Beauty Stat - For the beauty obsessed who demand the facts not fiction.

BeautyStat.com is featured in this month’s Allure magazine. Contributing to the cover story on hair straighteners: how they work, are they safe? the new non-toxic versions. See excerpts below:

.. First, let’s get real for a minute: Chemical straighteners always do some damage to your hair.  Always. Even if the straighteners are better than they used to be. To say otherwise, well it’s like convincing yourself that because McDonald’s stopped making its French fries with trans fats, the fries are suddenly good for you. They are not. Now that we’ve cleared …

Ron Robinson never set out to create beauty products. “I completely fell into it,” he says. After deciding that he didn’t want to become a doctor, he left medical school and applied for a job at a laboratory, which turned out to be the Clinique laboratories. It also happened to be the right career move. “I love the combination of creativity, science and high-tech, as well as delighting consumers,” Robinson says.

Now, after more than 20 years of working as a cosmetic chemist and developing many of the products in the …

 
 
Radiance Found
Because crushed pearls can brighten skin, says Ron Robinson, a cosmetic chemist and founder of BeautyStat.com, they’re popping up in face products.  They contain a combination of minerals and proteins, including calcium, which can make skin glow.

Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Age-Correcting  Serum has micronized South Sea pearls.  Bulgari Gommage Eclat Radiance Facial Exfoliator has finely crushed pearls for gentle exfoliation.
Check out more of our appearances in Allure magazine HERE.
- Catherine Q. O’Neill
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Do creams that promise to reduce facial hair really work?
It depends on the formula. In the past, they main ingredient in these products was soy, which only slows hair growth. New creams such as DermaDoctor Gorilla Warfare, $50, slow growth plus contain hair-weakening ingredients like willow bard (it breaks down keratin, the main ingredient in hair) to make fuzz less noticeable as well as to exfoliate the follicle, so hairs fall out. “A lotion must do all three for you to see a difference,” says Ron Robinson, cosmetic chemist of …

When BeautyStat, the market research firm, queried its online community if they are still buying the same products and brands, or whether they’ve traded up or down, 54 per- cent responded their spending has stayed the same, 33 percent have traded down and 13 percent have traded up. “Even though the economy is down, my skin still requires higher quality products,” says respondent Lisa P. “While I haven’t traded down, I look for the best deals. If Sephora has a coupon over Ulta, I’m there. My brand loyalty is still …

Learning the language of social media is not merely worthwhile—it’s a key factor for every beauty brand’s success.
A “one size fits all” approach has never been the key to success. Luckily, the social media arena holds many options for successfully interacting with consumers and advocates.
Real-time responses to consumer input/questions break down a lot of walls.

And, luckily for beauty brands across all categories, new tools are being developed every day, and they are designed to better engage consumers and increase the impact of social outreach. This article intends to shed some …

Behind every product that smooths your frizz or brightens your skin, there’s a scientist with a lab coat and a dream.  Cosmetic chemists share their favorite products and biggest beauty innovations.

Q&A with Ron Robinson, Founder of  BeautyStat.com
Product He Admires:  The Px Renova (Tretinoin cream) 0.05% was approved by the FDA in 1995 and was proven to reduce fine facial wrinkles, fade brown spots and smooth surface roughness.  More over the counter retinoid products  came on the market (using Retinol) from brands like Neutrogena, Avon and Estee Lauder.

The Next Big Thing:  …

As we were putting together this, our first fragrance issue, I asked Ron Robinson, the founder of BeautyStat.com, to canvas his members and ask them what drives their fragrance purchases. While some talked about buying into the gestalt of a specific brand or celebrity and others talked about the appeal of the bottle, most of the answers centered around the emotional appeal of scent.

“What makes me buy a fragrance is, of course, how it smells, but more so how it makes me feel,” said Carol H. “I feel better about …

Whether it’s seasonal pick, a tried and true favorite, a comforting scent or a special indulgence, fragrances are subjective purchases. Some of the beauty community members keep coming back to a tried and true favorite; yet others love the idea of experimenting with scents. Here’s what we see in the community regarding fragrance trends and purchase habits:

Light and Airy Fragrances: Many community members love anything that is light and not too overpowering, especially for summer. Nicole says, “I can’t stand it when people overdose on perfume or cologne… and (when) …

QUESTION:
Can I use the same self-tanner I bought last year?
ANSWER:
“As long as you store your self-tanner at room temperature, it should have a 12 month life span.” says cosmetic chemist and founder of BeautyStat.com, Ron Robinson.  While DHA (the ingredient in self-tanners that darkens the skin) isn’t harmful after that time, it definitely becomes less effective, upping the chance for it to leave streaks or cast an unnatural, orangish skin tone. If it’s been less than a year but your self-tanner has a strange smell or different color than when …