.. 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 that up, here’s how the straighteners work: Certain chemical compounds raise the pH level of hair, lifting the cuticle and breaking apart molecular bonds called disulfides. This process allows the hair to be reshaped, i.e. straightened.

… The heat from a flatiron or blow-dryer can convert methylene glycol to formaldehyde, says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, founder and CEO of BeautyStat.com. You can read the rest of the article in the February issue of Allure magazine on newsstands now.

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Now, after more than 20 years of working as a cosmetic chemist and developing many of the products in the original Clinique’s Turnaround skin-care line, Robinson stepped outside the lab in 2008 with the launch of beautystat.com, an online community where users can connect with experts and fellow consumers to discuss their product questions and concerns.

Read the entire article here on Allure.com.

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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.

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- Catherine Q. O’Neill

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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 BeautyStat.com. 

We also reviewed the new Olay SMOOTH FINISH FACIAL HAIR REMOVAL DUO

Manufacturer says:

New Olay Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo is a specially formulated two-step system that gently yet effectively removes unwanted facial hair. Common facial hair removal methods can leave visible tell-tale signs such as irritation and redness that give away women’s “beauty secret.” Now, Olay has a gentle way to get beautifully smooth, visibly hair-free skin.

Ingredients:

Skin Guarding Balm:

Ingredient/Ingredients: Sucrose Polycottonseedate, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Ozokerite, Beeswax/Cire D’abeille, Propylparaben, Ethylene Brassylate, Tocopherol, Propyl Gallate, Tocopheryl Acetate.

Hair Removal Cream:

Ingredient/Ingredients: Water/Eau, Mineral Oil/Huile Mineral, Cetearyl Alcohol, Calcium Thioglycolate Hydroxide, Calcium Hydroxide, Ceteareth-20, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance/Parfum, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice.

Our scientific assessment of their clinical studies:

Olay Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo system showed significant advantages for skin moisturization and reduction of redness/irritation compared to other depilatory creams.  And results comparing the Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo vs. the competitors confirm that the system provides significant skin protection benefits.

This product retails for $22.99.

- Ron Robinson, cosmetic chemist and founder of BeautyStat.com

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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 there, but not my store loyalty.”

Read the entire article here on WWD.com.

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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:  I think at-home frizz-smoothing treatments will continue to evolve – they’re going to be safer and work better.  If you have really tight, curly hair, soon there will be products that can actually straighten it at-home – and don’t contain toxic formaldehyde.

This article was featured in the August 2011 issue of Allure Magazine.

“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 myself when I smell good. I love trying new fragrances and it’s a pick-me-up, especially if I’m not having a good day,” wrote Dana K. A contributor named MJ wrote: “To me, fragrances are very evocative of specific times and places, even people. I like to get a new fragrance to embody an event or time of my life. Whenever I smell that scent, I’m transported in time to the special moment.”

Read the entire article here on WWD.com.

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) it’s boiling hot out!” Community members also love body sprays that smell slightly fruity.

Ingredients Matter:Many consumers say the ingredients in a fragrance are what motivates them to splurge for a new one. Susan C. says, “I’m always searching for a new fragrance, and the ingredients are what set them apart from each other.”

Read the rest of the article on Happi.com HERE.

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 you bought it, toss it.

See our review here of the Best Self-Tanning Products for Spring/Summer 2011.

And see more of our recent press coverage here.

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Below is Cosmopolitan Magazines May 2011 issue with actress, Hayley Williams on the cover.