FEATURE ARTICLES

The skin provides the first and most efficient defence of the body against water loss and external aggressions.

Over time, cells show a decrease in their replicative and metabolic capacity, resulting in a reduction in their number of duplications achieving a state of proliferation arrest. This phenomenon of loss of replicative capacity is known as cellular senescence.

New legal regulations and growing competition in the market of cosmetic products demand more and more tests in the field of bioengineering. R&D departments are looking out for bioengineering methods which are non-invasive, objective, sensitive and reproducible.

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.

The 7th Natural Products Expo Asia was held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre towards the end of 2009. The aim of this industry trade show was to provide updated information and the market trends of the cosmetics industry for both Asian and foreign investors and exhibitors.

Sun and sunbed exposure remains the largest sun care sub-category accounting for over three quarters of launches this period (Q1 and Q2 of 2009). After-sun accounted for 14% of the market and self-tanning remains the least active segment with 11% of product launches.

With the crowds queuing for what seemed like half a mile down the walkway of the epic Singapore Expo centre, the first morning of in-cosmetics Asia carried good omens for a productive few days and also proof of an industry in good health.

Plants have always been the main source of medicinal ingredients for humans, providing a wide range of valuable biologically active substances. Even nowadays, active ingredients of plant origin are widely used, not only in the pharmaceutical industry, but also for cosmetic and nutritional applications.

It became very clear when we embarked on this voyage of discovery for the toxicology of essential oils that there was a huge amount of data in the public domain but that there was very little in the way of consolidated information.

To say that competitive edge depends as much on market perceptions as it does on product performance is so obvious as to be almost trite.

A common feature of all gloss-effect pigments is a flake-like structure which enables directional reflection of incoming light and hence, gloss effects.1

This article examines complex effect pigments and innovative solutions for ethnic colour cosmetics. Formulating colour cosmetic products for ethnic groups is a challenging and interesting scientific pursuit.

For the last ten years or so, natural cosmetic preparations have proved a big hit with consumers – reason enough for product developers to be constantly looking for new plant-based actives.

Gemmotherapy is an offshoot of traditional homeopathy, whereby a homeopathic mother tincture (potency 1x) is prepared from the fresh sap, buds, seeds, etc. that the plant produces in the spring.

The conditioning efficacy, the hydro-balance performance and the gloss effects of a Cutina Shine (INCI: Dicocoyl pentaerythrityl distearyl citrate) formulation was compared with a lanolin containing formula and a market benchmark conditioner.

Exogenous causes, particularly chronic ultraviolet light exposure, are a common factor in pigment abnormalities such as melasma, solar lentigines (or age spots), freckling, mottled pigmentation, and ephelides.

Skin whitening actives such as alphaarbutin, kojic acid, and vitamin C have been available for a number of years, and novel compositions are continuously introduced.

Acne is the most common chronic inflammation of the skin affecting 75% to 95% of teenagers but can remain a severe skin problem also for adults.

All plant seeds that store triglycerides as future energy sources, such as safflower, sunflower, canola and cottonseed, sequester these oils in specialised organelles called oleosomes.

Dr Martha Tilaar, founder and owner of Martha Tilaar Group, is an entrepreneur who set up the company 39 years ago. Her aim was to become the leading cosmetic player in the Asian region of cosmetic products with a range based on natural, eastern style products, but processed via modern technology.