Beauty Alert! Blog » once opened

It’s Getting Hot In Here

Stacya — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:20:02 +0000

Now that we are heading into warmer weather, this is a good time to remember what heat and humidity does to our products.

Once, I had the bright idea to leave my sunscreen in my car, so I could reapply when needed. One warm day, I pumped out a little of the lotion with SPF, and it was lumpy and curdled. I didn’t even know a lotion could do that. It was a new, 6 ounce tube, and I felt very wasteful. Store your products in a cool, dry place.

If something smells or separates, toss it. Bacteria loves warmth, humidity, and liquid, so your products are a very good breeding ground for things to go very wrong.

A New Jar

Stacya — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:07:00 +0000

I just opened my new jar of Bobbi Brown’s tinted moisturizer with SPF. I love products that come in a big, glass jar. I know that products with a pump keep bacteria out…but this time I promised myself “no double dipping” and I will use only a Q-Tip…and no fingers. That is the hard part, especially when there is a big rush to get out the door. Some people prefer make-up and skin care with pumps, some jars. I am a jar person. It feels like an upgrade from the pump somehow. People who hold on to foundation and skin care for more than six months should probably opt for pumps, it does help the bacteria situation. I will be done with this jar in 2-3 months, and I am sure towards the end I will have given up on my new Q-Tip only rule.

Dr. Diane Chiu, dermatologist

Stacya — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:45:48 +0000

The first time I heard about Beauty Alert! Labels, I thought: “What a simple but brilliant idea…I can’t believe no one’s thought of it earlier!” As a cosmetic and medical dermatologist, I value the importance of what my patients are applying to their face and body. Every day, I advise people about what products are best for their skin, however I never had an effective way to counsel them about getting rid of products that have expired. Numerous scientific studies have shown that cosmetics can grow a wide variety of pathogenic bacteria and fungi, especially once they are opened. “Organic” or “natural” products that contain fewer preservatives and thus seem “better for the skin” may actually become contaminated even more easily. Eye make-up in particular can be a potentially hazardous source of eye infections. We know that once a tube of mascara has been opened, 36% have microbial growth by 3 months*. Expired or contaminated products used on the skin may lead to skin irritation, rashes, or infections, especially if there are any breaks in the skin, such as with eczema or acne. Without expiration dates on the product packaging, it’s impossible to know when items should be thrown out. The people at Beauty Alert! have done their research and have taken the guesswork out about recommended product replacement times. Beauty Alert! Labels make it easy for me now to offer guidelines to my patients about disposing of potentially contaminated cosmetic products and ensuring their skin health.
Diane Chiu, M.D.
Dermatologist

The Doctors

Stacya — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:50:41 +0000

Last week, our product was recommended by the gorgeous doctor on the ABC show “The Doctors”. Very exciting! Oh…I meant the gorgeous female doctor. I guess if real doctors are going to be on TV, they must be good looking, so they all are, but it meant a lot to Beauty Alert! that the woman on the show held up our labels as a must have. I love this part! Fun!!!!! Yay.

I loved that we were featured on that particular episode, because it talked about the difference between processed food and fresh food. I am so glad this is a topic now, because people who eat lots of processed foods are not engaging in behavior that promotes beauty. Eat lots of green, leafy veggies! Stay away from things that have a “shelf life”. That is something I have thought about, fresh food expires, you wouldn’t eat something that had gone rancid or covered in mold, and yet…people use make-up that has been rolling around at the bottom of their bag for 5 years. Some food for thought.