Ingredients focus: colour cosmetics

 It seems there is an inherent desire for people to express their personality through use of colour on their skin and hair, and the only thing to have changed through time is an improvement in the technology available to do it, both in terms of safety and quality of effect. Modern cosmetics have an enormous range of colours and effect pigments for formulators to use, as well as polymers to aid dispersion and equipment for testing the hues of colour cosmetics. Trends in colour cosmetics are forever developing and moving across continents, with BB creams being a recent example of a trend moving back and forth from East to West. But as with many aspects of personal care, the classic products will generally persist and remain popular regardless of fashion’s whims. This article is an overview of some of the latest technology on the market to help formulators create the next timeless classics.

 Ingredients

Induchem has announced a new generation of high performance and more effective polymers with wide applications for skin care and colour cosmetics. Unimer U-1946 is odourless, tasteless, crystal clear and easy to formulate. Outstanding long lasting effects, perfect pigments spreading and wash-off resistance are obtained with Unimer U-1946. Unimer U-1946 is a combination of two ingredients: octyldodecanol, an emollient often used as moisturiser which provides a soft touch, and VP/hexadecene copolymer, a well known polymer that helps in dispersion of pigments while providing a shiny and glossy effect. Its improved amphiphilic structure allows for a special organisation of pigments as it comes in contact with water or oil. In a lipgloss or lipstick, it helps the pigments to disperse uniformly, stabilising them thus providing for a longer wear time. The final colour aspects of the product on lips stays intact without smearing or bleeding to the outer edges. In a mascara, with its film-forming capacity, it provides a sheathing effect and improves the pigments’ spreadability around the eyelashes providing a volumising effect and the wear/water resistance, for a long-lasting result. When incorporated in a foundation or sunscreen cream, Unimer U-1946, thanks to its amphiphilic form, is able to rearrange itself and capture the pigments. This results in a better spreading of pigments/filters, a long-lasting performance and a wash-off resistance.