One of the fundamental principles of cosmetics and personal care products is the action of surfactants in a solution.

Here is a video that demonstrates what happens to the surfactant molecules when they are put into a solution of water. Essentially they form structures called micelles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdKlyofu0Xw

There is a lot more activity going on in the cosmetic science forum and we are delighted! The questions have been excellent and the responses too. I am especially happy to be learning from the different experiences of my fellow cosmetic chemists.

Here is a run down of the hottest topics.

1. What is the proper way to label an ingredient via INCI?

2. The best way to work with Carbomer.

3. How do you stop product rancidity?

4. Tips for scaling up batches from lab to production

Feel free to add to the conversation or post your own questions or comments. It’s free to join and participate in the Cosmetic Science Forum.

Click here for a complete list of the Cosmetic Formulation basics series.

Foundation

Foundation or skin colorants are designed to enhance the color and appearance of the face.  They are also used to impart a smooth surface for which other color products can be added.

What foundation does

Foundations are available in a variety of forms including emulsions, anhydrous cakes, sticks, and pressed or loose powders.  They are composed of colorants that are applied to the skin to create a continuous even tone.  The colorants are able to smooth out the surface of the skin and scatter light to modify the color.  Some foundations have additional ingredients that can provide benefits such as skin moisturization, sun protection and anti aging.

How foundations work

A foundation formula is composed of a variety of compounds to impart benefits.  The primary functional ingredient is a coverage pigment and coloring pigments.  Additionally there are filling ingredients, fragrances and depending on the formulation type emulsion ingredients, preservatives, antioxidants, and even UV protectants.

The primary coverage pigments in foundations are Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, and Kaolin.  These produce a white color which is able to scatter light and reduce the skin’s natural color.  Some of these ingredients have the added benefit of being UV protectants.  However, foundation is not applied in a manner that can provide significant sun protection so it is rare that any foundation formula would claim it.

Filler ingredients include talc which can help spread the primary coverage pigments around on the face.  They make the product easier to use.  Filler ingredients include talc, mica, sericite and specialty fillers such as bismuth oxychloride.

Color pigments including red, yellow, and black iron oxides can be mixed to create a shade that matches any skin tone.

Fragrances are often incorporated in foundations because consumers generally like pleasantly fragranced products.  If the formula is going to be an emulsion ingredients like emulsifiers, water, and preservatives are also included.

Foundation formula

Here is a typical foundation formula  (click to enlarge)

]]> http://chemistscorner.com/cosmetic-formulation-basics-foundation/feed/ 1 http://chemistscorner.com/monthly-goal-update-january/ http://chemistscorner.com/monthly-goal-update-january/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:04:38 +0000 Perry http://chemistscorner.com/?p=1926

At the start of every year I put together a goal list which articulates all I want to accomplish for the year. I’ve been doing this since 2003 accomplishing many of the things I list but not accomplishing many more.

So, I thought it would be helpful to do monthly updates to keep me honest and on track. Here is how I did in January 2012.

Chemists Corner goal progress

I’ve actually made decent progress on almost all my goals thus far. Here is the 7 goals I listed at the start of the year and the progress I’ve made.

1. Write a blog post every day – I’ve written 31 posts in 31 days. On track

2. Launch the “How to Start Your Own Cosmetic Line” program. I’ve actually written the report and anticipate this training program to be ready sometime in mid-March. You’ll be hearing a lot more about this in this coming month.

3. Record 26 podcast episodes – I’ve recorded 2 and have a third one half way done. So, I’m no pace here.

4. Create a series of basic chemistry videos (30) – I’ve brainstormed these and read a refresher book on chemistry so I’m just about ready to start. But I should have 3 videos completed and I don’t. A little behind here.

5. Begin an open source formulation site – Haven’t done much on this yet because I don’t know how it will work. Need to come up with a plan.

6. Run for SCC VP elect – Can’t do anything on this until late March or April.

7. Grow the website traffic & social networking followers – January had the second highest traffic month in the history of this website. And we had 16,000 more visitors to Chemists Corner than in January 2011. Our Facebook page is up to 803 likes and Twitter has 825 followers. We’re making progress on all of these.

Making goals at the beginning of the year is an excellent way to help you get things done. But if you aren’t regularly reviewing your progress it’s easy to let things slip. Hopefully, by doing reviews like this I’ll ensure that I keep gorwing this website and spreading information about cosmetic science.

How are you doing on your 2012 goals? Leave a comment below.

We recently worked with Allured to launch a Natural Cosmetic Formulating course.  If you haven’t signed up to receive the free report on the subject be sure to go get it here.

Formulating natural cosmetics

While working on that project I discovered a bit about the naturals cosmetic market which I thought was interesting and would share here.

Natural cosmetic market

Finding market data about any cosmetic area can be a little challenging if you aren’t signed up with a market research company like Mintell or IRI.  However, if you read GCI, Cosmetics & Toiletries or some of the other cosmetic industry magazines, you can get hints of data.

Here is some data about the natural cosmetic market that you might find interesting.  The data represents the annual sales of natural cosmetics in the US circa 2008.  It’s a little old but it gives you a good idea of the distribution and size of the market.

• Color Cosmetics – $419 million
• Hair care – $1.7 billion
• Baby care – $159 million
• Nail care – $24 million
• Bath items – $147 million
• Deodorants – $217 million
• Shaving – $138 million
• Skin care – $3.05 billion
• Soap – $998 million
• Fragrance – $352 million
• Total personal care – $7.92 billion

So, if you’re getting into the natural formulation market, that’s what the market looks like.

This question was raised on the cosmetic science forum and I thought it was so good that it warranted a full treatment here on the blog. Many of our followers here on Chemists Corner are people who are interested in creating formulas and possibly producing their own line of products. Almost every good cosmetic chemist that I’ve known has said they wanted to start their own line.

But should they?

Reality of the Cosmetic Industry

Before answering this question, it is important to face facts about the cosmetics and personal care industry. Big companies have significant advantages over small and start-up companies.

More money

Big companies have more money than small ones. They can outspend you in every way from R&D to performance testing to safety testing to advertising and marketing. They can use the money to get their products in stores and get price breaks on packaging and raw materials. More money naturally leads to other advantages.

Less expensive products

Big companies can make less expensive products. Even if a small company copies the formula exactly from a big company they will not be able to produce the product as inexpensively as a big company. In fact, the product costs to a small company will be 2 or 3 times higher than a big company. This means that big companies can charge less for products that perform every bit as well as the ones you can create.

More scientists

The additional money available to big companies means they can hire more cosmetic chemists and create better formulas. A small cosmetic company just can not create a formula that will be as optimized and tested for superior performance.

More advertising

More money also means more advertising. Big cosmetic companies will buy TV commercials, magazine ads, and radio spots. They will host events for bloggers & beauty editors and they will have an advertising agency working to promote their brand. A small cosmetic company will not be able to outspend the big guys in advertising.

More distribution

Finally, the additional money and size of a big cosmetic company means that they will be able to get their products on more store shelves and in more locations than a small company. There is just no competition when it comes to mass market and drug stores.

Are big cosmetic companies unbeatable?

With all of these advantages, you might start get the feeling that Big cosmetic companies are unbeatable. You might also think that starting your own cosmetic line is a waste of time.

Well, that isn’t necessarily true. Think of companies like Burts Bees and Aveda who started small and built huge brands. It can happen because small companies have a few notable advantages over big companies.

Small markets

An advantage small companies have is that big companies want to make big money. If a brand is not going to sell at least $100 million with the potential to reach $1 billion, the big cosmetic company won’t even investigate the idea. When I was working in corporate America we discontinued many products that were bringing in over $2 million a year in sales because it just wasn’t enough money. While $2 million in sales is nothing to a big company, to a small company that is huge! Small companies can dominate small markets because big companies aren’t competing. And if you are a small company you can make a great living in a small market.

Niche markets

One problem with big cosmetic companies is that they try to make products which will appeal to as many people as possible. This means that they are going to ignore niche consumers who have needs that are different from most everyone else. Just as a small company can dominate a small market, a small company can dominate a small consumer niche.

Experimental products

Big companies need successful products. They need to justify to their management why they are launching a specific sku and also need to show data supporting the launch. This means that the products they launch are going to be very similiar to other successful products in the past. This is why there has been only incremental change in the cosmetic industry in the last 20 or 30 years. New, innovative products are risky and most of them fail. Big companies don’t like to fail so they try not to.

Small cosmetic companies are in a better position to try new innovations and off-the-wall products. Products like dry shampoos and no foaming shampoos would not be launched by big companies but small companies can do it. This is a big advantage.

Faster development

It takes a big cosmetic company at least a year and a half to develop an idea into a product and get it on the store shelf. Small companies can do this much more quickly. If they have a good idea, they can have a completed product available for sale in 6 months or less. A big cosmetic company can’t.

Online distribution

Right now the Internet has created an even playing field for small companies to compete with big companies. Big companies are good at traditional distribution but they are not good at online sales. A small company can compete and even beat the big guys on things like Search Engine Optimization, Social Networking, and online distribution. Big companies can not afford to put too many resources towards this area of distribution because they have to maintain their presence in big box stores and drugstores. This area is wide open for small cosmetic companies.

Should you start your own cosmetic line?

Ultimately the answer to this question is a personal one and there is no guarantee of success if you do start a cosmetic company. It’s likely that you won’t develop the next Burts Bees or Aveda. However, it is not difficult nor excessively expensive to create your own line of products. It’s also not hard to make products that perform every bit as well as the ones created by the big guys. And it’s not hard to build your brand to a point where it makes enough money for you to pay all your bills and make a decent income.

So, if you have an idea for a cosmetic brand don’t let the fact that the big cosmetic companies have significant advantages over you. Learn what’s involved in launching a product, decide if you have the energy & passion, then go ahead and try.

You just might be successful.

There was a bit on Penn & Tellers show Bullsh*t where they convinced people to let snails climb all over their face. It was supposed to be an anti-aging product but the real point of the segment was that people are gullible and will believe anything if you dress it up right. It was an amusing bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzjoKhBklYg

So, imagine my surprise when I saw this article about the latest fad in skin care.

Wow.

Of course, no one is immune to magical thinking. And it is incredibly difficult to remain skeptical when a perceived authority is giving you a good story. As a cosmetic formulator you need to keep an open mind (maybe this snail slime really does work) but not so open that you become gullible. Some ingredients really are silly.

Here is an article about 100 incredibly useful and interesting websites. I’ve pared down the list to point out the ones that would be useful for anyone in the cosmetic industry.

Money

RetailMeNot – A place to find coupons for numerous stores.

Prosper – Need money for your business? Here is a place you can get crowdsourced loans.

Pageonce – If you have a problem keeping track of all your accounts, consolidate them with this website. It lets you keep track of everything in one spot.

Making things

HowStuffWorks – Look up any cosmetic or personal care product and you can get the basics of how it works. If we haven’t covered it here on Chemists Corner, it might be listed on HowStuffWorks.

TreeHugger- While I don’t put much faith in the scientific accuracy of this site, there is useful things you can learn about the Green consumer. If you are creating cosmetics for them, you should follow this website.

Getting stuff

Craigslist – If you are looking for something obscure (e.g. lab equipment) you might be able to find it here.

Freecycle – There could be some lab equipment here too. And if you want to get rid of something but you don’t want to throw it out, try Freecycle.

Traveling

Kayak- If you are looking to travel to a cosmetic science conference, Kayak is an excellent place to arrange your travel.

Publishing

Vimeo- Sure everyone knows about YouTube but Vimeo has a ton of videos and has a great collection of science videos that might be interesting for cosmetic chemists.

If you want to see the entire list go here.
100 useful websites

Do you know of some useful websites? Leave a comment below.

A little while back we received the following questions about being a cosmetic chemist consultant.  Since there are a number of you who may end up becoming consultants at some point in your formulating career, it will be useful to have these questions answered.  If you have other questions about cosmetic chemist consulting or other cosmetic science questions, leave a comment below.

How do cosmetic consultants work?

“When cosmetic chemistry consultants work independently, where do they do the formulating?”

Many consultants have their own lab space. Some can be in their houses or they rent space. Other cosmetic chemists will make a deal with a contract manufacturer and use the manufacturer’s lab space. In exchange they generate business for the manufacturer. Typically, consultants will outsource the manufacturing but some have enough space to create batches that are 5 gallons or less.

Start-up costs

“What should be factored into startup costs?”

When stating a consultant business you have to figure in costs of…

• Business startup costs – filing paper work, accountant, setting up bank accounts, incorporating, getting business stationary, website, logo, etc.
• Getting lab equipment. If you are going to create your own lab this will cost money.
• Getting lab space. If you create your own or if you rent from an outside lab it will cost money upfront.
• Chemical inventory. You may have to buy chemicals to start formulating. This might be covered by some upfront money you receive from your client but it probably won’t be sufficient.

Getting paid

“How are consultants paid?”

Consultants are paid in different ways. Typically, they quote a price on a project and get paid 50% up front and 50% upon completion. Also, their expenses will be negotiated into the price. Some formulators are paid a royalty on the formulas they develop or they are paid based on % of sales.

Cosmetic chemist consultants

If you have anything to add, please feel free to comment below.  Also, if you are already working as a consultant be sure to sign up on our cosmetic chemist consultant page.  We often get contacted here at Chemists Corner by people looking for cosmetic chemists to help them formulate products.

Interview begins at 13:30

Interview – Matt Zoeller

Matt Zoeller holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Roosevelt University and is a 30-year veteran of the personal care product contract manufacturing industry segment. He has held senior technical management positions at Schmit Laboratories, SMAP Mfg., and Raani Corporation. He is currently V.P. of Product Development for Paket Corporation in Chicago, a respected contract manufacturer of HBA products packaged in flexible pouches. Matt has contributed to the MWSCC in many capacities, most notably as Editor of the SCCoop from 1999 to 2003. He also co-produced several technical seminars for the chapter and managed publicity for Teamworks events since 1996.

Cosmetic industry stories

Clorox rolls out Ingredients Inside app

—————
Tadpoles development hindered by cosmetic chemical
————-
Bacteria on skin affects attractivenss to mosquitoes

Cosmetic Industry

Better cosmetic ingredients

So how do you figure out which cosmetic ingredients are the best to use? The following checklist can help you figure it out.

1. First, have a standard test to compare performance
2. Consider the overall cost impact of the ingredient
3. Consider the impact on production
4. Figure out what your marketing people would say
5. Decide what you like

Announcements

Formulating Natural Products training program

Cosmetic science forum

Chemists Corner is a podcast about cosmetic science and is broadcast to help educate, entertain, and inspire current and future cosmetic scientists. The information and opinions discussed on Chemists Corner are those of the hosts and the guests alone. They do not necessarily reflect those of any past, present or future employers.