FEATURE ARTICLES

Imagine a world without preservatives. Shampoo would be packaged in single-use packets. Face cream would be stored in the refrigerator and disposed of after about a week.

As the personal care industry evolves, formulators are seeking innovative solutions for their formulations’ needs. There is increased interest in ingredients that can offer multiple functions within a formulation.

The development of any cosmetic product focuses generally on two factors: efficacy and safety. Both factors are closely related to the concentration of use, either because a minimum amount of assets are required in order to obtain visible results, or to adjust the amount to avoid unwanted effects.

A recent study conducted by L’Oréal India has given weight to the position that one of the most effective ways of achieving and maintaining a lighter complexion is to regularly use sun care products.

With the Asia Pacific cosmetics industry among the fastest growing markets in the world, the innovation on offer in the region is leading to new trends and unique opportunities for exciting product development.

Being home to two-thirds of the global population, Asia Pacific is a true lure for beauty and personal care brands. In China alone, the estimated population in 2015 is 1.39 billion. With the 1,020,000 Chinese millionaires and over 60,000 ‘super-rich’, China is poised to consume one-third of global luxury goods.

Twenty-first century cosmetics has always been driven by consumer needs which require perceived performance.

The base formula of a cosmetic product contributes greatly to its success, not only in terms of the pleasure it provides upon application but also in terms of efficacy. The base must not be considered only as the sensorial part of a formula but also as a key element to improve the clinical results.

An infant’s skin varies greatly from adult skin, the barrier it provides from the outside world continues to develop over the early years, during which time it is much more prone to developing conditions rarer in adults.

Zemea biobased propanediol (INCI: Propanediol), manufactured by DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, is a natural, preservative-boosting humectant and solvent. It can be used to replace or augment petroleum based glycols such as propylene glycol (PG), butylene glycol (BG) or glycerin in cosmetic and personal care formulations.

Dry shampoo is by no means a new innovation, but sales have surged recently, and there are many reasons behind this rapid growth. Modern, busy women swear by dry shampoos, and top-rated stylists around the world consider them to be an indispensible tool in their arsenal. This skip-a-day style saver instantly refreshes hair, so that ‘no shampoo’ thing can be a woman’s clean little secret.

Lemon scented tea tree, Leptospermum petersonii (L. petersonii), produces a unique essential oil with many attributes.

Essential oils have been a major part of our social history, having been used in pharmacology, aromatherapy, as well as cosmetics for many hundreds of years. These volatile aroma compounds can bring many positive attributes to formulas with antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity presented in many cases, as well as uplifting and calming influences from their aromas.

It is well known that lifestyle factors such as sun bathing or smoking and environmental factors such as pollution accelerate skin ageing.

The 4th Silab Days event took place on 19-20 June in Brive, France, and was presented under the heading ‘Water, Source of Innovation in Cosmetics’. At the opening of the conference, Silab R&D director, Brigitte Closs- Gonthier announced that 140 people from 22 nationalities were in attendance and that 2014 is also the year Silab celebrates its 30th birthday.

Trends in personal care continue their rapid rate of change – products that do more, increasing demands for efficiencies, faster acting, multifunctional uses, etc. The challenge is to respond with products that push the limits and to develop concepts that find your edge in the market.

Superheated alcohols are liquid alcohols under pressure above their boiling points. They are much less polar than they are at room temperature. As a result they can extract lipid materials from biomass. This is often carried out by industrial organic solvents such as hexane. Instead the extraction can be carried out using benign solvents, both from the point of view of the environmental impact and solvent residues in the product. In addition novel compounds of interest can be obtained from a particular biomass.

What is the most effective way to shift personal care products off the shelves? Well, brands pinning their hopes on celebrity endorsements should think again – people are more influenced by the claims used to promote products, according to MMR Research Worldwide.

Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 came into full force on 11 July 2013. It repealed Directive 76/768/EEC which had existed in parallel between January 2010 and July 2013.

Milk contains many nutrients that keep us healthy. The most important of these are proteins and calcium. Milk also contains phosphorus, which is used with calcium to build and maintain bones.