Basic cosmetic science from the ACS

If you were a chemistry major in college, you undoubtedly heard of the American Chemical Society (ACS). It’s one of the oldest professional societies in the country.

They produce a magazine called Chemical and Engineering News and in one of their sections, they do a feature called What’s That Stuff. It outlines the chemistry of common consumer products.

Here is a list of the ones they’ve done about cosmetics.

Shampoo

Lipstick

Hair coloring

Self Tanners

Fluoride toothpaste

Sunscreens

Teeth Whiteners

Henna Tattoos

Nail Polish

Note, these articles were written by a non-cosmetic chemist so they have a slightly different perspective than you would get from us here at Chemists Corner.

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