There are a number of raw material supplier shows around the United States and around the world. Last March, the Midwest SCC chapter held their Teamworks show which featured cosmetic suppliers from around the country. It was well attended.

However, on May 15 and 16 the New York SCC will be holding the biggest cosmetic raw material supplier show in the country, their Suppliers’ Day 2012 event. Here are some of the details.

When: May 15 & 16 (2012)
Time: 8:30am – 4:30 pm
Where: New Jersey Convention & Expo Center

Why Attend?

If you want to see all of the suppliers in the industry and the new materials you can get from them, this is the place to go. Every large and medium sized supplier will be there. You will be able to ask questions, get information, get samples, and network with people throughout the industry.

Looking for jobs? This is a good place to start networking. You can use the show as research for where your next source of employment may come from. Remember, being a cosmetic chemist does not mean you work only for finished goods manufacturers. Many chemists work for raw material suppliers.

Looking for samples? Many of the suppliers give out free samples of their materials. If you want to get anything, this is the place to go.

Looking for answers? If you are having a problem that you’re not able to solve, there will be experts at the show who you can talk to and most likely find answers.

Looking for free stuff? Well, you’ll find it here too. Free samples, literature, candy and food.

So, be sure to bring a stack of business cards and a list of questions you want answered. Bring a notebook and write down ideas that might occur to you. Notice trends in the industry and hopefully it will lead to new product ideas.

I’m not going to make the show this year but it’s definitely on my calendar for next year.

I thought this was an interesting article about how Proctor and Gamble are responding to claims that their Tide Detergent brand contains carcinogens.  According to the story, they are satisfied that the level of the ingredient (1,4 dioxane – a contaminant in the production of their detergent) is at a low enough level that it is safe.  They are not going to reformulate.

The consumer advocate that is interviewed in the article makes the claim that “There are certain things that you do you know you’ll get 1,4 dioxane with, and there are fairly easy things you can do to make sure you don’t get it.”  I wonder how true that is.  If getting rid of that contaminant was easy, why wouldn’t P&G just do it?  I suspect there is more to this.

But the real interesting point of this story was that P&G wasn’t going to reformulate…yet.  This is different from how they handled their Herbalessence brand a couple years ago when the same issue was brought up.  In that case, they reformulated.

J&J also reformulated last year when concerns were raised about their Baby Shampoo containing Quaternium-15 (a formaldehyde donor).  They contend that the product was not unsafe but the bad publicity forced their hand.

As a cosmetic chemist you will no doubt have to face a similar issue in your career.  It’s unfortunate that you’ll be working on a project that doesn’t make your product any better but on the plus side, it’s good job security.

Recently, the FDA released a report on nanotechnology in cosmetic products. In case you didn’t know, the FDA is the governmental body in the US that is responsible for regulating cosmetics.

The report is meant for people to read and give comments and it is not yet binding. This is the way things work with the FDA. They release a draft report, let people comment on it, make some changes, then issue a final report. The whole process can take a long time but things eventually get done.

Nanoparticles in cosmetics

The report on cosmetics is rather short and I encourage you to read it. But in case you just want the summary points, here are the highlights.

1. The FDA does not take a position on a formal defintion of nanotechnology but they mention that it is most commonly used to refert to materials that range in size from 1 to 100 nanometers. They do point to the National Nanotechnology Initiative Program for guidance.

2. The FDA makes no blanket judgement about whether nanotechnology is intrinsically benign or harmful. They will make judgements on a case-by-case basis.

3. FDA says you should meet with them to discuss test methods you need to follow to substantiate your product’s safety.

4. Nanoparticles have to be assessed for safety for each application. This is different than chemicals which can often be saftey tested outside a formulation.

5. You need to fully characterize the nanoparticles you work with. (name, size, structure, formula, etc.)

6. Traditional toxicology tests need to be modified when testing nanoparticles.

7. Toxicology tests need to consider different routes of exposure including skin absorption and inhalation.

8. FDA still recommends in vivo (animal) testing for toxicity evaluation. Some in vitro methods are being considered but have not been suitably validated.

9. Clinical testing of the material in human volunteers under controlled conditions is recommended.

These regulations and testing requirements may make it difficult for small cosmetic companies to use nanotechnology any time soon. But if there is a big enough benefit, you can bet the big companies will be launching more products in the future. That is, if the chemical fearmongers don’t scare everyone away from what could be radically better cosmetic products.

While answering a reporter’s question about the hisotry of cosmetics, I came across the name Johann Bartholomaeus Trommsdorff. He lived from 1770-1837 and according to the source, he is considered the first cosmetic chemist.

This is primarily because of a book he published in 1805 called “Kallopistria, or the art of the toilet for the fashionable world”. It is “…a guide to perfumes and toilet preparations, harmless formulations, powders, pomades, face painting, pastes, aromatic baths and of all the relevant funds, which serve to enhance the beauty…”

Johann seems like he would’ve fit right in with Chemists Corner and the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. In 1795 he founded a pharmaceutical studies institute in Germany where he taught people to become pharmacists (and to make cosmetic products). Over the years he trained 300+ students in the subject and wrote 34 books.

Kallopistria

Google has actually made a copy of the book available online for free. You can see Kallopistria here.

Unfortunately, I do not know any German so the contents of the book is completely baffling to me.

Anyone speak German out there that can translate? Mostly, I want to read just one of the formulations that he has published. But I can’t even tell where the formulas are or what they are for.

I read a couple of articles recently about pressure on governments to make cosmetic products more safe.  This article points out that there are “toxins” found in even ‘safer’ cosmetic products.  Then of course, there are calls for the US government to pass a Safe Cosmetics law with hearings currently going on and in the EU they are going to make cosmetics safer for infants.

But I wonder, how are they going to do that?

In the EU, they say that companies are supposed to “reduce health risks due to exposure.”  I just don’t see how that can be done.

To be able to reduce a risk, you have to be able to measure a risk.  And if cosmetic companies are already required to produce safe products, how can they make them safer?

If you take out all the “toxins” from a cosmetic, how do you prove that it is now safer?

Making things safer

I can understand how to make a product like a car safer.  You see how many people die or are injured in car accidents, you make a change to the car, and then determine whether less people die or are injured.  Simple.

A similar thing could be done to make children’s toys safer.  You see how many children are injured or die from a toy, make some changes and then determine whether the incidence of injury/death goes down.

With food you can measure incidences of food poisoning or sickness.

With medicine you can measure incidences of disease or negative side effects.

But how are companies supposed to demonstrate their safe products are made safer?

I don’t really have any answers.  If cosmetics can not be proven to be harmful, it just makes no sense to me how you can make them less harmful.  Perhaps one of you could enlighten.

The Midwest SCC Trade Show is this Wednesday. If you are going to be in the Chicago area, it is a free event and you should certainly attend. Here is the information for registering.

Cosmetic chemist & Trade shows

Going to a trade show can range from highly educational to being a complete waste of time. Here are a few tips to help you get the most benefit out of attending.

1. Start with a plan. Trade shows almost always publish a list of companies that are going to have booths at the event. Make a list of the companies that you must see and write down why. Bring this list with you and check it off as you visit the booths.

2. Take notes. You are going to see lots of different companies and will be inundated with information. It is not enough to simply collect the paperwork that they are handing out. Write notes on any information that you are given so you can remember why you found it interesting.

3. Write down ideas. Cosmetic trade shows are an excellent place to be struck with ideas. So, be sure you write down any new idea that you might have had while at the show. I find it incredibly helpful to carry a notebook around just for writing down ideas. Make them detailed enough that they will still make sense to you when you review them a few days later. You might try recording voice notes but I’ve always found this more difficult to review.

4. Bring lots of business cards. The people who participate in trade shows do it mostly to generate business and business leads. You are the business lead and they want to know you. It’s a fair trade for the information they provide you. So, be sure to bring a big stack of business cards. If you don’t have many, give them out only to companies who you want to hear from again. Of course, business cards are frequently used in prize drawings so you’ll want them for that reason too.

5. Network. One of the best things about a trade show is the opportunity to meet other people in the industry. Take some time to talk to people you don’t know and swap your contact information. Creating a big network of individuals is one of the most useful activities you can do at a trade show. The more people you know the more likely it will be that they can help you in the future.

I’m really looking forward to this upcoming event. If you have any other tips, leave a comment below.

There have been a couple stories that demonstrate how the FDA has been ensuring that cosmetics are safe for consumers. Recently, they have sent out a warning about skin lightening products that contain mercury. They’ve also been involved in getting the makers of the Brazillian Blow out product to stop producing the product that contains high levels of formaldehyde.

Hardly an unregulated industry eh?

Ooops. I read this story about Avon and animal testing and it looks like they are in a bit of trouble. According to the story, Avon is being sued (along with Estee Lauder and Mary Kay) for conducting animal testing while claiming that they don’t.

The reason, they sell products in China and the Chinese government requires animal testing of cosmetic products.

Animal testing in China

These companies are in a bit of a bind. They like the sales (and the potential is huge) from China but they must comply with the regulations of the country. If you want to sell cosmetics in China, you have to test your products on animals.

The reported position of these companies is that they do not test on animals or ask other companies to test on animals “…except when absolutely required by law.”

The problem for them is that they tout themselves as a cruelty free company that does not test on animals. They didn’t include the foot note “…except when absolutely required by law” in their advertising. They really should have.

Unfair treatment

Of course, I don’t think allowing any company to claim their products are “cruelty free” is right. Companies who have conducted and continue to conduct animal testing for cosmetic ingredients should not be tarred and feathered because of their actions. It is these companies that have made it possible for other companies to create their “cruelty free” cosmetics. Almost every ingredient that is used in cosmetics was tested on animals. The only reason a “cruelty free” product can exist is because some company, some time in the past tested the ingredients on animals.

Hopefully, this issue will be going away in the next 5 to 10 years when we finally develop animal testing alternatives that work and are acceptable to governments. But until then, companies shouldn’t be claiming that they don’t test on animals when they do and they shouldn’t be claiming “cruelty free” while using chemicals that were previously tested on animals.

I saw this article about REACH which suggests that the EU regulation is costing industry between 1.5 and 2 billion Euro annually. It makes me wonder, who is this helping?

In case you don’t know REACH is a regulatory framework that requires raw material suppliers to register their products with the EU in order to allow them to be used in cosmetic products. Ostensibly, this will make cosmetic products safer. But is it?

I don’t think so. Cosmetic products have an excellent track record of safety (especially ones produced in the more developed countries of the world). Why do we need to spend billions of dollars or Euros on more regulation?

The result of this regulation is a stifling of cosmetic product innovation. Raw material companies can no longer create innovative new ingredients because if they do, it costs too much money to register. And animal testing is banned so there is no good way test the new raw materials for safety. The result is chemists have to create formulas with existing raw materials.

The cosmetic chemist loses as do the consumers looking for products that really work better.

Of course, stories like the recent one about the FDA warning consumers against using certain skin lightening because they contain mercury, it is clear that some regulation is needed.

I don’t know what the right level regulation is but it doesn’t seem to me that REACH or the ones kicking around the US right now are the right ones.

What do you think about the level of cosmetic regulation?

I saw this article that is encouraging to cosmetic chemists and their potential to find jobs. The cosmetic industry is predicted to reach $333 billion in global world wide sales. This means more companies will be hiring more cosmetic chemists. Yeah!

Some interesting points from the article.

1. The teen market is predicted to be a big growth area. – Are you developing teen products?
2. Skin care products are predicted to grow the most. – Study up on your skin care.
3. Hair care areas are more competitive. – Tough to differentiate here.
4. Hair coloring is the fastest growing area. – Not many chemists specialize in this area.
5. Retailers are looking to do more online promotion. – Good news for bloggers.

And of course, there is always the fabled growth in men’s products but this one has been predicted since 1990 and I haven’t seen it. I remain skeptical.