FEATURE ARTICLES

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is approaching a new, highly anticipated milestone – economic integration through the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

Natural cosmetics are one of the very few segments of the personal care market which has shown strong growth over the last 10-15 years.

Formulating Cosmetics, together with Making Cosmetics offer a two-day event with more exhibitors and seminar content than ever before. Exciting new content awaits attendees this November with scientific, technical and professional content delivered by leading suppliers and experts.

Today’s lifestyles expose the body to all sorts of constant environmental stress which is difficult to avoid in a continuous and efficient way.

New consumer moisturisation and sensory testing has shown that by using a blend of Zemea and glycerin in a lotion formulation it is possible to improve the consumer perceived aesthetics without compromising hydration performance.

Initiated in the 2000s, ‘neurocosmetics’ refers to topical ingredients that work on the cutaneous nervous system to restore the mediator-receptor balance in the epidermis. It has led to new ways of inducing a positive action on the skin’s nervous system which results in increased skin health.

While most anti-ageing products promise to fight signs of ageing and turn back time, older skin care users are reported to be perfectly comfortable with their age.

Biomimetics is a cutting edge technology platform that involves the concept of taking inspiration from nature; its models, systems and processes and exploiting them to meet consumer demands.

in-cosmetics is to launch the first international technical summit dedicated to texture in personal care formulation.

Essential oils have been important contributors to personal care and medicinal products for hundreds of years, and offer a wide range of attributes, from fragrance to antimicrobial activity to anti-inflammatory benefits.

The SCS Annual Conference this year focused on ‘Naturals in Cosmetic Science’ and was held at the Royal College of Physicians on 1-2 July.

The Swiss SCC will be welcoming the international cosmetics community to Zurich from 21-23 September 2015 for the 23rd IFSCC Conference.

Since the global success of BB and CC creams in the West, brands and manufacturers are on the lookout for the next successful innovation coming from South Korea and cushion has the potential to take this route. Cushion compacts carry many benefits of what consumers look for in facial cosmetics, including long wear, flawless coverage, added benefits and easy-to-use format.

Natural and organic cosmetic products now account for 3% of all cosmetic sales across the world (source: Organic Monitor).

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 an edge in the market.

A major unmet need of the cosmetic industry is the effective, natural and safe means to protect and detoxify the skin against environmental pollution to which it is exposed daily.

Syn®-Coll, the synthetic tripeptide from DSM, simultaneously boosts collagen production and protects against collagen degradation –two major factors in maintaining the structural integrity of skin.

Currently synthetic peptides are a big trend and mainly used for cosmeceuticals and/or dermocosmetics thanks to their high efficacy and purity as well as reduced side effects. But these days numerous peptides are developed and consumers are already struggling to distinguish them. Even worse, manufacturers sometimes face the same difficulties with completely new peptides.

The colour-fading of hair treated with oxidative dyes is attributed to the effects of ultraviolet light and other environmental factors, but mostly it occurrs during shampooing. This effect is caused by the diffusion of chromaphores from within the cortex towards the cuticle surface. The colour fading of dyed hair during shampoo washing is determined by a range of factors, most significantly by the chemistry of the chromaphores, the porosity of the hair fibres, and the properties of the used surfactants.

The UK has a very active and visible consumer protection culture with high profile TV programmes and magazines fighting the side of the consumer against unscrupulous companies, both large and small. Their reports have a great impact on the buying decisions of the British public and reputations can be enhanced or severely damaged. Personal care products feature regularly, and in May it was the turn of sun protection products to be assessed by the magazine, Which?.