FEATURE ARTICLES

Perfect skin - new skin - skin as fresh and radiant as a baby’s is achieved through a multi-faceted approach. Skin colour, shine, surface condition and texture are all factors which play a role.

As the cosmetics industry is pushing at all times to innovate and create the next big thing, more formulators are looking out to sea for their source of inspiration.

The 27th IFSCC Congress took place in Johannesburg on the 15-18 October 2012. Organised by The Society of Cosmetic Chemists South Africa, the Congress welcomed delegates to the Sandton Convention Centre under the banner of ‘Beauty in Diversity – a Global Village’.

Anyone who has had a writing class knows that before anything else can be written, the subject has to be defined. In this case, that is the seemingly straightforward task of defining a cosmetic, by US standards.

Today, it seems that different factors are interlinked and combined with other processes and on different levels to contribute to the skin ageing phenomenon. On a cell level, telomeres’ shortening is considered one of the main characteristics of ageing.

The 2012 in-cosmetics Asia welcomed a record number of visitors through its doors last November, seeing an increase of 45% compared to the flood-affected 2011 show.

in-cosmetics 2013 makes its return to Paris on 16-18 April with its 22nd show that promises to be the biggest and best yet. With over 600 exhibitors expected to attend, visitors will have unrivalled access to all the latest innovations in the cosmetics and personal care industry.

Stewart Long is Dow Corning’s global skincare market manager. In this role, he develops new strategies to create innovative silicone applications and formulations to help companies meet consumers’ skin care demands.

Consumers everywhere recognise the benefits that come with the adoption of the latest technologies and product upgrades. This observation remains essentially true among consumers of cosmetics, wherein buyers request the most recent commercially available skin care strategy and technology to help maintain the youthful appearance of their skin.

It is not surprising that silicones are contained in the vast majority of new launches for personal care products. The element silicon from which they are formed is found in abundance in our Earth’s crust.

As the cosmetics and personal care market continues to grow, consumers have an increased number of product ranges to choose from.

SCS Formulate is the biggest meeting in the UK dedicated to personal care ingredients, attracting a substantial proportion of the UK market. Organised for the Society of Cosmetic Scientists, SCS Formulate focuses on the latest technologies, applications and ingredients in the UK cosmetic market.

Consumer demand for products that claim to reduce the signs and appearance of ageing continues to grow, and a more educated consumer continues to drive the demand for more sophisticated products that offer multifunctional strategies to manage the signs of ageing.

The microbial safety of cosmetic products is an important consideration. It is integral to ensuring the stability of the products for the entire shelf- life and to preventing damage to health of the consumers.

In an environment where regulation has an essential role to play and where formulators are searching for new and repeatable ingredients, ID bio offers an efficient answer thanks to a new range of ingredients.

In the past year there have been plenty of articles on technical innovations and new or renewed methods for cleaning quicker, more efficiently and, mainly, cleaning more cheaply.

Since the ancient Egyptians began using creams in their hair to moisturise it, overcoming the drying effects of the hot, desert climate, hair products have become part of everyday life.1 From simple shampoos to complex styling products the hair care market remains buoyant and provides many of us with a cheap way of altering our look.

Skin, as an outer shell, protects the body from harmful external influences and from water and heat loss. Premature ageing is not only a health issue but also a social problem because of the development of visible changes such as wrinkles, dryness and loss of elasticity.

In July 2012, BBC2 Horizon broadcasted a documentary called ‘The Truth About Looking Young’.1 It was presented by consultant plastic surgeon, Dr Rozina Ali,2 and the aim of the programme was to investigate some of the key developments in anti-ageing research and discuss how certain advances are changing the way we think about skin ageing.

A series of presentations at this year’s in-cosmetics Asia will address the hottest trends dominating the industry, while offering companies practical advice on how best to use them to their advantage.