FEATURE ARTICLES

In the first of a series of articles documenting the Japanese cosmetics market, Kunio Shimada of the NOF Corporation offers a broad assessment of where this market is now and how it is likely develop following the economic crisis.

in-cosmetics has come a long way since it first opened its doors in 1990 in Birmingham with 900 visitors and 60 exhibitors. Now, two decades later it is recognised as the leading global business platform for the personal care industry and is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Paris in 2010 with the best show yet.

The plague of a generation, stress is everywhere in our hectic lives. We have all used the term “stress” to define what we feel (acceleration of the heartbeat, increased perspiration, etc.) in unsettling or unexpected situations.

Everyday our skin is subject to multiple aggressions: sun, cold, and bad weather, as well as other factors which damage the surface of our skin, causing dryness, chapping and rough skin.

It has always been a challenge to discover the toxicological profile of essential oils and despite some excellent reference works on the topic, there has never been a single reference that supplied all the required data.

The aim of the work described in this article was to investigate the effects of pre-dispersion on the ability of inorganic sunscreens to photostabilise organic UV filters.

The latest advances in a wide variety of market segments will be showcased at the in-cosmetics Asia exhibition in Singapore. A huge amount of emphasis will be placed on developments with naturals, and of much interest will be how significant steps forward have been taken with sunscreens and colours.

Asia is the world’s largest continent and it has yet to fill its true potential as shown by its achievement in being the fastest growing region in the global economy. The vast number of consumers and diversity of the different cultures, languages and traditions can present an array of challenges for cosmetic and toiletry businesses looking to expand in the region.

Codif, which offers a range of active ingredients extracted from coastal plants and algae, will always have marine extracts at the heart of its business. Up until now, the philosophy of the company could be summed up in the words “Observe”, “Be inspired”, and “Reveal”.

Today, consumers prefer sunscreens with high protection values. Over the years, the best selling category shifted more and more to even higher SPF numbers. An SPF of 30 is now the standard, but there is also a significant segment in the area of SPF 50 and higher.

During the last few years, the market for hair colouring products has undergone high growth due to a larger choice of available colours and types of products. The manufacturers have succeeded in convincing consumers that hair colouring products are also body care products.

The process of synthesis, transport, secretion and maturation of epidermal lipids is a dynamic equilibrium ensuring homeostasis of the barrier function. The production of lamellar bodies, which release their lipid contents into the intercellular spaces, continuously regenerates the lipid cement of the stratum corneum and also responds to alterations that might damage it.

There is no question that the “green” trend is a global phenomenon. Everywhere you look products are competing to be “natural”, ”bio”, “organic” and “environmentally friendly”.

Time is precious, so the UK’s Society of Cosmetic Scientists (SCS) has put together a series of changes to its annual event, SCS Formulate, to help everyone visiting achieve all their objectives and to extract the best possible value from attending.

“Skin whitening”, “skin lightening”, “skin brightening” – these terms are used interchangeably1 when describing the claim for what is in effect a benefit of skin care products associated with attempting to arrest or reverse the effects of actinic light damage associated with time and sun exposure.

On this and following pages is the second part of a comprehensive presentation by Personal Care Asia Pacific on the chemistry of natural dyes.

On this and following pages is the second part of a comprehensive presentation by Personal Care Asia Pacific on the chemistry of natural dyes.

The interest surrounding “green” continues, whether it involves reducing food miles, recycling packaging, sharing cars or turning to all things natural. Many people are caught up in the whirlwind of going green.

White biotechnology has been used for millennia for the preparation of bread and alcoholic drinks. Sumerians had mastered alcoholic fermentation, for the manufacture of beer, 4,000 years AD. Nowadays, white biotechnology is used for several applications.

Today’s consumer has very sophisticated if not contradictory attitudes when it comes to the selection of cosmetic products. On one hand, the consumer will neither accept products that are not formulated to minimise the impact on the environment.