With offices and schools set to a soundtrack of sniffles, science presenter and YouTuber Greg Foot is on mission to find 'The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread' to beat the winter bugs.

Joining him for this double episode is rapper, podcaster and actor Scroobius Pip, a man for whom protecting his voice is a professional priority. Under the microscope today are those handy hand sanitisers that promise to stop bacteria and viruses in their tracks.

Virologist Wendy Barclay from Imperial College London and microbiologist Lindsay Hall from the Quadram Institute in Norwich are both on hand to help separate the facts from the fads, to decide if these products really are The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread.

Presenter: Greg Foot
Producer: Michelle Martin
Researcher: Amelia West
Studio Managers: Emma Harth, John Boland
Editors: Deborah Cohen, Rami Tzabar

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread is a BBC Science Radio Unit Production.

Winter bugs: Hand sanitisers

Greg Foot and his guests look for the facts behind the fads and search for the scientific evidence behind a product’s bold claims.

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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 science fiction.

Presenter: Greg Foot
Producer: Beth Eastwood

Noise Cancelling Headphones

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 Hospital of Manchester, is on hand to separate the science fact from the science fiction.  

Presenter: Greg Foot
Producer: Beth Eastwood

Teeth Whitening

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 claims, such as ‘waterproof’ and ‘reef safe’ are also put through the evidence mill.

Producer: Beth Eastwood

Sunscreen

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 pain and helping us sleep.

The theory behind how CBD might work seems promising - CBD shares similarities with endocannabinoids, produced naturally in the body, which help to regulate stress, sleep, metabolism, memory, inflammation, and immunity. Given the deluge of different CBD-based products, should we really believe the hype?

Greg Foot talks to beauty columnist Sali Hughes and Saoirse O’Sullivan, an expert in cannabinoid research, to find out if these products really are The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread. Produced by Beth Eastwood.

CBD Products (Cannabidiol)

Can caffeine hair products prevent our hair from getting thinner as we get older and, even better, reverse the process? Or does this ingredient just end up going down the plughole?

Joining Greg Foot in the studio is Ian Carmichael, Senior Director in Styling at Trevor Sorbie, the Hair Salon, who styles many high profile heads including Her Majesty the Queen’s.

Dermatologist Dr Paul Farrant, from Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust, is on hand to put two products through the evidence mill, separating the facts from the fads to reveal whether caffeine hair products really are The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread. Produced by Beth Eastwood.

Winter bugs: Hand sanitisers

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