FEATURE ARTICLES

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 It repealed Directive 76/768/EEC which had existed in parallel between January 2010 and July 2013.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.

What woman has not dreamed of having an even complexion all day long? Hyper- seborrhoea and oily skin troubles are shared by both men and women all over the world.

As our lifestyles become more manic and we find ourselves time-starved, we look for products that can offer us something extra. Clever and brave formulating has led to a host of new textural and functional products, breaking the conventional moulds and delivering results in new and interesting ways.

For a long time now, questions regarding the right preservative system in cosmetics have been neglected by most formulators. European legislators created a list of approved preservatives, called Annex V (former Annex VI) of the EU Cosmetic Regulation.

Personal care with its artisan beginnings is one of the oldest FMCG industries in existence. The craft began more than 2,000 years ago with skilled artisans producing candles, soaps, and fragrances, very highly valued products by those who could afford them at the time.

Protection from the sun’s rays is now recognised as one of the key components of a comprehensive anti-ageing strategy. Traditionally, UV (ultraviolet) rays were thought to be the sole contributing factor to skin ageing, it is now understood that infrared (IR) rays also play a part in premature ageing of skin.

Several studies highlighted the danger of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation to the human body. Indeed, plenty of biological damages are induced by UV light source and adapted protections are required in order to reduce them.

In a series of double-blind, vehiclecontrolled, randomised clinical studies, Floraesters K-20W Jojoba [INCI: Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters (and) Water (aqua)] was shown to increase skin elasticity, firmness, and hydration; decrease the number of enlarged pores and fine lines; and increase consumer preference when incorporated into a nonwoven facemask solution.

This article describes MQ resins, a series of silicone polymers that find application in many personal care formulations.

Green care is a big trend in cosmetics. Wild rose cream, mint and verbena shower gel or lavender bath soak have established themselves as firm fixtures in many bathrooms.

The personal care ingredient industry’s only pan-Asian exhibition, in-cosmetics Asia, returns to Bangkok from the 4-6 November, putting the latest innovations under the spotlight, alongside a host of new content providing exceptional insight into the latest trends, regulatory issues and market developments.

In May 2014 the Daily Mail1 and The Telegraph2 newspapers both reported on a product launched by Osmosis Skincare3 called Harmonized H20 UV Neutralizer.4 The product, a drink, is claimed by the company to provide skin protection against UVA and UVB rays and be an oral dose alternative to topical sun protection products.

Film-formers are used extensively in personal care formulations. In hair care applications they can be used to aid styling and enhance shine; in skin care and sun care they can protect the skin, add water-resistance and ensure the even distribution and adherence of active ingredients.

In recent months there has been a trend for people to post ‘selfie’ photos of themselves wearing no makeup on social networking sites. Often affiliated with breast cancer awareness campaigns (though a number of celebrities have been posting carefully lit ‘no makeup’ images for some time) the trend has received considerable coverage in the media and sparked debate about the role of makeup in the lives of women.

Held from 1-3 April, in-cosmetics welcomed 7,260 visitors to the Hamburg Messe, making it the largest in-cosmetics outside of Paris in the show’s history. The event was 2% up in terms of visitors on the Barcelona exhibition in 2012.

Cosmetic products placed on the European market have been covered by strict legislation since 1976 (the European Cosmetics Directive [76/768/(EEC)]). On 11 July 2013 the Directive was completely replaced by the new