Skepticism in Cosmetics

1
Skepticism in Cosmetics

• Identifying Detecting Beauty BS

2
Perry Romanowski
Cosmetic Chemist
Writer / Entrepreneur
3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
http//chemistscorner.com
6
http//thebeautybrains.com
7
My mission
Educate
Inspire
Entertain
8
Critical Thinking Skepticism

• Image of skepticism

9
Problem

• There isnt enough skeptical thinking

10
What do people believe?
11
Image of Aliens

• UFOs, Bigfoot, Astrology, Ghosts

12
Image of Brain

• We use less than 10 of our Brain

13
Some Beauty Myth

• Shaving makes hair grow back

14
How?

• How do we know what we know?
• Three approaches
• Accept what people tell you
• Deny what people tell you
• Practice doubt inquiry
• Doubt Inquiry is skeptical thinking and best

15
Acceptance
16
Denial
17
Doubt Inquiry
18
Why be skeptical

• Find what really works
• Find out what is true
• Its scientific
• Harder to be fooled
• Learn new things
• Save money

19
What is skeptical thinking?

• Method for figuring out what is true
• Step 1 Initially doubt all claims

20
What is skeptical thinking?

• Step 2 Inquire as to what is true

21
What is skeptical thinking?

• Step 3 Form a conclusion

22
No beliefs are sacred

• All beliefs are tentative subject to change if
  further data warrants it
• Advantage false beliefs can be filtered out
• All is to be doubted.Rene Descartes

23
Myths People Believe

• Natural myths
• Cosmetic acupuncture
• Toxic chemicals
• Kinoki foot pads
• More expensive better
• Hair myths
• Pantene putting wax on hair
• Natural oils are good for hair
• Skin myths
• Diversion
• Stem Cells for cosmetics

24
Myths People Believe

• Natural myths

25
Myths People Believe

• Natural myths

26
Natural

• There is no evidence that natural is inherently
  better

27
Myths People Believe

• More expensive better

28
Money

• There is no evidence quality of cosmetics is
  related to cost
• Wine experiment

29
Myths People Believe

• Natural myths
• Cosmetic acupuncture
• Toxic chemicals
• Kinoki foot pads
• More expensive better
• Hair myths
• Pantene putting wax on hair
• Natural oils are good for hair
• Skin myths
• Diversion
• Stem Cells for cosmetics

30
Myths People Believe

• Natural myths
• Cosmetic acupuncture
• Toxic chemicals
• Kinoki foot pads
• More expensive better
• Hair myths
• Pantene putting wax on hair
• Natural oils are good for hair
• Skin myths
• Diversion
• Stem Cells for cosmetics

31
Myths People Believe

• Natural myths
• Cosmetic acupuncture
• Toxic chemicals
• Kinoki foot pads
• More expensive better
• Hair myths
• Pantene putting wax on hair
• Natural oils are good for hair
• Skin myths
• Diversion
• Stem Cells for cosmetics

32
Skeptical Tools
33
Detecting BS

• Independent verification of facts
• Reject arguments from authority
• No statement should be believed because it is
  made by an authority.Hans Reichenbach
• Can a hypothesis be falsified
• Dont fall in love with your ideas
• Occams Razor
• Quantify whenever possible

34
Detecting BS

• Independent verification of facts

35
Detecting BS

• Reject arguments from authority
• No statement should be believed because it is
  made by an authority.Hans Reichenbach

36
Detecting BS

• Reject arguments from authority

37
Detecting BS

• Can a hypothesis be falsified

38
Detecting BS

• Dont fall in love with your ideas

39
Detecting BS

• Occams Razor

40
Detecting BS

• Quantify whenever possible

41
What is evidence

• Tangible
• Verifiable
• Preferably, independent
• Anecdotal evidence is not evidence
• Not reliable
• Memory errors
• Perception errors

42
Experiment

• Always use controlled experiments
• Think about what you are controlling

43
Example of bad experiment

• No control
• If you have a treatment 3 things can happen
• Gets better
• Gets worse
• Stays the same
• If you use no treatment, 3 things happen

44
Weak experiment

• Test against a blank control
• Conditioner versus no conditioner
• Not answering the real question

45
Good experiment

• Find what is the best solution
• Compare new treatment to best
• Compare both to no treatment

46
Watch out for Logical Fallacies

• Ad hominem
• Argument from authority
• Appeal to ignorance
• Biased selection of data
• Statistical BS
• Mistaken cause effect
• Coincidence is the science of the true
  believer.Chet Raymo
• Straw man
• Suppressed evidence

47
Watch out for Logical Fallacies

• Statistical BS

48
Watch out for Logical Fallacies

• Ad hominem

49
Watch out for Logical Fallacies

• Argument from authority

50
Watch out for Logical Fallacies

• Appeal to ignorance

51
Watch out for Logical Fallacies

• Biased selection of data

52
Watch out for Logical Fallacies

• Mistaken cause effect
• Coincidence is the science of the true
  believer.Chet Raymo

53
Watch out for Logical Fallacies

• Straw man

54
Watch out for Logical Fallacies

• Suppressed evidence

55
Avoid the Cult of the Amateur

• Internet makes learning easy
• Anyone can write anything

56
Josh Billings

• The trouble with people is not what they dont
  know, but that they know so much that aint so.

57
Reliable Sources

• Peer reviewed journals
• JSCC
• PubMed
• Cochran Reviews

58
End

• There are two types of knowledge
• The kind that has been proven wrong
• The kind that hasnt yet been proven wrong
• Karl Popper