The Singapore Society of Cosmetic Scientists had extremely prominent speakers for its first-rate 3rd and 4th Scientific Seminars in the fourth quarter of last year.
For the 3rd Scientific Seminar, Dr Katherine Martin, director of science and technology, Johnson and Johnson, delivered an in-depth clinical academic paper titled ‘Targeting Skin Irritation: A Safe Effective Botanical Extract’.
Dr Martin shared with the audience photos and clinical studies carried out in her laboratories. The audience received a condensed one-hour presentation of data and photographs concerning studies on skin irritation conducted on human subjects with sensitive skin.
As the leader of J & J’s preclinical pharmacology group, Dr Martin described results of clinical studies carried out on botanical extract Parthenolide-Free Extract (PFE) of Feverfew (tanacetum parthenium), showing how PFE is able to effectively reduce skin irritation and skin sensitivity. As non-researchers, the audience learnt to appreciate the processes involved in studying anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities of Feverfew.
For the 4th Scientific Seminar, Dr Johann Wiechers, principal scientist and skin R&D manager of Uniqema of the Netherlands, took the theme: ‘Cosmetic Delivery: Getting the Active Where It Needs To Be Active’.
Dr Wiechers simplified a complex problem through analogies such as that of a bottleneck situation in human traffic flow at airports and the concept of the four R’s of delivery. Using probing questions, he jolted the audience into appreciating the importance of formulation basics to ensure that the active reaches its site of action in order to exert its effect at optimal efficacy. The take-home message was “choose your emulsifier and emollient very carefully to get optimal active concentration at the site you want”.
