FEATURE ARTICLES

Moving ahead with W/O quick-breaking emulsions

Hai Zhou Zhang, Jinx Ya Dai, Phoeby Wong – Evonik Degussa (China)

Despite a long history of study and application for water-in-oil emulsions, there has been little research on waterin- oil quick breaking emulsions.

Measuring skin delivery

Prof Dr Johann W. Wiechers – JW Solutions, The Netherlands

Many active ingredients have been introduced into the cosmetic market over the last ten years, so one would expect that cosmetic products have become much more active over this decade as well.

Examining polymers for fluid formulations

Stéphanie Garcel, Emmanuelle Merat, Chantal Amalric, Alicia Roso – Seppic, France

Fluid formulas are generally well appreciated by consumers as they encourage even and smooth application. However, the main difficulty with these is the combining of good flowing properties with reproducible viscosities and good stability, especially at higher temperatures.

Exciting minerals – an update

Anthony C. Dweck FLS FRSC FRSH – Technical Editor

In Dominica this year, I visited one of the many volcanic pools in the area and also purchased a tourist sample of the mud extracted out of this hot, spluttering ferment. Local people have a superb knowledge of their local flora and ethnopharmaceutical remedies, but they also placed great store by the muds and silts that are prevalent in the area.

Lycopene benefits for skin health reviewed

Dr Antonella Sciocco Saita, Dr Federico Sala – Vitatene

Carotenoids are widely spread in nature, being responsible for the characteristic yellow to red colours in many natural products, such as carrots, peppers, tomatoes, flowers and several microorganisms, including algae and fungi.

Innovatory approach fights pigment disturbances

D.Boudier, E.Perez, D.Rondeau, S.Bordes, B.Closs — Silab, France

  1. Saetun –Spincontrol Asia, Thailand

Visible pigmentation of the human skin depends primarily on the functions of melanocytes, a very minor population of cells which are specialised in the synthesis and distribution of melanin, through a process called melanogenesis.

Formulating with exotic butters

James J. Ramirez, Larry S. Moroni – BioChemica International, USA

Contrary to what their name might otherwise imply, exotic butters being used in cosmetic formulations are not sourced from milk and contain no dairy by-products.

Trends in China profiled

Paul Lee – Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions

China’s increasingly sophisticated and fashion-savvy middle class has catalysed the rapid growth of a RMB 70 billion (US $9.5 billion) cosmetics market1 – an increasingly meaningful market for multinationals in the industry.

Creating a more milky and bright appearance

Laetitia Marlier – Interpolymer Sàrl, France; Wim Van Drunen – Interpolymer GmbH, Germany; Eugen-Carsten Rothermel – Interpolymer Shanghai, China

The appearance of a product is often as important as the product itself. Being in competition with plenty of innovative toiletries or cleaners that are presented next to each other on the shelves of beauty salons, drug stores, and supermarkets, formulators of personal care products and detergents need to find new ways that give an appealing appearance to their own products.

Ovine collagen provides distinct advantages

R.S. Patrick and D. Cooper – CollTech Australia

Traditionally, collagen has been produced from bovine and porcine sources such as skin and tendon.

More recently collagen has also been produced from marine sources and protein substitutes derived from plants that are provided as collagen. Bovine collagen in particular has become less desirable due to safety issues surrounding transmissible spongiform encephalopathies.

Azelaic acid derivative clearly improves skin

Giancarlo Guglielmini – Sinerga, Italy

Azelaic acid is produced by the microorganism Pityrosporum ovale (and other species), which is responsible for the cutaneous disease known as “pityriasis versicolor”. This microorganism causes leucodermic spots on which melanin is not present. Its mechanism of action has been proved as a competitive inhibition of tyrosinase, the main enzyme involved in the formation of melanin.1-3

Effectively meeting a legal challenge

Anthony C. Dweck FLS FRSC FRSH – Technical Editor

Last year there seemed to be an obsession with litigation – with more companies targeted for compensation than ever before. Offered here are some ideas for fights ahead. Patience and a sense of humour are essential in order to retain sanity when a claim arises.

Silicones hold promise for hair strengthening

Bethany K. Johnson, Kim M. Quackenbush, Brian J. Swanton – Dow Corning Corp. Fiona Schuller – Dow Corning Australia Pornsak Raopattananon – Dow Corning Asia

Despite their widespread role in hair grooming, excessive use of chemical processes or heat styling can lead to damaged hair. Add the stress of daily combing and environmental factors such as UV radiation and low humidity, and the result can be dull, lifeless hair with split ends or broken strands.

New approach to foam optimisation presented

Terri Germain – McIntyre Group, USA

Although people have been cleansing their hair and bodies for thousands of years, the personal care market continues to be dynamic and everchanging.

We originally used soap, a simple cleansing product. We then moved on to cleansing products that also soften the skin, condition the hair, and strengthen our nails. More recently we have personal care products that promote healing and reduce the signs of ageing.

Skin whitener offers soothing properties

  1. Dumont, C. Garcia, M. Puginier, C. Stoltz, R. Roso, H. Geoffroy,
  2. Trouve, Y. Duccini, B. Brancq – Seppic, France
  3. Khaiat – Seers Consulting, USA

Melanocytes, located in the suprabasal layer of epidermis, produce two types of melanin; i.e. brown-black eumelanin and red-yellow phaeomelanin, responsible for skin colouration. Melanin is also known to confer photoprotection on the skin. Each melanocyte is surrounded by 36 keratinocytes, forming a so-called epidermal-melanin unit. Melanin is produced in specialised intracellular melanocyte membrane-coated organelles that originate from the endoplasmic reticulum, i.e. the melanosomes. These organelles contain tyrosinase, which is the rate-limiting enzyme for melanogenesis. Indeed tyrosinase catalyses the conversion of L-tyrosine to dopaquinone, which is required for the synthesis of both melanin types. Melanosomes are further transferred to neighbouring keratinocytes which can then bring melanin to the different epidermal cell layers while differentiating and migrating to the epidermal surface.

Revival in natural perfumery materials noted

Julie Towle – Phoenix Fragrances, UK

Natural perfumery materials are currently enjoying a revival, partly due to the renewed interest in aromatherapy, with many products containing essential oils for their therapeutic benefits.

In recent years the demand for natural fragrances has never been greater, although historically, of course, all perfumes were made using naturals. It was not until the end of the 19th Century that synthetics first began to be produced.

Skin-protecting dinucleotide examined

Karin Cucumel and Riad Domloge – ISP Global Skin Research Center, France

It has become evident that stress is one of the major characteristics of our modern life, and shown in much data is that stress has a direct effect on skin health and ageing.

Stress can come from pollution, weather conditions, cigarette smoke, radiation, heavy metals, and ultraviolet (UV) rays.

Shanghai event poised to assist

Reflecting the vibrancy and growth in the market for personal care and home care products in China will be a major event to be staged in Shanghai, pictured below, in March.

Personal Care & Homecare Ingredients (PCHi) will be held at the Shanghai Everbright Convention and Exhibition Center from 17 to 19 March.

REACH will have major global impact

Trevor Barker – Cornelius Group PLC, UK Mike Padgham – REACH Facilitation Company Ltd (ReFaC), UK

REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It is the most onerous single piece of legislation to hit the European chemicals industry ever. Furthermore, this legislation’s far-reaching effect will have a major impact on the global chemical industry.

Vigilance needed in year ahead

Anthony C. Dweck FLS FRSC FRSH – Technical Editor

The outlook for 2008 is not particularly promising as increasing legislation and marketing demands are faced by technical teams. Personal care sector formulators and manufacturers certainly need to be vigilant – on a number of fronts.

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