Category Archives: Skin and Beauty

If you’ve spent any time using the Internet to research home remedies for dandruff recently, you’ve probably noticed advertisements for dandruff “miracle cures” you can apply at home using common household ingredients. In many cases, the suggestion is to apply baby oil, vegetable oil, olive oil or some other type of oil to your scalp to rid yourself of dandruff. The same treatments are purported to work on infants who have cradle cap, the name given to severe dandruff in babies. Unfortunately, researchers say that using vegetable or olive oil may actually increase the severity of dandruff rather than reverse it. Some less common home remedies for dandruff that can be found on the internet include aspirin, baking soda, apple cider vinegar, mouthwash, salt and garlic. The jury is still out on most of these “cures” as well, however.

Spray tanning is widely favored by those looking to get some summer color without risking their health. The strategy seems sound, as many people try to limit their sun exposure to prevent getting skin cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation states that around two million people are diagnosed annually. Unfortunately, a new study reported by ABC News indicates that spray tan health risks may be worse than previously believed. According to the report, virtually all spray tanning agents include dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, a chemical known to create genetic mutations in cells in laboratory studies. Although studies have yet to be conducted using human subjects, researchers warn that humans could be affected by these genetic mutations as well. Whether these genetic mutations would pose a health risk is another question that remains unanswered at this time.