The SCC Midyear meeting is fast approaching. It’s scheduled for June 3-4 in Long Island, NY. It’s an excellent meeting for any cosmetic chemist to attend but if you are on the fence as to whether attend or not, here are a few reasons that might help convince you to attend.

Reasons to attend the mid year SCC meeting

1. Go for the talks. The line-up of speakers that have been arranged is top notch. They include people speaking on such topics as

• a. Green Chemistry – Sustainability, Natural formulations, etc.
• b. Hair formulation – Including a talk by Dr. Marsh who leads the industry in colored hair research.
• c. Formulating – Focusing on consumers, lip gloss and other makeup products
• d. Dermatology & Cosmetology – Speakers include Dr. Zoe Draelos, Dr. Vince Gruber, and other skin care researchers.

2. Go for the courses. Of course, you may want to just attend to go to the continuing education courses like the mini breakfast seminars on topics like sunscreen stability, skincare research, and color use in cosmetics. Then there is the Beginning Cosmetic Chemistry course taught by yours truly and a Formulating for naturals by Art Georgalas.

3. Go for the new ideas. If you are feeling like you’re in a rut as a formulator a meeting like this can do wonders for shaking up your brain. I get no less than a dozen good ideas while attending SCC mid-year meetings.

4. Go for the networking. It’s an excellent opportunity to meet and speak with cosmetic scientists around the country. See how they might be doing things different than you.

5. Go for the location. The meeting is just a short distance from Manhattan. If you’ve never visited New York City, well, that itself is a good enough reason to attend.

BONUS: Meet some of the people behind the Chemists Corner website and podcast. I’ll be there and there is also a chance that the coolest cosmetic chemist will also attend.

If you want to attend, just fill out this form and forward it to the National SCC office.

Are you attending the Mid-year SCC meeting? Why or why not? Leave a comment below.

Innovation from the cosmetic raw material companies always makes me smile. I remember when one particularly “innovative” company would come in for a visit and always show these incredible compounds with mind blowing claims. While I always admired their attempts there was a fundamental thing they did that I found troubling; they would blur the line between cosmetic claims and drug claims.

I still frequently see this with the way both cosmetics and cosmetic raw materials are marketed. So, I thought it would be helpful to go through what is a cosmetic.

What is a cosmetic?

Let me first apologize to our International readers. This article will focus mainly on the US market. However, many of the same principles apply.

According to the FDA a cosmetic is…

“articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled, or sprayed on, introduced into, or otherwise applied to the human body…for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering the appearance” [FD&C Act, sec. 201(i)]

And to distinguish cosmetics from drugs, the FDA further defines a drug as…

“articles intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease” and “articles (other than food) intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals” [FD&C Act, sec. 201(g)(1)].

What does this mean?

The key piece to consider is the part in the definition where it states “…articles intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man…”

So, when companies make claims like…

Ingredient will stimulate collagen production

Ingredient will inhibit the enzyme tyrosinase

Ingredient will prevent premature gray hair

…they are making DRUG claims, not COSMETIC claims. If you use these ingredients in your formulation with the intent that they are going to have the effects claimed, you are no longer making a cosmetic. You are formulating a drug that is regulated differently than cosmetics. (Mostly, it requires more testing and validation).

What is not a cosmetic?

So to simplify the difference between cosmetics and drugs think of it this way.

A cosmetic is a product that is designed to clean or alter the appearance of the skin and hair without affecting metabolic processes. Body wash, skin moisturizers, make-up, etc. are all cosmetics as long as they are not intended to ‘stimulate collagen production’ or otherwise interfere with natural body processes.

When is a cosmetic a drug?

There are some products that are both cosmetics and drugs. This would include products like anti-dandruff shampoos, toothpaste, antiperspirants, sunscreens and anti-acne treatments. These products have to comply with the rules governing both cosmetics and drugs.

Innovation in the cosmetic field is difficult because cosmetic chemists are restricted in what type of effect they can have on the body. If you have created a formula that affects the normal functioning of the body’s cells, then you are no longer formulating a cosmetic, it’s a drug. Until they change the rules, things called cosmecuticals are just marketing fluff.

The Internet is an excellent source for information, learning, and research. Unfortunately, it is not nicely organized and it can make you unproductive if you spend too much time trying to find the information. Here is a system I use to keep informed about the latest in cosmetic science using the minimum amount of time. If you follow a similar set-up you will be able to maximize the information you receive while minimizing the time it takes to get it.

Objective

Staying informed of important developments in the cosmetic industry.

Step 1: Create a homepage

The first thing to do is to create a homepage which is the first thing you see when you access the Internet. On the homepage, you’ll want to include only the most relevant information and links. There are many different options but we suggest you use iGoogle as your homepage. It’s easy to set up and best of all, it’s free!

Step 2: Find websites to follow

In the old days you used to have to go to websites to see their new content. Today, the websites will send links to their new content to you. This is much more efficient for you because you will only have to go to a page specifically to see information you want.

So, what sites are the best to follow for a cosmetic chemist? Follow these and you’ll be off to a great start.

List of sites to follow
1. Cosmetic Industry news
Cosmetic World
C&T
GCI
Happi
Perfume and Flavorist
Cosmetic Design EU
Cosmetic Design
Cosmetic Business
Specialchem 4 Cosmetics

2. Beauty Blogs
The Beauty Brains
Total Beauty Blogs
Splendicity
Glam Network beauty blogs
Beauty Blog Network
Alltop Beauty

3. Science sites
Science Daily
Eurekalerts
New Scientist
Science blogs
eScience News

4. Innovation blogs
Innovation Tools
Killer Innovations
Idea Connection
Opine Consulting

And you can find other blogs of interest by using either of these sites.
Technorati
Blog Search

Step 3: Subscribe to relevant websites

The way to follow websites is to click on their RSS feed and add it to your Google Reader page. There are other RSS reader applications but Google is by far the easiest to incorporate into your home page. The RSS is the little button in the address bar that looks like this. (See the top of your browser).

When you click on the orange button it will take you to a page asking if you want to subscribe through your reader or your home page. I suggest adding the website to your reader for most sites. For websites you want to read every day, you should add it to your home page.

Step 4: Scan your feed reader daily

Now that you are subscribed, you should check your feed headlines. Most sites update once a day so checking your feed daily makes sense. This doesn’t mean you have to read every article every day, it just means you should spend some time checking your feed to see if there is some relevant information that will help you do your job better. Checking your feed for 30 min to an hour at the end of the day is a strategy that has been successful for me.

Step 5: Read or tag articles to read later

Just setting up the system is not helpful if you don’t use it. So, when you do your daily check of your feeds be sure to read headlines that you find most relevant. Scanning articles is helpful here too. Another trick is to use bookmarking to tag articles you want to read later.

If you want to be an informed cosmetic scientist who knows the latest happenings in the world of cosmetic science and the cosmetic industry, there is no better way to accomplish this than by following and reading the feeds of relevant websites.

Good luck.

After months of planning, writing and recording, we’re
almost ready to begin our new online cosmetic science
training program.

We’re not quite ready to start, but space will be limited
so I wanted people who are most interested to get on the
list for early notification of the course’s launch date.

See this webpage, watch the video that explains the
new course, then put in your sign-in information.

The Complete Cosmetic Chemist

In the next week, we’ll send out some more information
explaining more details about the course and how it will work.

There is nothing else like this online course and it is designed
to fill a need that isn’t already covered by the SCC or
university programs.

I look forward to working with you.

Perry, 44

PS.  If you have any questions about the program, leave a comment below.

Many people have asked about whether they should get an advanced degree in cosmetic science. Well, in today’s show we interview one of the instructors at the Fairleigh Dickinson University cosmetic science program, Steve Herman.

Show notes:

1. News
New acne technology that kills bacteria using gold & lactic acid ‘nano-bombs’.

2. Cosmetic Science Jobs
We discuss the different types of jobs you might get as a cosmetic chemist. This is related to a blog post we did about chemist careers.

3. Interview with Steve Herman
Steve Herman is an adjunct professor in the FDU Masters in Cosmetic Science program and has been since 1993. He is also a regular columnist at GCI magazine and has written the book ‘Fragrance Applications: A Survival Guide’. He has over 30 years of experience in the cosmetic and fragrance industry.

You can contact Steve through his website www.stephen-herman.com

If you have a question, comment or other suggestion about the podcast, leave a message in the space below.

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.

Specialchem4cosmetics.com has an upcoming online course on emulsions. I’m going to do a review after I take the course but if you are interested in signing up, here is the information. It promises to be a useful course for any cosmetic chemist.

This week there is an the upcoming e-Training Course on Emulsion Stability in Practice. Register now!

Attend this online course to better understand emulsion science and how ingredients impact product stability. It will enable you to implement effective prevention measures and solve faster instability issues (flocculation, Ostwald ripening, coalescence…).
Practical case studies on silicone emulsions and double emulsions will also be presented.

Course Objective: Help experienced formulators strengthen their ability to develop faster stable emulsions. In the light of every day practice, the following will be discussed: • Emulsion science in very accessible terms • Major instability factors • Impact of ingredients on overall stability Date: Thursday April 15, 2010 Time: 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET   Check your local time Course Details & Attendance Benefits

Covered sections:
1. Main factors ruling emulsion technology:
Bancroft rule, Interaction energies forces between droplets, HLB
2. Major instability mechanism and prevention measures:
Gravitational instability, Flocculation, Ostwald ripening, Coalescence
3. Particular cases of silicone emulsions and double emulsions
4. Role of polymeric surfactants in emulsion stabilization – examples
See Detailed Outline

Featuring Independent Speaker: Isabelle Afriat
With over 20 years of experience in cosmetics international companies like L’Oreal, Estee Lauder NY and Helena Rubinstein Laboratories, Isabelle Afriat is an independant consultant specialized in product development for the cosmetic industry.

In the United States (and most other places around the world), beauty product manufacturers are required to list the ingredients used to make their products in a specific way. The current guidelines can be found on the FDA website here – FDA Cosmetic Labeling.

Since it isn’t a terribly interesting read, we’ll try to summarize the key points here. We’ll also explain to you how ingredient listings can be useful to cosmetic formulators.

Cosmetic Ingredient names

We previously wrote about how cosmetic ingredients get their names so go read that for more details. Basically, the names come from the INCI Dictionary. These are the names that are supposed to be used by everyone although some manufacturers might take liberty with their labels and include inappropriate terms (e.g. ‘purified’ water)

Order of listing

In this post on how to label cosmetics, we gave an explanation of the rules in which ingredients are supposed to be listed. Essentially, things in concentration above 1% are supposed to be listed in order of concentration and things at 1% or lower can be listed in any order. Colors are supposed to be listed at the end.

Where to find cosmetic ingredient names

When you are working with a raw material, the supplier will have the INCI name listed in the specification sheet. Often, raw materials are made up of multiple compounds so there will be a listing of multiple INCI names. To create the correct ingredient list, you have to know the % of each compound in the raw material. This can get complicated and we’ll save the topic for another time.

Sometimes the INCI names are pending (if it’s a new material) but you should generally avoid working with raw materials that don’t already have an INCI designation.

If you are searching for a raw material, a nice, free way to find them is via the INCI directory. This excellent resource was created by Specialchem4cosmetics.com and is really helpful.

Where to find ingredient lists

Now that you know how to decipher raw material lists, you need to get some so you can start using them. Of course, an obvious place to get ingredient lists is to go to the store and get products. They should be listed there right on the back of any personal care and cosmetic product.

But going to the store can be inconvenient and you can often get ingredient lists just by searching the Internet. Two excellent sources of cosmetic ingredient lists is Drugstore.com and Ulta.com. The best thing about these sources is that they also include the cosmetic claims which can also be helpful.

How to use ingredient lists

Alright, now you have an ingredient list and understand what it means, you might be wondering, so what? Good question.

Here are a few things that I’ve used ingredient lists for as a cosmetic chemist.

1. For copying competitor’s formulas – Copying (or knocking off) a competitive formula is a great exercise for any new cosmetic chemist. It gives you a great sense of what the raw materials do, which ones are important, and how they affect different performance characteristics. There is no better teacher than going through the trial and error process of copying a formula from an ingredient list.

Remember to use the few clues that you have. For example, identify the probable 1% line, do a % solids test to figure out how much water is in the formula, and take pH and viscosity readings to figure out your targets. Then make some prototypes and see how close you can get.

2. For new product ideas – Marketers are always looking for new ingredients so whenever you come upon a novel ingredient, write it down, learn about it and pitch it at the next new product meeting if you wish.

3. To learn new ingredients – Whenever you see an ingredient you don’t know, take the time to look it up. Figure out why it might be in the formula. This way you can use ingredient lists as a way to help build your cosmetic science vocabulary. When you were learning to read they told you whenever you read a word you didn’t know the meaning of you should look it up in the dictionary. Well, whenever you see a raw material you don’t know, look it up in the INCI dictionary.

Have you found useful ways to use ingredient listings? Leave a comment below and let everyone know.

I received the following question and it’s a pretty common situation that most new science majors will find themselves in.

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!

It’s the latest episode of the Chemists Corner podcast. Please have a listen and let us know what you think.

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.

One of my favorite times when training new cosmetic chemists is the moment they learn that many of the ingredients cosmetic companies put in their formulas are added for reasons other than their direct function. The look of puzzled enlightenment when they realize that the beauty product marketing they’ve accepted thus far is exaggeration is…well…priceless.

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.