Smelling good can come with a hefty price tag with the price of perfumes often getting into the hundreds of pounds. But what if there was a cheaper alternative? Listener Callum got in touch because his bottle of expensive perfume is about to run out. Presenter Greg Foot turns his nose to the task, testing so-called 'clone' perfumes which claim to get as close the originals as to be indistinguishable - but for a fraction of the cost. Speaking to an expert perfumer he finds out exactly how the clo...
Dec 08, 2022•29 min
It?s something most of us will have used at some point, and a product that has been around for decades in various forms. But do all the advertised fancy features, pivoting heads, multiple blades and higher price tags, really make a difference to your shave? Listener Tim got in touch, asking just that, as well as whether all the extras on razors these days also have an impact on the environment? Greg Foot focuses on modern cartridge razors in this episode, and cuts through the marketing hype to g...
Dec 01, 2022•29 min
It?s one of the most talked-about cosmetic products but what?s the evidence that collagen supplements really do slow the visible signs of the ageing process? Listener Jo got in touch wanting to know if the collagen supplement she?s spending ?53 per month on will live up to its claim of reducing wrinkles, while promoting ?glossy hair and plump dewy skin.? Other listeners asked whether it can help with joint aches and pains, or strengthen nails? Greg Foot sets out to answer all these questions by ...
Nov 24, 2022•29 min
With shorter days, longer nights, and bad weather leading to the winter blues for many, and for some the more severe Seasonal Affective Disorder, Sliced Bread investigates whether specially designed lights can really help improve how we feel. Listener Ross got in touch on WhatsApp after he?d read claims Wake Up Lights and SAD Lamps can boost our mood, and wanted to know what ?medically certified? means when accredited to them, and if it?s worth paying extra for it? Greg Foot finds out by speakin...
Nov 17, 2022•33 min
It's getting colder and with the cost of living rising, how best to heat our homes in the most efficient way possible has become a big question. Listener Ken got in touch about a new kind of portable ceramic heater he's seen advertised, promising to heat your room using 30% less energy. Greg Foot teams up with Octopus Energy to run it through the evidence mill and test it against three other types of portable heater: a convection heater, a fan heater and an oil-filled radiator to find out which ...
Nov 10, 2022•29 min
The Natural Deodorant market has recently expanded, with plenty of products out there promising to keep you fresh, and dry, without the use of traditional ingredients such as aluminium salts. Listener PC Hollie got in touch on WhatsApp after she?d seen claims that regular deodorants and antiperspirants containing aluminium salts might be bad for our health, and wanted to know if natural deodorants are really better for us? She also wanted to know why they?re more expensive, if it?s worth paying ...
Nov 03, 2022•27 min
Can compression leggings improve performance and help your limbs recover after exercise? Do magnesium bath salts really help soothe aching muscles? And do water softeners and filters really help save us money on our appliances by preventing scale from building up in our pipes? With Greg still in Edinburgh for the Festival, we?re sticking with last week?s format and investigating THREE of the wonder-products you?ve sent us on WhatsApp in a "triple slice" of quick investigations. First up, Listene...
Aug 18, 2022•28 min
Is expensive dog food better for your pooch than the cheap stuff? Are diet fizzy drinks actually ?bad? for you? And should we all add mouthwash to our bathroom routine? With Greg up at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this week we?re doing something a little different - investigating THREE of the wonder-products you?ve sent us on WhatsApp in a triple slice of quick investigations. First up, listener Ali in Bristol wants to know whether the expensive dog food she bought is really better for her new ...
Aug 11, 2022•26 min
We watch paint dry for you to find out if pricey paint is worth it. Domestic interior wall paint comes in many different pots, colours, types and price points. However some claim the extra pennies mean they?re not only better quality and offer a better finish, but that they?re better for the environment too. Listener Emily got in touch on WhatsApp after she bought a house that needs redecorating. She has six children, two dogs, two tortoises, two ducks and five chickens, so is very much in need ...
Aug 04, 2022•27 min
Can massage guns from the likes of Theragun, Pulse Roll and others brands, help you warm up before exercise and recover more quickly after it? Massage guns are one of the biggest-selling fitness devices of the past few years. They have a vibrating silicone head that delivers percussive pressure onto the muscle. Manufacturers claim ?vibration? therapy increases bloodflow and helps the user warm up before exercise, perform better during it AND ease soreness afterwards. But does it? Listener Clare ...
Jul 28, 2022•25 min
Is there really a pill that can help you burn fat? Sticking to a good diet and exercising to lose weight takes hard work and discipline, so what if there was something you could take that could do some of that work for you? Listener June got in touch wanting to know if this is the case, or if it?s too good to be true? Are there really pills being sold online and on the high street that can help you burn fat, or speed up your metabolism? Greg Foot investigates, hearing from some people who?ve tri...
Jul 21, 2022•26 min
Do more expensive pairs better protect your eyes? Whether you?re hoping to catch some rays here in the UK or heading abroad for summer sun, you?ll want to think about protecting your eyes from the harmful UV in those rays. But how much do you need to spend on sunglasses to keep you safe? Listener Wayne got in touch wanting to know the answer. He also wondered whether darker tints better protect his eyes, and asked what the term ?polarised? means, and whether he should ensure any new pair are exa...
Jul 14, 2022•25 min
A small jar of this sticky stuff can cost anything from around ten pounds to over a thousand. Some brands claim it can help with sore throats, skin problems, hay-fever and poor sleep. Other producers curiously make no health claims at all about their manuka products. So what?s the buzz about and is there any science behind it? Listener and beekeeper David got to get in touch to ask whether manuka honey can boost the immune system, and if it has any benefits over and above the ordinary honey from...
Jun 30, 2022•23 min
It seems like everyone?s talking about air fryers. They were recently dubbed the product that defined 2021, with sales up by 400%. But how do they fry with air? Listener Sally in Harrogate has another question too: at a time when the cost of living is rocketing will cooking with an air fryer save her money? And, because they use little to no oil, is cooking food in an air fryer also ?healthier?? Greg Foot investigates, speaking to a food scientist at Imperial College London and the BBC?s Good Fo...
Jun 23, 2022•30 min
Air purifiers have become one of the most popular home gadgets in recent years and you can spend hundreds of pounds on the top-end models. They promise to remove harmful pollutants in the air, reduce the symptoms of allergies and help you breathe more easily in a more healthy environment. But what's the evidence around how effective they are? Listener Laura, a respiratory doctor, got in touch wanting to know whether they work and even if they could help some of her patients in their daily lives....
Jun 16, 2022•25 min
Brands are promising to plant a tree for each can of beer, tshirt, or pair of trainers you buy, offsetting their carbon emissions so they can put an attractive ?carbon negative? sticker on a product to show green they - and you - truly are. But how effective is a new forest at offsetting a company?s emissions, what does ?carbon negative? really mean, and how do they go about proving they?ve achieved it? Trees are just one type of carbon offset. Another, albeit promising but expensive, option is ...
Jun 09, 2022•25 min
Huel and Soylent are two of the best known names in ?complete nutrition? drinks. More of us are trying them and you can now get pre-made bottles of these concoctions in the food aisle in supermarkets. Firms sell them as an instant alternative to breakfast, lunch and dinner too. But how ?nutritionally complete? are these liquid lunches? Listener Tom admits snacking on one in the middle of the afternoon but has questions. Does the fact they start as an ultra processed powder affect how healthy the...
Jun 02, 2022•25 min
Take a look down the aisle of any high street chemist and the array of electric toothbrushes on offer is as dazzling as the teeth they promise to give you. You can pay upto ?500 for the latest versions whiose myriad features include interactive apps that give you feedback on your brushing technique. The market is dominated by two big brands, both promising a ?professional? clean: Oral B, whose iO brush has an oscillating action and Philips? Sonicare, which uses tens of thousands of vibrations ev...
May 26, 2022•25 min
According to some businesses, the laptop, phone and TV screens we use every day are causing us big problems. They claim these devices emit concentrations of "harmful blue light" which leaves us with tired eyes and poor sleep. One firm goes even further by suggesting this may contribute to a worrying long term condition, macular degeneration which leaves you with a permanent black hole in the centre of your vision. Their solution? A pair of trendy looking spectacles which claim to filter out this...
May 19, 2022•24 min
The vitamins market is growing fast, with many companies now offering bespoke vitamin plans that claim to produce the perfect personalised prescription just for you. Our listener Gareth wants to know if this could be a quick fix for his low energy and poor diet so Greg is going to find out. He?s got his sights on the popular companies suggesting personalised plans based on a simple online questionnaire that builds up a picture of your vitamin deficiencies via questions about your exercise, stres...
May 12, 2022•25 min
They cost anything from less than ?20 to more than ?250. So how do you pick the right pair? And will paying more make you run faster? With the ?Couch to 5K? app breezing past 5 million downloads, and marathon season well underway, two listeners ask Greg: What will they get for the extra money? A shoe more suited to their running style? More cushioning and fewer injuries? And will a top of the range pair with a carbon plate in the sole make them faster? Greg Foot gets the answers from biomechanis...
May 05, 2022•25 min
One of your most requested ?wonder-products? so far. Heat pumps are promising to not only make our houses greener but to also cut our energy bills. But will they? The Government says every home could have one and have reintroduced grants to help buy them. However Nick wants to know if an air source heat pump would be suitable for the 1930s house he?s about to move into with his family. Given the higher cost of the unit and the extra insulation he needs, will he actually be better off with a new ...
Apr 28, 2022•25 min
For many beef connoisseurs, a wagyu steak is the tenderest meat money can buy. They say it literally melts in the mouth. But Pete wants to know, if a Wagyu steak can set you back ?100, how can supermarkets sell Wagyu burgers for around ?3.50 a pair? How much of what makes wagyu beef so prized trickles down into a burger? Greg speaks to meat scientist, Martin Anderson, visits a Wagyu farm in Yorkshire, and sets up a blind taste test. All to find out if Wagyu burgers are the best thing between sli...
Apr 22, 2022•25 min
?Make better. Buy better. Wear it longer.? Lots of fashion brands are including claims like this in their adverts and one item of clothing that?s really getting the stamp of supposed ?sustainability? is jeans. Maddie has asked Greg to look into what ?sustainability? actually means when it comes to denim. Is it a term that marks genuine eco-impact, or is it more marketing BS? And, as adverts claim, do ?sustainable? jeans last longer? Greg speaks to an organisation that rates clothing brands? sust...
Apr 14, 2022•25 min
Read Greg's blog for more info on the considerations and calculations made in this episode: https://www.gregfoot.com/post/should-you-switch-to-an-electric-car Electric Vehicles: Should you switch? In the first of this new series Greg runs Julian?s suggested wonder-product through the evidence mill and asks whether electric vehicles (EVs) really are the best thing since sliced bread? Julian has heard that switching his old petrol-guzzling banger for a shiny new EV will make him greener? But will ...
Apr 07, 2022•30 min
Greg Foot is back to investigate more ad-hyped products and trending fads promising to make us healthier, happier and greener. From personalised vitamin plans to NFTs, mindfulness apps to ?sustainable? jeans, Greg will find out if the latest wonder-products really are 'the best thing since sliced bread?. And he wants YOUR suggestions for what to investigate! Is there something you keep seeing on TV or hearing about on a podcast? Have you spotted something trending on Instagram or TikTok and want...
Apr 06, 2022•2 min
Whether it?s cutting out the background chatter to hear the radio, or drowning out the snoring coming from the room next door, the promise of noise cancelling headphones is enticing. But do they live up to the marketing hype? Are they The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread, or BS? Greg Foot is joined by BBC 6 Music DJ & Host Mary Anne Hobbs, who lends her professional ear to a pair of noise cancelling headphones. While acoustic engineer Professor Trevor Cox unpicks the science fact from the scien...
May 06, 2020•21 min
Teeth whitening toothpastes, strips and gizmos are more popular than ever. But what is the evidence that any of them actually work? And what about the HiSmile Teeth Whitening Kit that's been doing the rounds on social media? Are these products The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread or marketing BS? Greg Foot talks to fashion commentator and broadcaster, Grace Woodward about her experience with these products while Professor Martin Ashley, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the University Dental H...
Apr 29, 2020•23 min
We all know that sunscreen helps to protect our skin from the sun?s burning rays, but are you sure you?re using the right one? Do you struggle to untangle the UVAs from the UVBs, and the SPFs from the star-ratings? Greg Foot talks to Antonia Mariconda, beauty writer and founder of the Safety in Beauty Campaign, who knows just how baffled consumers are. On hand to decode the sunscreen labelling is Dermatologist, Dr Andrew Birnie, from East Kent Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust. Common cla...
Apr 22, 2020•24 min
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of the big buzzwords in health and well being products. A naturally occurring molecule of the cannabis plant, it?s popping up in everything - aside from the CBD oil tinctures, you can now eat it, down it in drinks, vape it, lather it on your skin and soak in it. You can even buy sports leggings infused with it. Consumer interest in CBD-based products shows no sign of abating, with enthusiasts claiming a whole host of benefits from relieving anxiety, to easing p...
Apr 15, 2020•22 min
