Rant

You Can’t Shave Both Ways

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A pair of influencers on TikTok (which I don’t use) and Instagram gained notoriety last fall for sharing a profound discovery: you can shave both ways! SIGH. No, you cannot.

They explain that the the blades of women’s razors are dual edged and can cut on both an up and a downstroke. So, without changing the orientation of your razor, you can just go in one direction, then reverse. They say you shave faster with this method because you’re covering the area in half the time (or less). You may also think of this as backwards and forwards, or a push motion in addition to a pull when the razor is held in such a way that you do not change its direction.

Simply put….

These ladies are wrong.

The conclusions some people reach astound me. It makes me wonder, “Have you ever looked at your razor?” But of course, if they had, they would not be peddling this nonsense on social media. Or maybe they would. Maybe they realize people are gullible and don’t care if they embarrass themselves for the sake of content.

The construction of a modern consumer non-safety razor won’t let you do this fake life hack. That’s whether it is disposable or the replacement-head variety, (the likes of which are sold by Billie, Gillette, Schick, Flamingo, etc). These razors are built such that the blades are secured in a housing angled so that they can only cut on a downstroke (or, perhaps, sideways if you’re unlucky and slip/slice. Ouch.)

Think I’m Just a Fun Ruiner?

Okay, guilty. But I’m also not wrong. Let’s look at this through a scientific lens. We’ll start by making a hypothesis that supports these ladies’ position. We will keep that hypothesis simple and focused on the part that makes their stance fall apart: that the razor can cut backwards.

If I glide my razor backwards, then it will cut hair.

It won’t, because the angle of the blades cannot possibly shave that way. It would be like writing with the end of your pen instead of the tip. You can’t. More accurately, it would be like trying to cut a steak with the blunt (non-sharpened) side of your steak knife.

Still Don’t Believe That You Can’t Shave Both Ways?

Look at this razor head. This is a Gillette Venus head. Each of the three red lines terminates at a blade’s edge. They don’t just flip around, and hairs don’t come into contact with the top of that blade. That would be necessary for this claim to work.

You Can't Shave Both Ways

But If it Isn’t True, How is it Faster?

This is a simple case of reaching the wrong conclusion. It isn’t that they aren’t experiencing a speed or efficiency gain necessarily. It’s that how they might be, if they are, is not what they think.

Instead of hair being cut on both a forward and backward pass, it has more to do with momentum and glide. The influencers who demonstrate this are moving very quickly. They don’t realize that they’re applying more of the lubricant bar’s product to their skin as they move, for one. Two, because its a constant up-down-up-down-up-down motion rather than calculated top-to-bottom (or vice-versa), reset, repeat, they are using their momentum to get the job done faster.

Science!

The Bottom Line

Look, I’m a curmudgeon these days. Okay, I’ll be honest, I was always a curmudgeon. But when I saw this not only making waves on other platforms but also making it onto blogs I otherwise trust, I had to facepalm and point this out, even if it took a while.

Suffice to say, critical thinking isn’t a bad thing. It isn’t to say that TikTok and Instagram never get things or clever little life hacks right, but this isn’t one of them.

Why Ulta Lost My Business

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Why Ulta Lost My Business After Fifteen Years and Thousands of Dollars Spent

After a decade and a half and thousands of dollars spent, Ulta lost my business. For years, Ulta impressed me with its unique combination of products. Having drugstore, prestige, and salon all in one place is great! It was convenient and felt like a more inclusive place to shop. It wasn’t intimidating to my younger self the same way Sephora and beauty counters were.

I’ve been a member of their Ultamate Rewards program since 2008. Unfortunately, though, Ulta lost my business due to a critical security issue. You should reconsider whether you do business with them, as well.

Weird Activity

Like many, my beauty spending tapered off in 2020. I wasn’t going through product at the same rate. Add that to the amount of uncertainty in the world, I was being judicious and cautious with nonessential spending. I expected my rewards tiers at both Sephora and Ulta to lapse. So, imagine my surprise when I got an email from Ulta suggesting I had more points than I expected.

Compromised?

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E-Files Do Not Damage Your Nails

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E-Files Do Not Damage Your Nails

Last week, I wrote about the myth that gel damages your nails (it doesn’t). In most cases that people experience nail deterioration after gel polish or enhancements, it’s due to incorrect use of an electronic file (or, e-file for short).

–but it’s a myth, too. E-files do not damage your nails. The key words in the previous paragraph are incorrect use.

E-Files AREN’T Bad, Either!

You’ll see people online harping about, “When I go to the salon, I tell them they aren’t using, ‘that drill,’ on me!”

Proper usage of an e-file is safe! It is safe and effective, that is, provided the right combination of bits and speed are used for the task at hand: prepping the nail plate calls for a very different combination of factors than prepping an enhancement for a fill. Unfortunately, though, in many salons, a one-size-fits-all approach is used – and that is not appropriate.

It is also a great way to accelerate the service, Hand filing takes a long time. It is gentler, but definitely less efficient.

Why Service Speed Matters

A faster service benefits you, the client, because it gets you out of the salon faster. Even if you like the experience of being in the salon, your time is valuable!

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Gel Does Not Damage Your Nails

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throwback picture from this throwback post!

Everyone, breathe: gel does not damage your nails! After seeing one too many complaints about how, “gel damages your nails,” and all of these, “gel rescue,” type nail recovery products, I’m losing my mind.

Root Cause

If you’ve experienced nail damage after having gel nails, I’m not gaslighting you. Many people DO experience damage after nail enhancement services. My goal isn’t to make you feel crazy! You aren’t.

My goal is, however, to correct a common misconception and improve understanding of nail enhancement processes. Gel does not damage your nails.

If you’ve experienced weak, thin, peeling, or sensitive nails after removing gel, you aren’t alone. The issue isn’t the gel – the issue is how the nails were prepped.

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Major Hair Loss with TRESemme

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Hair loss with TRESemme

Corporate stupidity, often, is why we can’t have nice things. A lot of people, including me, have experienced hair loss with TRESemme and other shampoos and conditioners in the Unilever family of brands.

Retracing My Steps

Last year, faced with (at last) the end of my Tigi Moisture Maniac stockpile (that I had gleefully found at Costco), I faced the music that the discontinuation was finally final. and decided to return to drugstore options. I’d had decent results with Tresemme in the past, so while the variety I had previously tried wasn’t available, I went for their Moisture Rich shampoo and conditioner.

Hair Loss with TRESemme

We all shed hair, it’s part of the process. But I was shedding a lot. Granted, 2020 was a hell of a year, and we know stress is a contributor to hair loss.

But I’m no stranger to stress, and I was losing hair in fistfuls. I’m not a particularly emotional person, but it brought me to tears. I’d wash and condition my hair in the shower, capturing and coiling the fallen strands on the wall to see the casualties of the day and cry. I’m not even thirty yet. Was I sick? What the hell.

So, given that, it isn’t surprising it took me months to connect the dots that the acceleration of my shedding coincided uncomfortably with the product change.

Unforutnately, I’m Not Alone

When the suspicion occurred to me, I put on my investigative hat and found, to my horror, that Unilever is currently facing a class action suit over hair loss with TRESemme. The litigation is over another product line for containing an ingredient that is known to accelerate hair loss.

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Nudestix Hand Sanitizer Gel

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It’s been a while since I’ve seen some exceptionally stupid beauty marketing, mostly because I haven’t been looking. During some idle browsing on a lazy Sunday morning, I came across Nudestix Hand Sanitizer Gel. It is a bit odd to see beauty retailers offering so many hand sanitizer products, but that’s the world we live in now. Tons of companies set forth to add hand sanitizers to their complement of products: chemical companies, spirits distilleries, beauty brands. Lo and behold, you can buy all manner of hand sanitizers at Sephora and Ulta now.

TL;DR Your Marketing is Bad

Sephora partnered with Nudestix to add this ethanol-based hand sanitizer, priced $10 for 16.9 fl oz, to their shelves. The listing says:

In partnership with proud Canadian company, Nudestix, Sephora Canada launched this good-for-skin antibacterial gel specifically for the global COVID-19 crisis. Unlike alcohol-based gels, the Nudestix ethanol-based gel hydrates and protects hands while banishing harmful bacteria.

You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me

K, few things. We’ll key in on the biggest chunk of stupidity right off the bat. I cannot believe I have to point this out, but ethanol is an alcohol. In fact, assuming you are not a chemist, it is the form of alcohol you are most familiar with. It is the type of alcohol that beverages contain. It is an alternative fuel. It has antiseptic properties, hence why it is used in hand sanitizers.

CoVid-19 Isn’t a F***ing Bacteria

Secondly, while properly formulated and used hand sanitizers are antibacterial in nature, their marketing focuses too much on this right now. CoVid-19 is not bacterial, it is viral. A high enough concentration of alcohol can kill it. That should be how Nudestix Hand Sanitizer Gel is positioned right now. Instead, the listing mentions that the product was prompted by CoVid and goes on to spout about it being antibacterial.

The Bottom Line

You won’t find a link to Nudestix Hand Sanitizer Gel in this post because I don’t want to encourage/support bad behavior. I frankly find it off-putting – if we have cosmetic companies producing product without the basic understanding that ethanol is an alcohol, how can we trust that their cosmetic formulations have safety and efficacy in mind? It makes me think of Sensationail’s claims about their gel nail cleanser (psst, you don’t need it).

I don’t know if this listing is the fault of some product marketing genius with Sephora or with Nudestix. I don’t know if they genuinely don’t know any better, or if they’re a little too at-ease with assuming their consumers are idiots. I’d sincerely hope at least somewhere in either org there is someone with enough basic chemistry know-how to discourage this sort of thing. Instead, if you want to buy hand sanitizer from a beauty brand, might I suggest Cinema Secrets with a 70% concentration?