/oss/taxonomy/term/2412/all en /oss/article/health-pseudoscience/so-you-want-pop-hyperbaric-oxygen-chamber-rid-yourself-wrinkles <p>Would you step into a pressurized cylinder to get rid of your wrinkles? A writer for <i>The Daily Mail </i>did in 2018 and<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6300731/Would-brave-oxygen-capsule-banish-wrinkles-SARAH-BARCLAY-gives-verdict-HBOT.html"> her report</a>, which reads more like an ad for the centre offering the service, claims she felt invigorated after spending an hour lying down reading a magazine. Shocking. The following day, no sign of puffiness and her complexion glowed.</p> Wed, 15 Jan 2020 22:36:56 +0000 Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. 8079 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/do-activated-charcoal-face-masks-actually-work <p>They are being talked about all over the Internet as a way of clarifying the skin and removing “toxins", but is there any science to back up the use of charcoal face masks?</p> Tue, 02 Jan 2018 16:49:47 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 6858 at /oss /oss/article/health-quackery/hyaluronic-acid-all-hype <p><span>A quick search of Amazon for hyaluronic acid turns up thousands of products, from liquid serums to pills to creams that make a variety of claims. </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Paulas-Choice-Repairing-Hyaluronic-Sensitive/dp/B018WRJNLE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498278019&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=hyaluronic+acid&psc=1&smid=AFDRC8T2FYEHK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Balms and serums</a><span> seem to focus on hyaluronic acid’s ability to ease skin redness and reduce wrinkles while </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/HA-Joint-Formula-Hyaluronic-Pro</body></html>"></a></p> Thu, 29 Jun 2017 15:45:03 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2560 at /oss /oss/article/did-you-know-general-science/why-do-tattoos-stay-our-skin <p>Our bodies are pretty good at ridding themselves of unwanted invaders, so why is it that we are able to inject ink into them, and have it stay? Over time, molecules are broken down by white blood cells and transported away. This does occur with dye molecules (that's part of why new tattoos fade quickly at first), but most of the dye molecules are too big to be picked up by white blood cells. Unable to get rid of them, the body sequesters the dyes into fibroblast cells, where it hangs out basically indefinitely.</p> Mon, 22 May 2017 15:57:57 +0000 Ada McVean B.Sc. 2474 at /oss /oss/article/quirky-science-you-asked/what-shania-twains-secret-soft-and-supple-skin <p style="text-align:justify"><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/?p=5569"><img alt="Vaseline" height="150" src="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/files/2013/07/Vaseline-150x150.jpg" width="150" /></a>According to Shania, her secret is “udderly” simple. It has nothing to do with liposomes, pentapeptides, collagen or ceramides. She uses Bag Balm, a product originally developed to keep cow udders from chapping. May not sound very romantic, but it works. Why? Because the basic ingredient is Vaseline which prevents moisture in the skin from evaporating.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Newspapers got all excited when Shania Twain revealed that the secret behind her soft, supple skin wasn’t some complex, highly touted product but a simple concoction that has been around since 1908. It was back then that the small Dairy Association Company in Lyndonville, Vermont decided to take the bull by the horns and tackle the chronic problem of chapped cow udders.</p> <p style="text-align:justify">Cow teats do not have an easy life. They are constantly tugged, washed, disinfected and wiped. This leads to moisture loss from the skin which leads to cracking which leads to infections which leads to problems. Enter Bag Balm. Massaging it into udders helps seal in moisture, prevents chapping and reduces infections. The chemistry is pretty simple.</p> <p><a href="http://blogs.mcgill.ca/oss/2013/07/10/what-is-shania-twains-secret-to-soft-and-supple-skin">Read more</a></p> Thu, 11 Jul 2013 03:30:18 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1981 at /oss /oss/article/health-toxicity/phytophotodermatitis <p>The young lady had just returned from a fun-filled vacation at Club Med.  The next day she was presented with a souvenir she didn't bargain for, a tender rash on both thighs.  Off she went to the dermatologist who began to question her about recent activities which may have involved the anatomical area in question.</p> Mon, 23 Dec 2013 01:31:23 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 2052 at /oss