FEATURE ARTICLES

When we taste a naturally-derived product such as coffee or olive oil, we may have a different sensorial experience based on the product’s origin and its processing. Malbec wine produced in Argentina may taste similar to Malbec wine produced in California but not identical. Olive oil from Greece does not have the same sensorial profile as that from Tuscany.

The international personal care ingredients community will come together in Barcelona, Spain this month when the world’s leading personal ingredients show, in-cosmetics Global, returns to offer unrivalled opportunities for attendees to network, source ingredients and share insights

Barbara Olioso of The Green Chemist Consultancy examines the various beauty standards available on the market, including COSMOS, Natrue and the EU Ecolabel, as well as new scoring initiatives by big brands on the scene: the Eco Beauty Score, the Green Score and the Green Impact Index

The senses connect us to life; they allow us to perceive the world around us. Today, to the five main senses: hearing, smell, taste, touch and sight, we can add two new fundamental considerations: intuition and the sense of others. That is to say the meaning of life and the ability to become aware of our environment and evolve according to its criteria.

Isabel Almiro do Vale is global marketing and strategy director for personal care at Dow. Based in Horgen, Switzerland, Isabel joined Dow four years ago having previously worked for L’Oréal and Procter & Gamble. Here, she talks to editor Tim Probert about the US giant’s strategy, sustainability and the latest global trends

DSM has developed an anti-ageing active ingredient made from an Edelweiss ( Aomori Hiba ) extract. It is cultivated between 1000 metres and 1500 metres altitude in the Swiss Alps, ensuring a maximum content of active compounds such as leontopodic acid and flavonoids (luteolin and apigenin derivatives)

Advancements in the hair care industry have been a few steps behind those in skin care and other areas of the personal care sector for some time. However, as today’s consumers become more educated on the topic of active ingredients, they have started to become dissatisfied with merely functional hair care products, explains Jennifer Hermitage of Cornelius Group.

Greenpharma of France explains the benefits of its award-winning ingredient, Hinoline C, a bio-inspired preservation system based on the association of two natural compounds hinokitiol and levulinic acid. The products are made from the upcycling of Aomori Hiba sawdust and sugar canes

Elkem has discovered that HALS (hindered amine light stabilizer) silicone molecules provide excellent hair conditioning and sensory features typically seen with amino functional silicone with added antioxidant benefit for improved skin health. This ingredient could help formulators create products with multiple benefits that are sure to resonate with health-conscious male consumers

Seqens reveals the details of a clinical study that demonstrates the beneficial properties of a plant extract derived from buckwheat seeds (Polygonum Fagopyrum syn. Polygonum fagopyrum) versus placebo when applied to skin naturally exposed to a polluted environment

The intimate relationship between the human body with its microbiome is more than a symbiotic system. It creates a supraorganism called holobiont. Each damage in the skin generates an imbalance in its microbiome and vice versa. French cosmetic active ingredient developer Sederma explains how an adaptative intervention on the skin microbiota can be achieved through cosmetics

Spanish active ingredient producer Vytrus Biotech extols the benefits of its ingredient made from stem cells of noni, a traditional Polynesian plant. The ingredient is said to have a unique composition: a mixture of terpenes, polyphenols and phytosterols capable of rejuvenating the cutaneous microbiota and the skin at the same time

A defect-free complexion is extremely important in many cultures. Even though skin pigmentation is largely determined by genetics, it is also affected by intrinsic (e.g. glycation) and extrinsic (e.g. pollution) factors that cause hyperpigmentation and the appearance of pigment disorders.

Kallik explains why cosmetics firms can establish truly end-to-end digital operations for managing all global assets in a single, secure cloud-based repository, offering compliance, consistency, and reliability. This also removes the risk of future product updates and developments, which not only cost financially but also cost in terms of time-to-market and competitiveness

Vitamin C60 BioResearch Corporation has developed the world’s first cosmetic ingredient containing 2-aza-8-oxohypoxanthine (AOH), under the trade name Repista. This article describes the cellular activation effects of the AOH active ingredient on normal human epidermal keratinocytes

The need for year-round skin protection to support our skin against dehydration and external aggressors has inspired BASF to create a biodegradable alternative to polymer film formers that highly resembles human skin and offers all-around care

Vitalab’s scientists have harnessed the power of the medicinal plant Portulaca oleracea to develop a multifunctional ingredient offering improved cellular ability to scavenge free radicals, while reducing the release of pro-inflammatory messengers, helping to relieve sensitive-prone skin and scalp

Italian cosmetic active producer Kalichem explains how bioactive peptides represent an ideal solution to promote plex, restructuring, hydration, combing improvement, volumising, detangling, antistatic, conditioning, and luminosity effects in hair care

Jessica Dynda of US personal ingredient supplier Koster Keunen takes a comprehensive look at the opportunities and challenges of developing solid format products and what it takes to formulate reliable and stable products successfully

École de Biologie Industrielle, Inabata France and FRM GaleSens explain why dextrin palmitate is much more than just a thickening agent and that it can be used to structure more complex solid formulas for developing waterless cleansing cosmetic products