I have tried weekly to like these two but essentially they just hate on some pretty amazing products with little to no suggestions of better products. Both of them are co lately oblivious to the needs of any multicultural consumers frequently making some very embarrassing comments about African American skin/hair . it’s two Karen’s that put everything down and have a myopic view on the beauty space.

Love this brainy duo. I always learn something useful or entertaining upon each episode. Both Perry and Valerie bring a lot of interesting and useful facts to the world of beauty.

Perry may know the science, but he has no experience using beauty products himself. (not even moisturizer) It might benefit some listeners having everything explained to him, but this makes me question him being posited as an expert, his lab experience and science degree notwithstanding. I think he should gain some first-hand experience using the products he’s expounding on in order to credential himself and as a sign of respect to the listeners.

Perry continues to comment on collagen supplementation without doing a deep dive into the literature. It’s hacks been known since the 1970s when extensive studies on protein and amino acid digestion/absorption were done that some di- and tri-peptides do make it to the small intestine intact and are absorbed. In addition, collagen is does not have the same amino acid profile as meat. It’s made up of glycine and proline mostly. Modern diets don’t include much connective tissue so we aren’t consuming a lot of those AAs. So even IF no peptides were absorbed those AAs which are part of skin are.

As an amateur advanced home formulator, esthetician, and a cosmetics brand leader at a major retailer, I find so much value in this show. Thank you for sharing your science based knowledge and experience. I hope to launch my own brand soon!

Thank you for the content and for calling out hypocrisy concerning plastic. Love the inane chit chat❤️❤️❤️

Full you great info and both hosts have a great sense of humor. Keep up the great work 🙌

this theme music is my jelly

I like the format in which they answer listeners’ questions. It’s great to understand a bit more the science and merketing behind beauty products.

Perry and Valerie provide great insights into how different cosmetics products work and the chemistry underlying them. Perry and Valerie also describe all the ways that marketers try to convince people to buy products that don’t actually work (they lack evidential proof of efficacy). Hence I am a bit depressed about how much of the industry is marketing or placebo effect, rather than ingenuity from raw material chemists and formulation chemists. Nonetheless this podcast (and the accompanying blog and the book) are great sources of technical knowledge of the cosmetics industry. Also chit chat and kittens.

I love it!! Very insightful!! It has changed the way I see skincare as a professional in the skincare business.

this is a great show to gather real information about skin & hair care ingredients and how they work (or don’t work) in a wide assortment of profucts. the show isn’t filled with useless details regarding trends and there is little to no pushing of brands. it’s quite the opposite. if you like primping, but you don’t appreciate being played like a fool when you go down the shampoo aisle, then this is the show for you. at times the hosts’ attempt at playful banter is cringey but it’s easy to forgive in exchange for niche-knowledge that is otherwise pretty hard to come by

Love this show. I’ve been listening for a few years especially while I am processing my hair, something I do myself. I’ve always been interested in content beyond marketing, backed by science. Love the scientific duo, as well! Thank you for offering listeners good advice.

I love this podcast. Been listening for a year or two now. I love that if I have any questions about ingredients, formulations, and if certain products are necessary, they’ve answered it. It really takes the guesswork out of shopping and keeps me from spending or removing products unnecessarily. It definitely helps that they speak in layman’s terms which makes it easy to understand. I love their humor as well it’s so cute. Definitely recommend to everyone so they can do more informed shopping.

Glad this show exists. Great to hear scientists talk for once. I think back about the scare we all had when spray sunblocks were recalled because of high benzene levels, and how listening to the two of them break it down gave it a lot of useful context and calmed me down.

Couldn’t even get through an episode because they ramble about stuff I didn’t come to the show for. Beauty. Not about jury duty. Idk what they on.

Love this podcast. Helpful. Informative. Fun.

Love Val… Perry reminds me of a boomer that just found ai technology and needs to use it for everything. He seems nice but his jokes don’t convey well over audio and it feels awkward listening to him. I only listen because of the topics that they cover and because of Val.

I no longer spend lots of cash on worthless products.

Love! I hope they’ll work on the sound. The music blares more than the speaking segments.

Interesting and informative podcast. I can’t think of another podcast with this much science backed beauty or skincare information.

Found this podcast a week ago after doing a deep dive on specific ingredients, I’ve listened to 17 episodes in a week! It’s hard to sift through so much biased information on cosmetic products. It’s exhausting to try to decipher marketing schemes and weasely claims. So this podcast is MUCH appreciated as a hairstylist, it has helped me understand ingredient lists that are so frustrating to read and memorize. You guys have really done an amazing job at educating. I will say some of the earlier episodes were pretty cringe in dialogue but now much better with Valerie. Love the dorky jokes and hearing stories about all the kitties. Thanks for clearing up so many myths and breaking things down, it’s much needed.

Your podcast has helped me so much in my career. I’ve been working in the industry in the beauty consultant world and your podcast has helped me understand products, why people should or shouldn’t use them and I appreciate that you guys help me develop better vocabulary when educating others. I feel as a licensed cosmetologist my duty is to educate not sell. So you guys really help with that. Keep doing what your doing :) Trisha.

I’m a licensed esthetician and love this podcast such great info. Keep it up and yes Valerie does make the show amazing. Perry is a little weird.

Valerie is the best! Teaching an old dog new tricks, I feel like a real insider! 5*****

Second update: Apparently this is a show about abandoning animals and whining when you can’t shirk your responsibilities because you want a vacation. Perry seems to think people are mean because the don’t have space in their overcrowded, underfunded shelters for him to just abandon the kittens he took in and couldn’t be bothered to plan ahead and find a sitter for. Also ps Perry: city shelters are kill shelters. They try to find adopters, but 80% of abandoned animals are euthanized each year because people like you are irresponsible and feel animals are just an accessory you can throw in a cardboard box when you’re feeling inconvenienced. Also Valerie: abandoning a cat for five days is actually neglect and animal abuse. Would you abandon a child that long? I’ve loved this podcast for years but much like I can’t tolerate fear marketing, I also can’t tolerate the blatant promotion of entitlement and animal abuse. Unsubscribe. Update: the show is SO MUCH BETTER with Valerie over that other guy. Perry is still a little condescending to products he doesn’t use, but Valerie often calls him out. Also, Perry seems to know nothing about cruelty free other than what PETA has told him. Real cruelty free consumers NEVER follow PETA. PETA is an exploitative corporation that kills more animals than it rescues. No real animal advocate would take their word for anything. It’s only celebrities who want followers and people wanting to make vegans and cruelty free consumers look bad who pay them any real attention. Look at Leaping Bunny standards of you want real information and not a tabloid propaganda of cruelty free culture. I like the basic content of the show, but up until a couple months ago when they finally added a female host, it seems to have been two men speaking condescendingly at the people who actually use these products. The format seems to have changed since they finally had the brains (pun intended) to bring a woman on board, because it’s difficult to sit and listen to a sausage fest explanation of cosmetics the hosts would never use.

So informative. As objective and unbiased as it gets. No marketing, no misinformation, no nonsense. The best of the best.

Such helpful information

Love perry and valerie! I found this podcast a week ago and have listened to 20 episodes. I really like the chit chat in the beginning that they do and love their friendship. Learned so much too! Thinking about becoming a patron so i can ask questions… oh i also love the news and recall sections - i havent seen any other chemist influencers that do that

It’s so refreshing to listen to cosmetic chemists instead of cosmetic marketers! I’ve worked in the beauty industry before the rise of “clean” beauty and witnessed the degradation of product quality as the market gets saturated with product without effective preservatives and other useful synthetics. I love makeup, I love skincare products. The knowledge I get from this show helps me spend money more effectively and help me guide my clients to choose the best products for them. Their books are great too!

Great content (I fast forward past the conversations at the beginning of the show). Unfortunately Perry and Valerie don’t come through at the same volume, which is really distracting and unpleasant to listen to. Better mixing please. At least Perry doesn’t seem to be interrupting Valerie as much recently.

Valerie and Perry are a wholesome duo that are obviously knowledgeable experts that answer listener questions and chat about what’s in the news related to beauty. They are as non-biased as it gets and they’ve opened my eyes to the manipulative world of marketing. I’ve learned so much that I’ve applied to my skin and hair care routines - they’ve saved me money and have made me a more wise and suspicious consumer. They bust common myths (think parabens and other fear-mongered ingredients) with actual research and science. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Currently bingeing all their episodes, but I must say I much prefer the shows that have Valerie vs Randy as Perry’s co-host. Randy picked on Perry too much to the point of it degrading the quality of the show’s content and it’s enjoyable-ness.

Good information in an entertaining format. Love listening before bed. The hosts’ banter is relaxing 😊

I am so grateful for this podcast as it provides an accessible yet scientific account of the beauty industry. The explanations of effective products versus marketing and hype helps me become a more conscious consumer. This podcast is a refreshing antidote to misinformation and false advertising — good for my self-esteem and my wallet! Thank you!

I’ve been on a journey learning about skin care and and everything Beauty related, and since I love podcasts this has been heaven sent. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge with us. 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Valerie is awesome! Thanks guys!!

I love that they are so grounded in the SCIENCE, instead of the marketing. They advocate for safe cosmetic products which is to all of our advantage. The intelligent discussions about the importance of preservatives is so welcome. I look forward to every new episode, and console myself in between by listening to old ones. I hear something new every time. I have listened since the Randy and Perry days, I think the addition of Valerie was a big boost —she uses the products and I appreciate that perspective. Perry’s healthy skepticism helps me to challenge the marketing stories and that helps me save money. Thanks Perry and Valerie! Susan C.

I love this podcast. Valery has experienced and knowledgeable about the beauty industry and the chemistry behind it. Perry pits the spicy! I just love it.

I’m SOOOO happy I found this podcast. It was recommended to me via a website I visited that actually deconstructs what cosmetic products are legit or not. This podcast does SO much more. I’m so happy to have found such an intelligent podcast that can make me a better informed consumer. There are LOTS of products who’s main ingredient is truly just good marketing. Catch up with Beauty Brains to avoid getting duped or falling for myths!

Wish I could be a patriot but since I can’t at this time I’d just like to say this is my favorite podcast & Perry you are super I’ve been meaningTo give you guys a shout out for a few months now I just figured out how LOL April Haynes April.home4ya #beautybrainslover #nerdychicka

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Much Lashin’ & Waxin’ Love to ya! ❤️ Best to you, Samantha Hardin @BeautyJamBySam

Perry and Valerie are enabling me to make such better decisions about the skin, hair and makeup products I love to buy. What’s kind of a waste? What’s tried and true? What’s just marketing? I love being an educated shopper and consumer. I really enjoy and appreciate this podcast! The more I get to know them the more they crack me up too, so, bonus!

This is an incredible insight into the beauty industry. If you’ve ever wondered what is actually achievable in health/beauty/wellness and especially anti-aging products, this podcast is for you! The science is broken down in an easily digestible way and Valerie and Perry make a great team who balance each other out nicely. Highly recommended!

I have generations of my family in the beauty industry. This is mandatory listening for anyone working in the beauty industry. I seriously binged, Netflix style for several days over Christmas break to get caught up.

I wish pictures were part of this review input because you can literally see the difference in my skin since I started learning from the Beauty Brains! Thank you both for all the wisdom, I really wish there were a search feature so we could pinpoint products or ingredients we want to go back and listen about instead of asking a repeat question! You two bring a lot of joy and listening to your special brand of banter is hilarious and refreshing.

Hi ,new to podcast,but I really would like to know if the body shops brand is good for your skin as im living on an island(bermuda) and need something reliable and easy come by ... we also have osea on the island.any sugeestions?

I listen to quite a few beauty podcasts but this one stands out by having a scientific perspective on products. It’s nice they aren’t sponsored and give a good neutral look on things. I have become a smarter consumer listening to this podcast. Keep up the good work!

Perry & Valerie work hard to dispel the marketing nonsense contributing to increasing chemical phobia in our society. What might seem like a frivolous focus on beauty is actually an important introduction to logic and scientific evaluation for many listeners that can be applied in other areas of life. Plus, this duo is adorable & fun to listen to! Highly recommended ❤️ p.s. i’ve been listening since the old days with Randy...but Valerie makes the pod so much better, lol

I binged every episode like a Netflix series. Candy for the brain I say! Fun, realistic and good to know if you’re a consumer of cosmetics, which most people are, if not everyone... maybe mountain man is not... maybe

I can’t tell you how incredibly excited I am to have found these guys. I am a hairstylist and have been behind the chair for close to 30 years. I’ve always known that so many products were marketing schemes. I’ve made it my mission to only sell what I am passionate about and what I know to be truth. This is going to help take my business to the next level! I think I may have missed my calling as a chemist. I get so excited listening to these podcasts. Thank you guys for taking the time to educate us.