FEATURE ARTICLES

Superheated water is liquid water under pressure at above 100°C. It is much less polar than water at room temperature. As a result it can extract organic compounds.

In home and personal care, microorganisms play an important role. Cleansing products, for example, aim to remove dirt as well as harmful bacteria and fungi. Also, products contaminated by microorganisms will spoil faster and can harm the consumer.

Over 40% of the population suffers from skin sensitivity and discomfort, struggling with manifestations that affect both selfesteem and lifestyle. For this significant part of the population, only limited options are available which often comprise steroids, along with their side effects and limitations on period of use.

It is perhaps a sign how consumer habits have evolved over the past decade that businesses are now more concerned with attitudes towards ‘sustainability’ rather than just ‘green’ issues.

Plants have played a central role in medicine and personal care for millennia. According to their local availability across the globe, tens of thousands of species have found a place in common usage, and with robust evidence of their efficacy many traditional herbs continue to be used today.

Now in its 22nd year, in-cosmetics will be taking place in Barcelona for the first time since 2006, and the event is ideally positioned to provide an insight into the emerging trends set to take the industry by storm.

SCS Formulate took place on 15 and 16 November at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, UK, and was a resounding success for both visitors and exhibitors alike. With bustling aisles and packed seminars, the event continues grow each year and 2011 once again saw record numbers.

Skin brighteners make up one of the fastest growing segments in the cosmetics industry, with a range of applications from anti-ageing in Europe and the US to beauty in Asia. DSM’s Regu-Fade offers a reliable solution to all skin-brightening needs in one single product.

Cassia gum is a natural, vegetable-derived carbohydrate based on mannose and galactose sugars extracted from the endosperm of the seed of Cassia tora and Cassia obtusifolia.

Over 40% of the population suffers from skin sensitivity and discomfort, struggling with manifestations that affect both selfesteem and lifestyle. For this significant part of the population, only limited options are available which often comprise steroids, along with their side effects and limitations on period of use.

The sea holds a huge amount of power and influence in the minds of humans. At once mysterious, alluring and terrifying, Earth’s oceans also represent the birthplace of all life, both plant and animal, and are increasingly becoming a rich source of medical and personal care ingredients.

evaluated Does sensory matter? In the true spirit of the politician, this question can be answered with many qualifications, for the answer may be ‘yes’, ‘no’ or ‘maybe’ depending on where you stand.

The Personal Care and Homecare Ingredients (PCHi) trade show is China’s dedicated trade event for ingredient suppliers to engage manufacturers of cosmetics, personal care and homecare goods to meet their growing production demands.

By Jon Williams - Aquapharm - UK

Cosmetic product developers have long been keen to capitalise on the instant appeal and strong consumer resonance inherent in sea-sourced ingredients and products. The continual search for innovative ingredients and fresh marketing angles has led to a multitude of cosmetic product launches based on traditional marine sources such as sea salt, seawater, seaweed and mineral-rich muds and clays;

Conditioning polymers are common in hair care, typically used to provide hair with a well-defined set of benefits including improved deposition of silicone and better feel through a slippery nature that eases combability.

Hair can be easily damaged due to mechanical causes (brushing, friction), chemical causes (colouring, perms, etc.) and environmental causes (solar radiation, etc.), because its structure is very sensitive and fragile.

Daniel Whitby - Cornelius Group, UK.

Traditionally skin care products were relatively simple vehicles designed to deliver moisture to the skin and overcome dryness. Claims were few and far between and the ingredients functional but basic.

Silicone quaternium-22 (trade name: ABIL T Quat 60) represents a universally applicable conditioning agent with outstanding conditioning features: easy detangling, smooth wet comb and superior feel.

Ensuring that products remain stable, safe and suitable for use on skin is a highly important consideration for cosmetics manufacturers and the decision on how to preserve a product now requires searching through an increasingly wide range of ingredients.

Personal care products are often in the form of emulsions or gels. There are many ingredients used in creating personal care products from the oily phase to the aqueous phase and all manner of additives to hold the two together.