Free Cosmetic Science Report
FACT: Most cosmetic chemists are thrown into their jobs with little or no training. Sign up for the Chemists Corner newsletter and let us show you …
“How To Create and Test Personal Care and Cosmetic Products Like a Pro”
Let us Take You ‘Behind the Scenes’ Of a Cosmetic Laboratory and We’ll Show
You How to Create or Copy Almost Any Cosmetic Formula…
Here are some things you’ll learn by signing up.
- The vital chemistry knowledge every formulator need but isn’t taught in college.
- How to use ingredient lists to figure out competitor’s formulas.
- Where to find ingredients lists without leaving your lab.
- The best sources for free starting formulas.
What did you think of the report?
Leave a comment below and let us know what you thought of the report!
Thanks!
Perry, 44
{ 206 comments… read them below or add one }
Very informative report for those, like myself looking to put their foot in the door in the cosmetic science industry.
The ebook was awesome. Really enjoyed reading it. I have even considered enrolling for a cosmetic science diploma next year
I am a microbiologist who is sick of researching disease…I enjoy researching anti-ageing products…don’t want to age…ever!
Looking forward to my ebook
Very good analysis tool….Please load more of these type of mini courses….very helpful!
The book was a clear explanation of how to analyze products. Most valuable.
Hi, Perry.
Thanks for the book.
the material will be very helpful especially for beginners like us.
may god bless you and grant you all your heart desires . Amen.
please i would be glad to receive the mini course which I believe will go a long way in expanding my knowledge in industrial production.
thank you so much for this one.
The e-book is very helpful to me . Thank you very much .
Very informative and a useful read for people starting out
Very informative and straight to the point. The resources information was very helpful.Thank you,Perry!
“How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” was an interesting read. As a cosmetic chemist, I found it both informative and useful. I recommend it for any person that is involved in the industry.
Dear Mr. Perry :
I am more than interested in becoming an established cosmetic chemist , formulator , and scientist .
I do have a few questions that I would like to ask you before I take the online course with you .
Do you have a professional email address that I can send my questions to ?
I wouldn’t want to ask my questions publicly .
Thank you very much ,
Marwan
I found the book very useful. I myself have knowledge about using oil, surfactant, emulsion, preparing aqueous and oil layers and mixing together without forming 2 layers. I liked to see one or 2 examples for a cream preparation using different oils.
Thanks for the free e-book Perry! It was packed with useful information, epecially the advice on resources. I also appreciated how user friendly the information was for the wannabe chemists.
Nice intro into cosmetic chemistry with some very informative links to start some serious research. You won’t be able to make a product from this book, but it can help point you in the right direction for the rest of the info you need to make one
Dear Perry,
I just read your little book on how to imitate any form of a cosmetic product.
This is really interesting and it’s what I wanted to learn for some time. It is clear, precise and directly usable. Thank you very much for this document.
But in addition, I am interested in the training that you give through your website but I am in Africa where we have no broadband here as the United States. What alternatives do you suggest?
Also for practical training, would I be able to come to work in your labs here in the U.S.?
When I write these words, I am in your country where I could easily follow your videos.
But, how to follow the free high speed internet?
I am a pharmacist in the industry since1994, I think my previous experience will help me learn better. Do you believe it too?
I want to register immediately but I await your response.
Jeremie LUBIBA
Hello Jeremie,
Thank you for the kind words. I would suggest you look into Cosmetic Learning since they have an option where they send you a set of CDs for study. Good luck!
Thank you for this informative piece. I look forward to doing my own formulations in the near future.
Again, thanks much
I thought the information provide was quite informative , I paralytically found it interesting as I just switched fields.The links where also very good as well . Love the fact that you got to the point very quickly as I can be very impatient when reading, I tend to hate the gilding of the lily so to speak .
I love cosmetic! I would like to be in this industry!!!!
Thank you some much for the usefull information!!!
i want know more about cosmetic technology field, scope, sumthing new which we can creat of our own in formulations………
I thought it was a very useful article. I usually just focus on creating new products, never really got into knocking others off. Thanks for the info.
Great tips
Thanks for all usual information.
Good read! It contained some great tips, ideas and resources.
Thanks much for the free ebook. I am not a cosmetic chemist by trade but study as much as I can for my business. I formulate my own bath & body products. I did find some useful tips in the report. Thanks again.
Thanks for this report. It was really helpful and it inspired me to get out there and give it a shot.
Thanks for the useful information, I am new to this and constantly look for information on the subject I look forward to many more tutorials.
Thanks Mr Perry……. It is really usefull……I hope more of these come future……
I think the report is useful as an introduction to the cosmetic formulation.
Thanks Perry, the guide is refreshing as some previous responses put it, but also fully useful indeed. For instance, I never thought of scrounging eBay for ingredients and it turned out a pretty good experience.
Great eBook on duplicating a cream. I am really looking forward to the other information coming. Could really use some info on finding suppliers so I will look around the site! Thanks
Thank you so much for putting this valuable goldmine available to us. Very concise, well thought and straight to the goal.
Thank you for your free copy of How To Knock Off a Cosmetic Formula.
So far what I have read, has been interesting and very useful and has also encouraged me
To continue on my interest in learning how to create cosmetic formulas.
My main interest at present is on facial cleansers.
I’ve just recently become interested in cosmetic chemistry and your website and all of the articles are amazing and very informative. Thank you so much!
Hi Perry, The document has really been fantastic and now I am trying some products already. Hope to recieve more and more as I intend to start my own business of the beauty products very soon . Once again a big THANK YOU to you PERRY.
Hi Perry,
I have read some part of ur report. It is great, I will read it completely in near future as soon as I get some time. I am formulating a clear Hair styling wax, I am having problem as it is less sticky to hair and on cooling it have a separate top layer. i am using Ceteareth-20 , Glycerine. and another experimental sample turn hazy it additionally includes the following conditioner d-panthenol and a silicon conditioner.
please guide me as i am a beginner in this area. Thanks!
Hello Shahbaz – Thanks for the kind words. I would suggest you post your question in our cosmetic science forum
This report, and your web site are just what I was looking for. Well written and easy to understand. Thank you!
Not of any particular use to my current work but would be good for someone working within this area – concise and comprehensive report
The information given is exactly what I was looking for. I intend on making my own products and start a business, so I think the report will give me my start on my chemist career. Thank you.
The book on How To Knock-Off a Cosmetic Formula is very usefull, easy to read and understand. I just have two questions? One, what do the numbers after the ingredients listing of many products mean (ex. ) and two how can you search for a specific product’s patent using the United States Patent Office site or any other site?
it’s wonderful?but easy to master. Thanks Perry.
I’m a formulator, I think the ““How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” report is very helpful to me. Thank you very much. I love this website.
This report gives you the basis to start formulating and also give you practical advices to use your creativity and create new formulations. Very helpful if you are approaching the cosmetic field
Hi Perry,
Thanks for the book, I have been looking for such information for ages and glad finally found it! The language used is so simple that a beginer like me found it it very easy to understand and follow.
Thank you for helping x
I found this guide, “How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product”, a useful and general source for cosmetic formula replication. Being a analytical chemist with formulations experience I would say that this guide should be mandatory for all of those looking to create their own cosmetic formulas. This approach make the most sense for those with a limited budget and with little experience in the cosmetics, formulations, or chemistry as there is a myriad of poor and simply incorrect information available on the subjects.
hi – Loved the book – it was simplified and easy to understand. Regarding the fragrance, what if you don’t want a fragrance added to the product? Some people are allergic and prefer fragrance-free products. Would you use some kind of masking agent to cover an unpleasant-smelling product? Thank you. Lisa
took this in from an esthetics standpoint and thought the information was easily digestible and a great gloss over how to knock off a product.
Great and informative ………….learned lot
I plan to use this book to train new technicians in our formulation lab.
This is an excellent book which is very easy to understand and practical. This book tells you how to make a product step by step and I believe this book will benefit many people.
I do have a suggestion. Mining patents is an excellent idea, but for many people it is a big challenge. If the author can have a similar book with examples to teach people how to do it, I will definitely look forward to reading it very much.
I loved it. I found the book to be both informative and interesting.
perry where do i get the mini free course
its not a question of nocking of a product but having some knowledge to understand how to enjoy making cosmetics.the book is informant
and i enjoy using this sight .yes i think we are all keen to learn,and i believe we can learn from you.
thankyou
The “How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” report was quite informative and useful.
I did not managed to download the Primer on Natural Cosmetic Formulations from all the links provided. They just lead me to blank pages. can you help?
You have to have a PDF reader installed on your browser. If you do not, right click on the link then ‘save as’ and the file will be saved to your computer. Then you can open it from there.
Thanks. The report is my new companion in my quest to become a cosmetic formulator. Thanks so much for providing such information.
it is usefull
As a scientist and makeup artist in the making, I thought this was helpful and well explained. Very detailed for a begginner. Thank you
Very useful information. I really appreciate it~!
Brilliant and very informative
Very helpful information.
The report is very useful, I really appreciated the information contained on it. The language is clear and objective, it’s a great information for who’s starting producing cosmetics.
Very informative!!!! The best direct information without any extra unneeded info. I love it! Thanks!!!!
I think this report would be very helpful and very practical to me.
Thanks
Very new and interesting~ felt like found out the world is round!:)
Very informative, interesting and useful reference! Thanks!
This is a great step by step approach on how to begin formulating. Very user friendly.
Thank’s a lot from paper of “How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” , it can be improved my knowledge but it will better if you send me regular information and more detail information of behaviour material, so i can learn more to formulation cosmetics product. thanks so much
The report has a lot of useful information that beginning cosmetic chemists will find useful. I am new to the industry and have learned a lot with this report.
Thanks for this introduction for helping to create products based ones we already love
Thank you .It’s very useful
Practical, Objective and very useful report. Thanks a lot.
Thanks for coming out with such an informative, useful, and practical book!
Very informative and useful.
Very practical points!
I think it is a very good piece of hints and setps of going deeper to the formulation of other products we are interested and helping us to create a similar formulation in a faster way.
I think it’s a pretty decent starter manual. I was at first bothered by the idea of a ‘knock-off’ product but I realized that copying products can serve as good starting points for beginners in the cosmetic industry. I did learn useful info from this
It was interesting to learn about all of the available sources to get ingredient and formulation information
The report was informative for a novice.
It is a great report for begginers in cosmetic formulation, like me! I had success with skin cleansers formulation but now I have to make an invisible gloves protecting cream, that will act as a second skin, to be used by workers who dealt with dangerous solvents. It would be helpful to have more informations related to formulating emulsions and specialized lab tests for skin lotions.
have received the report and am looking forward to reding it soon.
liked the report! it’s so useful especially for the beginners, thank you.
Thank you so much for a very informative and helpful book.
It was very informative and clearly explained! Loved it!
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC THANK YOU. i ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR EMAILS
A very useful resource for anyone interested in cosmetics; clearly explained, complete, easy to understand. Thank you.
Thanks so much Perry for this opportunity.
Very informative and useful.
I think the Duplicating Cosmetics ebook is a valuable resource for anyone interested in making their own cosmetics. Thank you!
It was great .Iwould be gratefull if you send me more information about cosmetics .
Your sincerely,
Roya
It is a very informative starting point for me and I am exited to take the next step
I really appreciate the book and its contents. Helpful and easy to understand. Thank you!
great informative book!
Wow, that brochure gives an essential and informative background for those people who are new in the field of cosmetics.
Well done!
Keep it up!
Regards
Tamina
Its a fantastic reading and worthy.
Its fantastic and worthy reading for beginners.
Being a chemist for more than 5 years I knew most of the material given in this brochure, but it was very well outlined and will be extremely useful when it comes to training new chemists and teach them the ropes. Thanks for putting it together.
Very interesting your “How To Knock-Off a Cosmetic Formula” report.
I have been toying for a couple of months with the idea of getting your
“Complete Cosmetic Chemist Training Program” which I found in
cosmeticsandtoiletries.com. I guess your mini-course can give me a
better insigth of what your training program offers to a beginner.
found the article educating and inspiring to create my own beauty product
I found the “How to Knock Off Any Cosmetic Product” report very useful. I have been formulating my own all natural products for years and just launched a business selling the products. However, there are some formulations I would like to perfect but just do not have the time to put into the innovation. Knocking off helps me look at areas to develop as a formulator. I would love to take an online course to learn more about the process. Also, I would love to learn more about how to convert measurements and weights into percentages. This is an area I have not been able to figure out just yet. I noticed the report suggest making assumptions in the percentage in formulations. Your website is a wonderful resource. Thanks a million!
Great basic information for the beginner! Thanks for organizing the information and publishing it!
this is a great starting point for a beginner!
Hi Perry thanks for the link I haven’t read it yet I have been a little under the weather but I will be reading it today an how can I become a member of cosmetic corner
Great info!
I bumped into this website by chance and loved what I saw. I am just starting out in this field but have no chemistry background, only basic physics. Learning new things by the minute so hopefully, will catch up soon. Lacking knowledge on what the standard measuring/mixing proportions of substances, types of equipment typically used, and where to purchase. Will appreciate any help or info that will help a virgin-cosmetic-chemist.
Thanks a lot Perry for your book,
I found your book almost by chance surfing the net … It took my attention I read it and found inspiring.
Very helpful guide! Reverse-engineering a mixture where the ingredients cannot be separated can be a tough challenge.
An important part that is missing is pricing out the formulation. At least a “ballpark” figure on cost of the formulation (per lb, per kilo, per ounce) without packaging should be given. There might be active or other ingredients that are too costly for the customer, especially is the
customer has a price range in mind.
Love it! It’s like an insider’s quick guide to a career in cosmetic science. It reveals all the small details unavailable with just college chemistry courses.
Having dreamed of making cosmetics and having no exprience in the cosmetic and science field this was an eye opener to me
Thank you
Bliss
Very informative and in depth! Thanks so much!
I think the information was very helpful and very practical.
Thank you.
Thank you soo much for the “How to knock off Any Cosmetic Product” it was exactly what I was looking for. I am a pharmacist and now working for a cosmetic laboratory in Bali, Indonesia so I am very grateful.
I am intersted in the free cosemetic course
Any information is greatly appreciated!
thanks a lot for your concerned ,but i have already finished this step of my career and start making my own formulations.
My difficulties are : how to make a large amount of my products ( my formulations stable when i make my products in small amount)
and now i also looking for raw materials are cheep and with the same time have good qualities.With that i can make cheep products with high quality.
Thanks again.
Best regards
Fadi AL-Shnani
I found “How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” to be very informative. I have zero experience with the chemistry end of cosmetics, but after reading How to… I feel more confident as I move forward into my venture.
Hello, Thank you soo much for the “How to knock off Any Cosmetic Product” it was exactly what I was looking for. I am a chemist by profession but have never been exposed to the synthesis side of cosmetics so I am very grateful.
It’s a basic guide, maybe a roadmap with some useful links to get one thinking about how to proceed.
This is a perfect overview of the process. Food for thought for those who are reluctant to give away their formulation to EU-safety evaluation! The chemical analysis of target products will hardly be necessary for experienced formulators. The same applies to all the claim support equipment mentioned in “Specialized tests”. My suggestion is to elaborate a little on the stability testing additional to the reference given and to add safety evaluation principles. Thanks!
It was extremely informative, and has made me rethink, perhaps to create a knock-off product, then make it better…..YEAH! Thanks heaps
What can I say, it has helped me so much been new in the game I still use it. Thanks so much for all the helpful information.
Salutations
I found this incredibly useful. I will definitely be developing this skill and ‘Beginning Cosmetic Chemistry’ will certainly be on my desk soon. Thanks guys.
Hi “How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” is very useful especially for me because now I’m currently enrolled in a MS Course in Cosmetics Science. It was a big help for me since I’m still a newbie in formulating different products. The ebook was a big help for me. I just want to know more about trouble shooting for a certain product what to add to increase viscosity and vice versa things like that. Thank you for the ebook.
It is very very good. I love it. I thought “How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product i” opened a door for me. Thank you!
Thank You for the eBook download.
I’m not a formally trained cosmetic chemist, but I do have a strong background in chemistry, biology and nutrition. My interest is in hair care, and I have been researching information for a while now (which is how I stumbled upon your website). A lot of the information in the eBook I already knew; however, there is a LOT that I did not know, so again…Thank You!
Excellent!!
I’m learning a lot with the book.
I liked the read on knock offs with the in depth extended approach. It reminded me that looking a little deeper has its rewards. I wonder if you could tell me where to find the article on common problems of thickening and thinning results with thickeners. I’m working with peroxide and it’s difficult to keep it thick for extended shelf life.
I find your website to be informative and a great asset for a formulation chemist. I stumbled upon it by accident and am very glad that I did.
I’m a starting my own hair care line specifically for people in the agriculture industry and stumbled upon this website and the report and I love it! This website has opened up a lot of really good information for me and the report I think will be a crucial part in my future success. Thank you so much and the information in this report is amazing!
Thanks again!
I am a beginner soap maker, and also intend to make other cosmetics such as lotion, body wash, facial care products, etc. The paper was very interesting, although I have not had a chance to read it thoroughly yet, I will. Thanks very much for all the information.
Muy interesante!!!!!! la secuencia de pasos a seguir para la formulación de productos cosmeticos. Ideal el hecho de identificar las funciones de las materias primas y agrupar las mismas según el % en el que intervienen en la formulación. También es muy buena la guía en relación a la secuencia de pruebas que se deben realizar hasta la obtención del producto final.
Muy interesantes tus comentarios
Thank you so much! I appreciate the great information.
I’m an esthetician who is looking into going back to school for chemistry and ultimately join the cosmetic chemists out there, so this is a whole new learning experience for me. So I know I am getting a bit ahead of myself being on here but I always enjoy going to the chemist corner. Thanks Perry
This download was extremely helpful but I would have liked more guidelines on how to determine the 1% line. The example in the book was easy as fragrance was rather the line but for many formulations things such as fragrance etc are not present.
That’s really good for starting formulate formulation that we want to do (knock-off).
1% Rule can applied for all product and make adjustment by searching for the recommended range used.
Thank you for the download. It is my first job in this industry. It’s easier to formulate a cosmetic product. I’m a newbie in formulating but I feel like a pro.
Thanks,sir!
Was a great read. I did learn a few things.
Thank you for the download! It captured me and I am very excited to learn more about working in the cosmetic industry- which has always been my dream. I am currently a regulatory/analytical chemist working on foods, but am anxious to begin learning about cosmetic chemistry!
I thought it was really interesting and gives further insight into the industry and different types of formulations which is an eye opener for anyone new to the industry.
Thanks!
i liked it. to me it was an experience because there is little cosmetic science knowledge where i am. so reading the report was very revealing to me. actually thinking of doing my final year project in chemistry on cosmetics
The report was a good read.
chemicalmatt’s comments were extremely useful too and I am glad he took the time to write.
I thought the report was great and your reminder to read it timely as I was just asked to dupe a foot cream. I also appreciated chemicalmatt’s addendum as this particular cream seems to have a great number of ingredients below the 1% line and the ‘general rule of thumb’ stated will help to make some sense out of all of them. Also, I did look this up in patents and it was not there. However, this companies preservation system was, so that will help too.
The information was geared for the small company with limited resources. The advice was very practical and easy to apply to formulation development.
What are the molecular formula for Dimethicone and Carbopol 940.
Hello.
Thanks alot.I enjoyed the report.
Regarding “How to Duplicate a Cosmetic Product”, a fine work Perry.
Some corrections:
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate is an (antifungal) preservative, not a “solvent”
Tetrasodium EDTA is a chelating agent/preservative, not an “adjustment”
Some suggestions:
In Step 3, pages 13 and 14, the ingredient breakdown by the 1% Rule. It may be advisable not to de-emphasize the <1% content. In the example given, the Polyquaternium-10 level can make a marked difference in outcome if it is at 1.00%w/w or at 0.10% w/w in this body wash. Perhaps it would be wiser, on page 14, to state:
The formulator can later prioritize the <1.00% ingredients by function. This will provide insight into their concentrations, since the “less than 1.00%” may be listed in any order on the LOI. Some general rules of thumb can be applied (and this can be extrapolated much more):
0.50 – 1.00% conditioning agents, sensory modifiers, rheology modifiers, emollient oils, surfactants
0.20 – 0.60% fragrance, preservatives, adjusters, proteins
<0.20% extracts, exotics, color stabilizers, colorants
On Page 16, Step 5 “Analyze the Formula” can be much more explicit. Given that the example is an easy one (body wash), mention should be made about emulsion analysis of creams and lotions (which includes hair conditioners!). E.g.
Determine if the product is a water/oil or oil/water emulsion. Most are the latter. If unsure, test by measuring conductance (in milliohms) relative to water. W/O emulsions will have poor conductance. A simple test is to add a dollop of the product into a glass of water and observe its behavior; or add a dollop of water to a small amount of the product. O/W emulsions will dissociate in water unevenly and incompletely, as an oil slick at first. W/O emulsions will dissociate evenly. If you add water to them, they usually just thin down a little, without dissociation. Also, look at the first two or three ingredients that you’ve identified as “surfactants” and look up their HLB values or their function from literature. If the primary surfactant (first or only one listed) possesses low HLB value, the product is likely W/O.
Regardless of the emulsion type, you will need to rough calculate the “oil load”, or the nature of the product’s disperse phase for O/W emulsions, or continuous phase for W/O ones. Though often recognized as the amount of oil payload being delivered by the formula, this can be more thoughtfully considered as the ratio of oil payload to emulsifiers. Sensory feel will lead the way here (see Step 2!), once you’ve determined the solids level. A short playtime on the skin with little observed emolliency lends itself to a low oil load (1.5:1 or less). Exceptions to this rule abound, notably when cyclomethicone or isoparaffin is involved. Creams and lotions exhibiting a richer feel will generally have a higher oil load (2:1 or more). Some creams and lotions will feel very heavy, even greasy, leading you to deduce a high oil load, which is a typical of some “skin butters”. Some W/O emulsions carry an oil load of 20:1!
Likewise, this step needs to better emphasize water content, often the most crucial step in saving time in duplication of water-based formulae. If the reader is a novice, you might flush out the method more. You may want to add:
If you have access to an accurate balance, then weigh out 10.00 grams of the benchmark product onto a tared Petri dish, watch glass, or even a ceramic cup saucer. Place this in a convection oven, like you have at home, for 2 hours at 125C or 250F (no more!). Record the net weight then return it to the oven for another hour to note any significant loss in mass. The total loss in mass comprises mostly water, but may include alcohol, cyclomethicone, fragrance and other volatile components, so compare to the ingredient listing sequence to further deduce the water concentration. The mass of the residue after drying divided by the original sample mass will be your % total solids, which will be a most useful value in determining concentrations of the ingredients and of the oil load of lotions and creams.
Thank for help in our formation
Hello Perry,
Thanks for your comprehensive and systematic approach.
Really good reading. I think there were elements I definitely already do – but it was good to see I am on the right lines!
For those new I think really, really useful.
Thanks Perry!
Information are clear and usefull especially for batch scale up
To complete the work we refer to the Begining Cosmetic Chemistry book
Links make work easier
Thanks Perry
Hello sir,
I got very useful information by reading that. Your site is a good guide to develop the new formulations for the innovative formulators. Thank you so much.
I have found this to be very useful, I have been making cosmetics for 10 years now and there is always room for improvement. Although I like to have my own fomular’s this is a great way to get more information. I had to do it all the hard way. I wish I had of found you a lot earlier in my formulation days..
Anyone thinking of going down this path, its the best industry I have ever been in. I have been sucessfull in having my own brand now. So go for it…
I enjoyed the report. It was really encapsulated the process.
People may feel that they never need to duplicate cosmetics. As a Consultant Formulator I am often approached to do a knock-off or duplicate a standard. Oftentimes it is by the owner of the Product who no longer has access to their Formulas. A little known fact is oftentimes Contract Manufacturers will charge a large fee to purchase the Formulas. In some cases it is easier to have the product duplicated by a third party. This can present the client with an opportunity to refine or improve the product.
An excellent primer for newcomers, the links and tips are very helpful. Duplicating successful formulations is the first step in the path to innovation, it is a way to learn how to formulate innovative products, take a look at the video “Everything is a remix” in the following link http://vimeo.com/25380454
It is all very logical. I might not ever try to exactly duplicate a cosmetic, but you have given me a roadmap that I can use should I decide to do that.
It’s very helpful to me. It helps me understand how to formulate. Thanks a lot!
Great information. It was a very useful tool when formulating my first product.
Yes, “How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” is great help to me.
1. I found many usefull sites and follow their RSS Feed.
2. Especially info about Patent Office, do great help to my job.
3. I have guidance systematically & efficiently to copy a product.
This is very great for someone back to workforce after long hiatus…:)
Hello
Information is important, valuable, and very impressive
I think he is an excellent report, or a wonderful book
But we need more
We need your help in how to design blends for skin care and skin
I personally had the skills and expertise to the work of skin-lightening cream and cream weaken hair follicles in unwanted areas
And a bath oil and shampoo for hair
But we need more, especially how to add natural oils and herbal extracts
I hope to provide further information
I wish you lasting success and thank you for this wonderful work
Great information for a beginner like me chemist corner keep up the good work.
Great article for new chemists just getting into the business and a good reminder for all!
I read this report when I signed up about a year ago. It was informative and easy to understand. Knowing how existing products are made is helpful when formulating a similar type of product. Thanks!
Thanks for the report, it made me realize I wasn’t on the wrong track by trying to, at first, copy another successful formula. It was most informative on the steps to copy a formula, but there are so many variables, that things can become unclear. I’m working on a lip gloss and found that my formula was coming out too oily no matter how many times I copied this other companies formula and no matter how many variables I altered. If you upped the oils to soften the formula: too oily; if you upped the waxes: it became too solid and not as softly “gloppy”, if you will.
So, even though the report answered the basic “how to copy” and made me realize that copying is the surest way to find your own formula, it still left me with so many more questions.
I had been using a similar approach and some of his detailed suggestions have been helpful. There were some very practical suggestions/instructions that I wish I had come to realize before. However,there are some complex balances that are needed to put a stable formulation together and one suppliers raw is not the same as the next, I did not get that from the article. It is far more complicated than the article implies.
I think you provide a good overview of the observations, resources, and methods used to create a knock-off. Any time an individual provides insight into the actual work that they do (in this case we’re talking about formulation chemistry) you provide hands on insight that is helpful to someone. I found it useful in giving me a new approach to my at home creations and it even kindled my creativity because it gave me new ideas of how to craft something original. ~Thanks
For the beginner, it is helpful.
I think the whole idea preposterous. Cosmetics is about innovation, and that is what people should learn: critical thinking, and then creative thinking.
And I doubt one can learn cosmetic formulation on the internet; it requires patience, observation, curiosity, but not this kind of approach.
I think there are already too many “knock-off” products on the market, many of the infringing patents, lacking claim substantiation data, safety data, but just out to make a buck by comparing ingredient listings, forgetting that the INCI names are, with few exceptions, much too vague to help truly identify the exact substance(s) used. this is particularly true for plant extracts which are just listed as the name of the plant, but give no indication of how the extract is obtained (water or solvent extraction, or other methods), how much of the “extract” (powder, hydroglycolic solution, essential oil) is really used; many biotech products and protein hydrolysates face the same characterization problem.
This confusing situation certainly does nothing to make a better reputation for the cosmetic market!
Training people is fine, and doing it for free is a debatable choice, but I don’t think this approach is the right one.
I am a beginner in this area and thought the information was exceptional and very helpful. Thank you and I look forward to seeing more of your information and learning more!
It is insightful and contains rational approaches to comestic formulations. I am thankful for your contribution.
Over the years I have knocked off several National Brand Equivalent formulas that wound up as generic products at national pharmacy chains (lip balms, analgesic creams, etc.). Whenever I read articles about Cosmetic Chemistry, I like to think I’m modest enough to admit that I will ALWAYS learn something new and thats what I love about this job, I’m always learning! With regard to Perry Romanowski’s “How to Knock-Off a Cosmetic Formula” I learned several useful nuggets of knowledge to apply to my everyday work. I found the report to be systematic in its approach to cosmetic formula duplication and very comprehensive in its scope. Where was this useful tool 10 years ago when i was just starting out?! For the informative guide, thank you Perry!
“How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” is a quite informative and useful.
Thank you.
Mr. Perry,
Thankyou for sending me useful information.
Actually, i am trying to produce face cream in the form of paste, based on herbal plants.
Honestly speaking,i am searching for mould control technique for paste type.
Currently, my product is stable in dry form,and practically can remove pimples,freckles and blackmoles. But difficult to use.
Anyway, your information is beneficial to me and looking forward to your reply.
Regards,
Dr. Phyu
Dr
I thought that this was a great insight to what a cosmetic chemists thinks about when evaluating the competition’s products and rebutting with a new product. Very helpful for beginners.
The articles are very useful
Actually I thought this report was lame. Telling us to read the ingredient list isn’t really particularly helpful.
Cosmetic chemistry was my third career. Most of this info I learned the hard way with a lot of time and effort. You have succeeded in producing a gem which should help out a lot of us out there who don’t have the benefit of a lot of expensive equipment. Thanks for spreading the wealth.
This was an interesting read. thanks for the information
Hi Perry,
Its very useful for new comer to the cosmetic industries.
Thank you for making the effort and for sharing your knowledge. Keep up the good work.
I enjoyed the content! I was thinking the approach was plenty sound!
Glossed over the color / stability a bit, but that’s probably in the ‘book’!
Formulating is a great art! and I think you touched on both the
technical and personal fulfillment aspects of it. Thanks for the web leads!
I Look fwd to more!
Yes, I feel that the book is a great tool to read if you are starting out . I will give a new formulator and idea and a model to go by. I feel that the book deserve a BIG + (PLUS).
I thought the information was very useful. For someone who is newer to cosmetic formulation and wanting to make products that stand out, it is a good idea to first understand what makes other products on the market so unique (from a formulators point of view not just from commercial claims). I think this information only adds creativity to the formulation and development process.
I thought it was interesting.
A well thought-out and comprehensible guide to duplicating a product which will be particularly useful to small manufacturers without a background in Chemistry. More of a problem for us, particularly those not US-based is sourcing the materials we need for dupeing.
How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product was a great starting point for anyone looking at formulating for the first time. It was a great read and quite informative.
I appreciated the honest, simple and practical approach to an often “cloudy” subject.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Perry!
The method is practical & useful.
Thank you this is not for me but i think it’s very good for a person who are interested in the cosmetics,
i am a chemist i love formulating perfume .i have master degree in chemical engineering , One of my goals is to discover ingredients that are capable of catching perfumers’ and brands’ interest, while at the same time fulfilling health and safety criteria and the capacity for long-term supply. All of that within the context of reconciling producers and consumers
Natural living has always suited me and the influences that are part of my life have evolved and strengthened with time. Even when I was little, I was always intrigued by nature, I believe that is what has driven and lead me to live the lifestyle which I enjoy so much today.
Thank you for the good work
It was a good and has many useful information. For an expeienced person like me it was very refreshing .
Hello
The report was well written and informative. Thank you.
I think this is the best and most educative way for beginning formulist to engage with products and to get the hang of formulating products.
Thanks Perry,
I enjoyed it very much.
I think the article was very basic and orientated for those who are beginning in this nice profession of formulating Cosmetics.
I thought this information was very helpful! I enjoyed it very much!
Some useful tips. Thanks!
I think this report would be very helpful to me, not only to duplicate, but also to understand how to develop a new formula.
Very informative for a beginner formulater. Orgenize well, clear and with lots of helpful directions.
I think the information was very helpful and very practical.
Thank you.
Dear Sir/Madam
This is great idea to develop the cosmetic formulation in duplicacy.Yes we can take guidence from the recipe printed on Wrappers and can be helpful.
Yes i will try to develop the same.
Hello,
I am not trying to duplicate cosmetics, so this was not any use to me. But I did read it and it was interesting.
Chrisitne.
A concise reference on “How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” as the report is aptly titled. Thank you for making the effort and for sharing your knowledge. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for resending the publication. I think it is a good basic procedure for “knocking off” a product. I appreciated the effort and hope more of these come in the future.
This report is a good primer for chemists with little cosmetic formulating experience. It is rudimentary, comprehensive and mirrors the logical approach that I have been successfully using for years.
helpful but nothing earth-shattering.
I Thought the “How to Knock off Any Cosmetic Product” report was quite informative and useful for those not so familiar with cosmetic formulations. For those of us who have been around for a long time it was refreshing to see that
there is an honest and informed approach to such matters in this current world of misinformation.