermint Leaf Extract Mentha Piperita , Biosaccharide Gum-1, Phenoxyethanol , Methylparaben , Butylparaben , Imidazolidinyl Urea , Ethylparaben , Propylparaben.

So pretty good formula. (I might want to take out the Urea and Peppermint). Peppermint shouldn't really be in face products (at least not in great amounts) it's not so great for the skin. But it smells great and tingles the skin so companies turn a blind eye to it I guess. Since this is not an everyday thing, it's fine. There are 101 fillers in the formula L'Oreal could have used, but I really like the ingredients they chose for this scrub.

So if any of you are looking for a finer, rougher scrub, this may just be it. Or if you just need to switch up the scrub type. Or if your looking to buy the man in your life a scrub, I think he'd be happy with this one. But tell him to be gentle! Remember, this is quite harsher than other scrubs for men. It's not for everyday, so if this is a gift for a first time exfoliator, let them know this!

I find it's best to use on "special days" to be extra exfoliated and smooth. The price is about $9 which is on the higher end for drugstore men's products, but I find it's well worth the money because it lasts forever. Again, a little goes a long way. Oh yeah, I haven't been able to find this scrub in months, I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling a lot of people have discovered this scrub's worthiness.

Well enjoy your Wednesday!
I hope you enjoyed this post.

Remember I am not endorsed by, paid by, or receive free samples from L'Oreal, or any other company for that matter! This is a personal opinion post only.

Dr. David Loves "Kiva.org"

I'm sure you've heard the talk of Kiva. Even former president Bill Clinton goes on about it. If you haven't, then please check out this wonderful site. It's one of my favorite programs. You lend money (even very small amounts) to entrepreneurs and people that need it in the rest of the world. Usually a loan of a few hundred dollars means financial success for a lot of these recipients.

I found a great video that's about 5 minutes and produced by PBS about Kiva.org in action. You can watch the tangible benefits it produces. The best part about it all, you can loan out even $25 to help change someones life forever, and you get your money back! It's the best win-win situation. BTW, all the details are at the site. I'll add the link to kiva.org to the "Dr. David Loves" section on the right sidebar.

Should I post about the products I use? Hmm...

I want to keep this blog as objective and truthful as possible, sometimes maybe too much so? Some of you have emailed me to know what I use (thanks for the emails by the way) and what products I would suggest, etc. I've avoided talking about the products that I use because I don't see how that fits appropriately into talking about truths in the skincare industry. On the flip side, I also think, if I'm talking about all these products and companies and this is a personal blog as well, then I should shed some light on the products that I use as well. That's probably most fair!

At first, the thought about posting about the products I use or come across in my life (which is a lot since I am continuously working on product development & formulation), seemed like a definite no-no. I mean, there's plenty of beauty bloggers that give their opinions on the more subjective aspects of products.

But then I thought . . . hmmm. Actually, most of the beauty bloggers are about "girly stuff" or at least more aimed toward women and make-up. All good and great, but they don't really apply to me most of the time. AND THEN through my own unsuccessful attempts at trying to find a male in the beauty blogging world, I realized that there really aren't any! Whose gonna tell me about what shaving cream to use? What do girls like for us to wear? And on and on. Ok, so I won't be a regularly gushing male beauty blogger, but maybe I can be open now to the idea of posting about products I like (after all they do have to meet a lot of requirements, mostly safety and good formulation, to make me like them anyway!).

I could overcome the problems of subjectivity by CLEARLY writing that this is a personal opinion, non-scientific observation disclaimer on the blog. On top of this, I think that many of you would appreciate hearing from a male perspective (and maybe help you with your approach to buying the men in you life better products). Most of my readers are women after all, so these posts can help you understand the male's perspective more, maybe? I'd love to hear you comments and opinions of your boyfriends/husbands/friend's mens products as well.

Anyway readers, I'm leaving this up to you! Email me and let me know what you think. I've got a list of men's products that are waiting to be nixed or brought to life in these posts! I'll also set up a poll to have you all vote as well!

P.S. I read all my emails (eventually!) and regularly get back, and no one else has access to them but me. So bare with me in getting back to you, as my life is BUSY BUSY BUSY, but I am dedicated to this blog and building it up! Oh yeah, please take a second to vote in the new poll!

P.S.S. Even though I might add a feature like this to the blog, it won't lose its science-y nerdy aspect! Sorry guys!

Weekly Rewind

I hope you are already enjoying your weekends! I've been up late trying to get a head start on a bunch of my paperwork this weekend in the hopes that I may get to just go out and enjoy the city today. Here's the rewind of the posts from this week.

Monday: Using our noodles. A post about using this site and other sites to work out the brain by doing "active" reading. Click here.
Tuesday: A sad example of the length companies will go to market products. Click here.
Wednesday: A day of positivity. Click here to see my first "Dr. David Loves" link for Charity Navigator. Click here for the introduction post for this new link section on our blog.
Thursday: The truth about Vitamin C in skincare products. Click here.
Friday: Find out the first skincare product that I've given a good review of by clicking here.

Dr. David Loves MINT JULEP MASK!

Here is probably a post you've all been waiting a long time to see: my support of a specific product that I think is great! Indeed, this is quite a rare post for me, but, yes, I am coming out in support of a product that I think is certainly worthy. After all, it's Friday (and right after Valentine's). So what do I think is the best overall mask? It's Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque.

I'm sure you all have used it (or use it now). Heck, even I have a tube somewhere at home and always keep one in my dopp bag when I travel. I certainly don't use much skincare products on my own regard, but usually if I'm traveling, doing an interview, or making an appearance for anything, this mask is always a great bet to help the skin look it's best. The biggest reason it makes the top of the list is it's price, only a couple dollars a tube. And you can get a smaller size for under a buck!

I won't review many of the subjective qualities of the mask because there's plenty of beauty bloggers that do that (just click on one from my list below on the right sidebar). I'll only review more of the more objective aspects, like the formula. And what a simple formula it is. Here is the ingredients for the Mint Julep Mask:

Water, Kaolin*, Bentonite*, Glycerin, Zinc Oxide, Propylene Glycol, Sulfur*, Chromium Oxide Greens, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance