FEATURE ARTICLES

Life has existed on Earth for 3.6 billion years, and never has a single species had such a dramatic effect on the planet. 200,000 years ago, humans started shaping the world around them, felling trees, developing agricultural land and extracting the planet’s resources. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, development has accelerated exponentially and the demand for energy has increased the strain on natural resources.

Asia’s beauty industry has long been a subject of great fascination to the West. As with everything connected to appearance and fashion, consumers are always eager to try something just a little bit different to their peers, and looking eastwards often presents abundant options.

While the prevailing fashion for stubbled cheeks and beards of varying lengths has hit sales of men’s razors and blades and halted growth of shaving preparations, it has opened opportunities for a relatively new sector of the male grooming market – beard care products.

The men’s skin care market in the UK is now worth an estimated £911 million per annum,1 and now looks set to justify the hype that has surrounded it for many years. GQ Styling and Grooming editor, Jessica Punter, commented: “This side of the industry has gone from infancy to a fully-fledged market in relatively short space of time.”2

Founded in 2003 by a group of scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, Amyris uses new science and an innovative business model to address global sustainability challenges. Amyris utilises yeast to develop and manufacture high performing, cost competitive and sustainable alternatives to chemical and petroleum-based products.

loraesters K-20W Jojoba [INCI Name: Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters (and) Water] has been shown to enhance the efficacy and sensory properties of multiple finished cosmetic and personal care formulations, and has been explored in various categories such as creams/lotions, hand sanitisers, nonwoven wipes, sunscreens, mascara/eyeliner, shampoos/conditioners, toners/astringents, face washes, and oil-free formulations. Its film-forming properties make it ideal for rinse-off products and products that require water resistance or an extended period of residence time on the skin.

One of the key themes repeated within the personal care industry is ‘convenience’. Consumers need their experience of using products to be easy, and to intrude into their daily lives only to enhance it. Products, especially within sun care, need to be effective but they must also be pleasant to use. Perhaps in the past there was an unspoken acceptance that applying sun cream would not be the most enjoyable experience, but that is increasingly no longer the case. Technology is enabling formulators to create lighter, less tacky products that are also more durable which in turn means that people’s skin is better protected.

The purpose of this article is to give an overview of the amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. When Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 was published in 2009 some of the annexes were incomplete and contained a number of discrepancies compared with the annexes of Directive 76/768/EEC.

The Turkish and Middle Eastern personal care market is the second fastest growing beauty and personal care products region in the world, and has been for the past six years. This dynamism, coupled with the specifics found in each country make the region the perfect focal point for this year’s Market Focus at in-cosmetics Barcelona 2015.

There are many reasons why eczema develops, both hereditary and from environmental exposure.1 Biochemists have found that atopic eczema can develop as a result of a deficiency, imbalance or an inability to convert essential fatty acids.2,3 These fatty acids are necessary for the body to be able to make use of other fatty acids and play a vital role in regulating inflammation and the immune system.4,5

For the first time in its 22-year history that started in Kobe, Japan in 1993, the biannual ASCS conference will be coming to Australia. From 28-30 April 2015, Cairns will play host to the 12th Biannual Conference of the Asian Societies of Cosmetic Scientists. Nestled between two World Heritage listed sites, the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest, Cairns offers international cosmetic enthusiasts the opportunity to converge and debate the conference theme: Natural Wonders, Reinspiring Beauty?

Hair diversity (style, shape, growth pattern or colour) is one of the most important features to define us physically. Therefore it is no surprise that the market of hair care products with a value of US$39 billion1 is one of the most important sectors in the complete area of cosmetic products.

The chemical composition of Camellia sinensis (tea plant) is complex and includes polyphenols, amino acids, organic acids, carbohydrates, alkaloids, proteins, chlorophyll, vitamins, volatile compounds, minerals, and trace elements.

Making Cosmetics features developments that allow branded/private label manufacturers and brand owners/ developers to respond effectively and efficiently to consumer demand in ever competitive markets.

The modern definition of a wax is that it is not a glyceride. Glycerides are fats which are closely related to waxes but waxes are harder, less greasy, more brittle and very resistant to moisture, oxidisation and microbial attack.1 The melting points of waxes vary widely depending on their unique composition and chain lengths. Beeswax, candelilla, carnauba and polyethylene waxes are some of the more commonly used types in cosmetic formulations. They provide structure to sticks, barrier function to balms and creams and add thickening and waterproofing properties to mascara.

The 2014 SCS Formulate was held on 11-12 November in Coventry, UK, and once again attracted a record attendance. Organisers, Step Exhibitions, announced that the show saw 978 attendees (up from 916 in 2013) make the trip to the Ricoh Arena, with a particularly strong showing for the free seminars. This aspect of the event has become increasingly important over recent years thanks to some excellent speakers and cutting-edge topics.

The 2014 IFSCC Congress was held in Paris from the 27-30 October at the Palais des Congrès. The event was formally opened by IFSCC and Société Française de Cosmétologie (SFC) President Claudie Willemin, who said in her opening speech that the aim was to study the science behind cosmetology, thereby taking on board the psychology of cosmetics alongside traditional disciplines such as chemistry and biology, as well as newer areas such as neurocosmetics.

Granactive Retinoid (INCI Name: Dimethyl Isosorbide (and) Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate) is a skin care active ingredient that belongs to a class of chemical compounds termed retinoids, which are natural and synthetic derivatives of vitamin A, capable of binding to retinoid receptors.

During the 1970s the plight of sperm whales was brought to international attention through a worldwide anti-whaling campaign. Several centuries of intensive hunting of these gentle mammals brought them to the brink of extinction. Sperm whales were specifically targeted for their spermaceti oil, an excellent lubricant for personal care and industrial applications.

Long lasting, hydrating, matting, plumping: these are all qualities we read about in lipstick advertisements. With new slogans and the guarantee of unique quality, producers encourage us to buy new products. Oil/wax systems sound simple and uncomplicated, but what exactly does that mean for the development chemist?