FEATURE ARTICLES

Nanotechnology is the design, characterisation, production and application of structures, devices and systems by controlling shape and size at the nanometre scale which covers the size range from 1 nanometre to 100 nanometre (nm) where 1 nanometre is 1 billionth of a metre.

In these uncertain economic times, multinational cosmetic companies are looking towards Asia to make up for flat sales in Europe and North America. The mascara category appears to be a particularly bright spot.

Pamela Jones, from our regional office in Singapore, recently caught up with Mrs Le Chau Giang, president of the ASEAN Cosmetic Association.

Formulators from Indonesia and surrounding countries are encouraged to attend FormulaCare for in depth training in laboratories and workshops. Part of this promotion began in August with road shows in Malaysia on 9 August 2010 and Jakarta, 10 August 2010.

Whitening products have shown tremendous growth in recent years. This is especially true of tropical places like Indonesia where the local women strive for a lighter skin complexion.

Skin cleansing products such as body washes and facial cleansers comprise a large and growing segment of the personal care market. The surfactant systems commonly used in these cleansing products are based on alkyl ethoxy sulfates (AES), which can cause skin irritation.

Like other areas, a wave of saving has also hit the cosmetics market in Japan even though it was believed to be strong during recessions.

Over the last decade, our industry has undergone a dramatic metamorphosis. This change has been a result of consumer demand, government regulation and a realisation that we are stewards of our environment.

Due to ageing and external factors, the skin loses its thickness, it produces a reduced amount of structural components and, in general, its biomechanical properties deteriorate.

Global consumer demand for natural and organic cosmetics and personal care products continues to grow at double digit rates. Cosmetic chemists are challenged to find innovative, natural alternatives to synthetic and petroleum-based chemicals that have similar or better performance.

Today’s suncare market places several requirements and challenges on the formulators and their formulations. What are the needs of the end user? Who should be protected? Babies, children, women, men?

The desire for natural gums and thickeners to replace synthetic materials is becoming increasingly important in the formulation of natural products. These materials are used to increase viscosity, prevent phase separation, reduce the formation of crystals and their growth, and improve the delivery of products to the skin.

in-cosmetics Asia has announced its workshop programme for 2010. The additions to the educational line-up for 2010 will see two of the industry’s most revered experts – Jean-Jacques Bourgois and Prof.

Facial beauty, one of the hottest topics on the Asian skincare industry agenda, will take centre stage at the in-cosmetics Asia Conference, in Bangkok this November.

Open registration has been announced to the 2nd Skin Physiology International Meeting on 17-19 November 2010. Fall colours, leaves on the floor and a refreshing temperature.

It is often said that we know more about the surface of the moon than we do the ocean floor. This may be apocryphal, but it does at least suggest a truth about our historical relationship with the sea as it represents a barrier, both physically and psychologically, beyond which exists an alien world.

It is now becoming more generally recognised that skin pigmentation is controlled by two critical factors, the translucency of the stratum corneum and the colour of the underlying pigmentcontaining skin components.

The UK’s salon styling market is worth over £100 million and is the fastest growing category within the hair care sector. Styling products make up over 50% of the total salon market and around 20% of total retail hair care market.1

With over 40 years of experience in enzymatic hydrolysis techniques, Copalis has developed new cosmetic active peptides from innovative raw materials: plants that are not seaweeds but quite closely resemble them, and are called halophyte plants.

Our planet is blue. We humans are perched on a few lumps of rocks that jut out from an otherwise watery surface and yet we are only just starting to understand how the sub-aquatic ecosystem works.