Types of companies that hire cosmetic chemists

There are a wide range of companies that hire cosmetic chemists including finished goods manufacturers, contract manufacturers, testing houses, raw material suppliers, etc. Among all these companies you will find both big corporations (>$5 billion in yearly revenue), small companies (<$10 million in yearly revenue), and a few in-between. Having worked at a company that made the transition from small company to big and having talked to many cosmetic scientists who work at different companies, I’ve put together this list of pros and cons of working at either type.

Ideally, you’ll get to choose the type of company you work for. Or maybe you took the first job that came along and you’re wondering if another company would be better. This comparison of companies will help you decide what is best for you.

Compensation

Big companies almost always have better compensation packages than small companies. They have HR departments who analyze different corporations around the world to determine exactly the salary range they should be paying you. Typically, you’ll start on a lower pay scale then get modest raises over time. When you get a promotion, you get put up to the next salary range.

Small companies try to keep costs low so they tend to pay the minimum that they can get away with. However, they are much more flexible than a corporation and you can sometimes get a bigger salary than you might have gotten from a big corporation if the owner likes you or the company had a particularly good year.

Verdict: On average, chemist compensation at a Big Company is better than at a Small Company.

Resources

Big companies don’t mind spending money on equipment for all their chemists. You’ll usually have your own work space, your own mixers, lab equipment, computer, etc. You’ll have access to a corporate library with all the important cosmetic science books. You’ll also have access to analytical equipment that can be useful when trying to develop new products. Overall, Big Companies let you use cool stuff!

Small companies are much more limited. You often have to share mixers, balances, and most lab equipment. You probably won’t have access to much more than a GC, IR or Mass Spectrometer. As far as research goes, the Internet and the public library are your best bets.

Verdict: More money means better equipment and more resources. In this area, the Big Company is better than a Small Company.

Chemist Colleagues

Big Companies hire more people so you will potentially have access to a wide range of experience and abilities. For a cosmetic chemist just starting out, this can be a great opportunity to learn. That is, if you can get anyone to pay attention to you. Office politics often keeps people with the most experience too busy to mentor younger chemists. At a smaller company, there are less people but you will often be paired up with someone who has been in the industry for a long time and has a ton of experience. It’s much easier to learn from them as you’ll work more directly with them.

As in any situation when there are more people there is more chance of conflict. The office politics in a Big Company can be frustrating and get in the way of learning and doing good science. Small companies are not immune to office politics but it is much easier to work around.

Verdict: This one is a wash. There will be more people to learn from at a Big Company, but office politics and corporate structure makes it harder to learn.

Job Security

On the whole, working at a Big Company offers a bit better job security than at a Small Company. In a Big Company, it is easier to get away with doing mediocre work because your impact on the overall company is not as noticeable. At a Small Company, if you are slacking off someone will notice. But even beyond job performance, a Big Company is much less likely to be bought out by another company. Small companies (especially successful ones) are frequently the target of a Big Company take-over. Often when this happens, the lab people from the Small Company are either laid off or required to transfer out of state.

Verdict: For the most part, Big Companies off more job security.

Job Flexibility

Big Companies follow specific rules that are created by lawyers and HR departments. These cover things like sick time, personal days, work hours, etc. Unless you can work out some deal with your boss (sometimes you can) you pretty much have to follow the company work rules to the letter of the policy. In a small company, policies are often determined by a person who doesn’t specialize in human resources. This could allow for much more flexibility than at a big corporation. Of course, if you happen to work for a tyrant, then things are even less flexible than at a big company.

Verdict: Overall, a Big Company will be less flexible than a Small Company.

Creative Control

One of the best things about being a cosmetic chemist is the ability to create your own formulas and see your own ideas come to fruition. In a Big Company it will take many years and a lot of schmoozing to get one of your ideas developed into a product. Big Companies are generally not set up to allow chemists the freedom to create. You will be limited to the types of ingredients you can use, the types of products you can make, the types of packaging, the specifications, etc. Big Companies work because they can make a lot of product in an efficient way. This necessarily limits your choice.

Small companies are less limited. When you are responsible for the formulation, scale-up, performance testing, stability testing, claims substantiation and everything else that goes into a product, you become a key influencer in what the end product looks like. When you have a small marketing department they are more reliant on you to come up with clever new product ideas.

Verdict: You’re more likely to be able to flex your creativity at a Small Company.

Responsibility

In a Big Company, research and development is highly segregated. You often work on a small product line of a big brand and have to focus on something like formulation, testing, or product evaluation. There are different groups who each handle some aspect of the formula. Your responsibility for the overall product is limited. In a Small Company, you frequently are responsible for everything from the start of product development through all the testing and production. Also, you frequently have to work on multiple product types including emulsions, solutions, powders, etc.

Verdict: If you want the maximum amount of responsibility for a formula, a Small Company is the place to work.

Impact on the Company

Finally, we look at the impact you can have on a company. In a Big Company, your impact on the overall performance of the company is severely limited. It is easy to get lost and not stand out among your peers both in R&D and those in other departments like Marketing and Sales. This isolated feeling can make you feel less important and the truth is, in a Big Company, no one person is terribly important. Everyone can be easily replaced. In a Small Company, you are definitely replaceable too, but it’s just harder. The skills and ability of one person can directly affect the bottom line of a company. You often know the owner of the company personally and can frequently tell them your ideas.

Verdict: Working for a Small Company will make you feel more important than working for a Big Company.

Which Chemist Job Should you Get?

This is tough to answer as it depends much on what is important to you. If you want a job where you can have access to cool stuff, be well-paid, and have a fairly stable existence, then a Big Company is for you. However, if you want to make a difference, have an impact on the company, and maximize your creative abilities, a Small Company makes more sense.

Of course, for many people neither option is satisfactory. If you want to maximize creative control, flexibility, and financial potential, nothing can beat starting your own successful company. That just takes a bit more work.

What kind of company do you think is best to work at? Leave a comment below.

Although I have an excellent educational/research background in the field of Antioxidants, many skills/lab techniques in the field of Biochemistry, I cant find a job in cosmetic science. What would you do if you were in my position??

I’m not exactly sure how things work in Europe as I’ve never worked there. However, if it’s anything like here in the US, I would suggest you try the following to get a job in the cosmetics industry.

1. Identify companies that hire cosmetic scientists. This way you’ll know where you might find a job. Don’t limit it to finished goods makers. Look also at raw material suppliers that make surfactants, emollients, specialty chemicals, etc. There are cosmetic chemist jobs there too.

2. Start off in a QA/QC job. Ultimately, you don’t want to stay in one of these jobs as they aren’t really cosmetic chemistry and you’ll probably get bored. However, you can learn a lot and you can use the experience to meet new contacts & improve your resume. If you can get a technician job that would be great too. Don’t worry about what your first job is. Remember, it is just a way to get started in the industry.

3. Go through a temp agency. Many lab jobs are filled by people who first started off at the company as a temporary worker. In the US, we’ve got companies that help place temporary lab workers into companies. If they have something like that where you live, it’s a great way to start.

4. Use social networking. The key to finding a job is to meet the right person. Social networking on the Internet is an excellent way to meet new people. I would suggest you start using LinkedIn. This is like Facebook but for professionals. You can identify people in companies and building your network on LinkedIn can certainly help you identify jobs & important contacts.

Getting an advanced degree in cosmetic science is helpful, but it is only one step on the way to getting a job in cosmetic science. Ultimately, you need to meet people who work in the industry and have them introduce you to the people who are hiring. An advanced degree only helps with that a little.

Good luck!

Chemists Corner podcast is about cosmetic science and is broadcast to help educate, entertain, and inspire current and future cosmetic scientists. Each episode we’ll talk about news in the cosmetic industry, answer some of your questions, and discuss a topic in-depth, usually with an industry expert interview.

In this episode…

1. News

• Discuss the passing of skin research pioneer Albert Kligman.
• Dermatologist gets warning letter from FDA

2. Listener question
Why is fluid viscosity important to cosmetic chemists?

3. Weekly Challenge.

Which headline is the FAKE?
a. Drinking tea can protect your skin
b. Music is good for your skin
c. Spent oil from French fries can repair your skin.

If you’ve got an answer to the challenge, have a question, or have any topics you’d like us to cover, leave a comment below.

Here are the details

SCC Midwest Chapter TEAMWORKS 2010

March 31, 2010 – 8:30 AM-6 PM
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
5555 N. Des Plaines River Road
Rosemont, IL (Chicago)
Educational Program March 31 8:30 AM – noon

New colleagues are waiting, new concepts abound and innovations are within reach – discover
them in Chicago. The Midwest Chapter Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCC) will host TEAMWORKS 2010, the premier exhibition for formulators among the specialty chemical allied trades, on March 31, 2010, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois-conveniently located near O’Hare International Airport.

Chemists, chemical buyers, engineers and technologists in the cosmetic, personal care, pharmaceutical and other allied industries will mingle among 130+ booths representing prime technology suppliers in the industry. TEAMWORKS 2010 is an opportunity to gather for an exciting learning experience, and to foster friendships in a bond of cooperation and success.

Education, innovation and networking are key focal points during this event. The half-day educational program will highlight the latest material launches to give formulations an added edge, and technology exchanges will occur throughout the exhibition. See below for more information.

Networking opportunities will also abound-grab a colleague during the buffet luncheon, sit down together and debate product development strategies; or arrive a day early to network during the Social Night with some of the great minds in the industry.

A buffet lunch, raffle prize drawings, BINGO card prizes, and a well-appointed networking area will be provided. Pre-registered attendees are also eligible for a raffle prize. (must register by March 16, 2010)

Attendance is FREE! Register online –
Educational Program: Formulating for Marketing Demands – 8:30 AM – noon
8:30-9:00 Continental Breakfast and Networking

8:50-8:55 Opening Remarks
Gene Frank, Raani Corp.

9:00-9:30 Keynote Presentation: A Corporate Strategy for Sustainability
Peggy Ward, Manager of Corporate Sustainability Programs, Kimberly-Clark

9:30-9:35 Q&A

9:40-10:00 Addressing the ‘Free-from’ Conundrum-paraben-free, sulfate-free, etc.
Tim Kapsner, Senior Research Scientist, Aveda Corp.

10:00-10:05 Q&A

10:05-10:20 Coffee Break

10:25-10:45 Formulating for Sensitive Skin
Russell Walters, PhD, Johnson & Johnson

10:45-10:50 Q&A

10:55-11:15 Formulating for Ethnic Care
Ali Syed, CEO, Avlon Industries

11:15-11:20 Q&A

11:25-11:45 Improving Sensory Benefits in Hair Care
Michael Wright, Senior Research Scientist, Nexxus Salon Hair Care/Alberto Culver Co.

11:45-11:50 Q&A

11:55 Closing Remarks

*The education session will open with a continental breakfast at 8:30 am, followed by opening remarks with the keynote presentation beginning at 9:00 am.

Online Exhibitor Guide!

Plan your visit ahead of time and check out the exhibitors today! All exhibitors are listed alphabetically on the online exhibitor guide. Contact exhibitors to set up appointments during the show!

Information is provided about the products and services they offer along with a link to each exhibitor’s website. Check it out anytime and plan your trip through the exhibitor hall.

This was a question I received in an email from someone who was doing some research about different chemist careers. And if this person wanted to know about it, it makes sense that some of you might be wondering the same thing. So, here it is, 75 things that a formulation scientist or cosmetic chemist might do on any given work day, conveniently presented in four categories.

Cosmetic product development

Create formulas
Gather raw materials
Get equipment for making batches
Make batches
Restock lab supplies
Keep notes in notebook
Write experimental results in notebook
Clean glassware and lab
Research formulation topics
Generate new product ideas
Create prototypes
Create dye solutions for color matching
Make samples for marketing
Supervise / make batches for home use tests
Supervise first production batches
Solve stability problems
Generate test ideas to substantiate claims
Figure out ways to make formulas less expensive
Attend focus groups
Participate in brainstorming meetings
Review product label copy
Assist in writing product concepts
Present new technologies to non-scientists

Cosmetic product testing

Take pH readings
Take viscosity readings
Fill and label glass and plastic bottles
Wash & comb hair tresses
Color matching
Bleach and color hair tresses
Conduct foam tests
Run stability tests
Conduct skin moisturization tests
Run project specific, customized tests
Try formula prototypes
View samples under a microscope
Observe salon tests
Conduct odor tests
Participate in product panel testing
Get samples for testing
Evaluate competitive products

Personal Training

Read trade journals
Read Chemists Corner and other useful blogs in your RSS reader
Attend meetings with suppliers
Go to SCC meetings
Go to industry trade shows
Take continuing education courses
Attend conferences
Review latest patents
Listen to podcasts like the Chemists Corner podcast
Read industry text books
Take online training courses
Pursue an advanced degree in cosmetic science

Business stuff

Respond to emails
Create presentations
Attend corporate meetings
Attend project planning meetings
Respond to phone calls
Do desk side interviews with beauty editors
Conduct training sessions for non-scientists
Write business travel reports
Fill out expense reports
Write monthly reports
Go to office celebrations
Engage in “water-cooler” chat with co-workers
Write memos
Sign and review contracts
Give instruction to people who report to you
Meet with your boss to update them on your progress
Interview candidates
Entertain kids during Bring Your Kid to Work week
Keep track of project progress
Engage in debates with regulatory & legal departments
Write patent applications
Write employee reviews

Whew! My brain is fried and I might be able to go on, but I think I covered practically everything I did as a cosmetic chemist.

Is there anything we missed? Leave a comment below

Perhaps by the end of this post, you might experience that look too.

What are puffery cosmetic ingredients?

In the cosmetic science business, non-functional ingredients that are added to your formula to support marketing stories have a variety of names; puffery ingredients, featured ingredients, woofle dust, and pixie dust have all been used to describe these ingredients. They usually have some of the following features.

1. They sound impressive
2. They provide a story that consumers find compelling
3. The are trendy and probably featured in a magazine article
4. They are endorsed by some “expert”
5. They are expensive
6. They are used at low levels

Basically, these ingredients are added to help convince consumers that their beauty product is special and will provide miraculous results.

Which of these sounds more compelling to you?

“Our product combines a blend of naturally charged biominerals with powerful botanical ingredients to create an exclusive anti-aging technology”

Or

“Our product combines petrolatum with cetyl alcohol to create an exclusive anti-aging technology”

Obviously, the first one. But the truth is, the functional claims of this product are provided by ingredients like petrolatum, mineral oil and cetyl alcohol. They just don’t sound as good.

Examples of puffery ingredients

There are a wide variety of cosmetic ingredients that are added as puffery ingredients but they roughly fall under one of the following types.

Vitamins – Everyone knows that vitamins are good for your diet and you need them to live, but consumers also have the erroneous belief that if something is good to eat, then it’s good to put on your skin & hair. The truth is there is very little evidence that topically applying most vitamins to your skin will have any effect. (Vitamins A & C are exceptions and can have an effect if properly formulated). There is no evidence that vitamins in your hair care products will have much effect. Some claim Vitamin B can increase hair strength but I’m not convinced by the available science and my own experience.

Whether they are functional or not, adding vitamins makes your cosmetic products more appealing to consumers

Proteins – These are another type of compound that consumers know about and are naturally inclined to believe they are good for them. When eaten, they are good for people. When slathered on their skin and hair, not necessarily. Proteins like collagen and elastin are added to skin creams. Silk, keratin, and other exotic hydrolyzed proteins are added to hair products. These ingredients aren’t added because of the effect they have (they don’t do much). They are added because consumers and marketers like the stories they convey.

Natural ingredients – Some beauty product companies are so enamored with natural ingredients, they add dozens and dozens which make their ingredient statements look like novellas. These include extracts from all kinds of plants from fruits, vegetable and herbs, taken from exotic places in the world like the Amazon rain forest or the mountains of Switzerland. You’ll find things like marine extracts and organically grown strawberry extract. If it’s natural and someone can squeeze some juice out of it, someone might ask you to put it in your formulas.

These ingredients rely on a belief in folklore to convince people they do something. More often than not, they are non-functional.

High tech ingredients – Sometimes marketers like to impress consumers by telling them a high tech story. To help support this story, you’ll be asked to add things like Stem Cells, Nanosomes, or ingredients with completely made-up high-tech sounding names. As with the other puffery ingredients, these high tech wonders frequently have some science to back up the story but almost never to back up their functionality delivered from a product.

Is cosmetic ingredient puffery right?

Admittedly, ingredients like this have always made me a little uneasy. It seems like trickery and worse, like lying. But the truth is, people who buy beauty products do not always want the “truth”. They don’t want to think that chemicals like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Petrolatum are what really makes their cosmetic products work. They would rather like to believe in the story that it’s Aloe that moisturizers their skin or it’s the Coconut Oil that gently cleanses their hair.

This is what people buy.

Whether we like it or not, as a cosmetic scientist we are in the business of creating great, functional products that people buy. If you create a brilliant formula that no one ever purchases, you’ve failed. Puffery ingredients entice people to buy products.

The ethical cosmetic chemist

Here are a couple of guidelines to use when adding pixie dust ingredients to your formulas.

1. Stay honest with yourself. Be careful not to fall for your own story. If you think the great high-tech ingredient you’re adding to your formula is really making a difference, be sure to conduct a blinded, placebo controlled study to see what effect it really has.

2. Stay honest with your marketing people. Your marketing department desperately wants a product they can tell consumers is vastly different (and superior) to the competition. They will believe the marketing of other cosmetic companies. Resist the temptation to mislead your marketing group by telling them that these puffery ingredients will actually have a significant benefit. In the vast majority of cases, they won’t.

3. Always make great products. Don’t use the stories available from puffery ingredients to cover-up some low quality formulation. It is your responsibility as a cosmetic chemist to create the best formulas you possibly can.

See this article for more on what the FDA has to say about cosmetic puffery.

What do you think, is it right to add ingredients to your formulas that you know are not adding a functional benefit? Leave a comment below.

TRI Princeton presents the 4th International Conference on Applied Hair Science
October 5-6, 2010
Princeton, New Jersey

TRI’s Conference on Applied Hair Science promises to provide a unique forum for the discussion of state-of-the-art science relevant to those practicing applied hair science. This year’s conference will inspire the hair care industry through an innovative selection of speakers from industry, academia and government.

Participants will have the opportunity to:

• learn from recognized leaders in hair science and technology presenting fundamental principals, an understanding of the evolution of current technology and contemporary experimental techniques
• interact with an international group of panelists, preseners and attendees to discuss category relevant topics in raw materials, claims and regulations
• experience demonstrations bringing the academic topics to the practical clarity of in-use observation

Key topics include:

Hair Care

*Mega trends in Naturals and Efficacy
*Multicultural Hair Solutions
*Performance Profiling
*Sensory Profiling & Consumer Perception

Actives and their Benefits

*Penetration of Fibers – Effects of Small Molecules on Hair
*Hair Growth
*Nutrition for Hair

Product Technology

*Silicone and Silicone Alternatives
*Deposition of Actives via Rinse-off Applications
*Hair Damage – Cutting-edge Technology, New Methods, Treatments
*Color Fading and Protection

Style – Devices and Formulations

*Curl Management/Treatment
*New Devices from light therapy to steaming irons
*How Devices are used on Hair
*Basic Research

Call For Papers

Abstracts for oral or poster presentations must be submitted by June 1, 2010. Please email your abstract to the Conference Organizer at info@triprinceton.org or complete the abstract submission form on the conference website. Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Applied Hair Science will be published as a special volume of a peer-reviewed journal.

For further information on the conference visit the TRI website.

Chemists Corner podcast is about cosmetic science and is broadcast to help educate, entertain, and inspire current and future cosmetic scientists. Each episode we’ll talk about news in the cosmetic industry, answer some of your questions, and discuss a topic in-depth, usually with an industry expert interview.

In this episode…

1.  News

• Colorado Safe Personal Care Products Act – The state of Colorado is proposing a bill that could limit the cosmetic chemist’s ability to formulate.

2.  Listener question – How do you do a Freeze / Thaw stability test?

3.  Cosmetic Science - Top 10 problems in hair care science

4.  Interview – Amanda Foxon-Hill of Realize Beauty.

• Amanda Foxon-Hill is a longtime cosmetic chemist who’s worked in both Europe and Australia. She has experience formulating a wide range of products and is currently the Director of Realize Beauty, which features a website dedicated to de-mystifying the cosmetics industry for the consumer. She works as an instructor for the Institute of Personal Care Science which offers a certified diploma course in cosmetic chemistry. Additionally, she runs workshops called Cosmetic Kitchen for adults and kids where they make a few basic products. Her latest project is writing a book called “Realize Beauty” which is a philosophical look at our relationship with our bodies.

5.  Weekly Challenge.

Perfume manufacturers are bringing out new fragrances for the coming season.

Ralph Lauren has four new fragrances, Christian Dior has five, and Givenchy has two.

How many new fragrances will be promoted by Yves Saint Laurent?

If you’ve got an answer to the challenge, have a question, or have any topics you’d like us to cover, leave a comment below.

What I found most interesting was the way that forensic scientists use cosmetics as evidence in crimes.  Here are some examples.

Lipstick prints

You probably know forensic scientists use fingerprints for solving crimes, but did you know they can use lipstick prints and smears as well? By comparing the composition of a lipstick smear with that of a victim, forensic scientists can demonstrate indirect proof of contact or a relationship between victim and suspect. Also, it is sometimes possible to extract saliva DNA from the print. See this article published in the April 2002 issue of Forensic Science Communications a paper on how they do it.

Idea: Could lipstick manufacturers add an ingredient to their cosmetics that would help forensic scientists better identify prints?

Foundation smears

Like lipstick smears, make-up foundation can easily be transferred to clothing or other surfaces just through contact. Forensic scientists can discriminate between different types by using FTIR, SEM-EDX and GC-FID analysis. According to this paper in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, they can get up to 99.7% accuracy.

Idea: Could cosmetic scientists modify their formulas to help make identification even easier without impacting performance?

Shampoo identifications

Although it is thought to be a myth that your hair gets “used to” a certain shampoo, there is some evidence that components from your shampoo will accumulate in your hair. Using HPLC, forensic scientists have found that they can determine the type of shampoo that may have been used on a hair sample. The technique requires only a 5 to 10 cm single hair and is non-destructive.

This technique could be used for making cosmetic claims about your hair products

Hair bleach interference

Forensic scientists can use hair to determine whether a person has been taking illicit drugs. It’s really quite amazing what kind of things get trapped in your hair. They analyze samples using GC-MS and can detect codeine, morphine, cocaine, and opiates. Bleaching, perms and other hair treatments were found to significantly reduce the detectable amount of many of these compounds.

New ideas

While thinking about the intersection between forensics and cosmetic science, it occurred to me that this could be a rich area for new product ideas. The idea of putting something in your cosmetic formula to make it easier to identify seems like a pretty good one. In addition to helping law enforcement, it could also help stop product counterfeiters.

Think about your own products. How could you change them to make them more useful for forensic scientists?