Do cosmetic products really work?
On my beauty science podcast we frequently get asked about whether this or that product works. And more often than not the answer is “maybe,…
Cosmetic brand transparency - More marketing fluff?
The other day a reporter contacted me about a story related to a new brand that was highlighting their clinical results right on the front…
Misunderstood motivations of big cosmetic companies
There is a lot of misinformation posted about beauty products on the Internet. For consumers this is a big problem because it causes them to…
Places to find ingredient lists for cosmetics
In the days before the Internet became what it is now, it was tough to find lists of ingredients. Even back then analyzing cosmetic ingredient…
Cosmetic product analysis - How do you do it?
Someone wrote in and asked the following. “If you were given a formulated scrub containing pulverized avocado seed/peel. What steps would you take to evaluated…
Why natural cosmetics aren’t better
It’s easy to find people claiming on the Internet that natural cosmetics or natural skin care is better than synthetics. These claims are inherently believable…
Cosmetic innovation challenges - Is there innovation in cosmetic science?
Every year, many of the magazines and websites dedicated to the cosmetic industry publish their lists of cosmetic innovations or trends that will affect formulating.…
Cosmetic science - why isn’t there more research?
I was having a discussion on a recently developed Discord channel about cosmetic science and people were lamenting the fact that there were not very…
How to analyze a cosmetic ingredient list
An important skill for every budding cosmetic chemist or formulator to develop is the ability to analyze a cosmetic ingredient list. By honing this skill…
Herbal Extracts in Cosmetic Formulating - A reality check
There has been much written about the benefits of herbal and plant extracts in cosmetic products. You can find entire books like this one and…
Challenges of being a cosmetic chemist
Most scientists who end up in the cosmetic industry didn’t plan it that way. While there are now college and university cosmetic science programs, the…
The Colorful History of Synthetic Organic Pigments Used in Color Cosmetics
Azo chemistry is one of the most widely used methods of making synthetic dyes and pigments. The term azo refers to a nitrogen double bond…
The Challenges of formulating natural cosmetics
Clean Beauty is all the rage these days and it can be directly related to the difficulties in formulating natural cosmetics. Although there are not…
Cruelty Free Cosmetics - Are they really free from cruelty?
Hello and welcome to Hot Topics from Chemists Corner, the show where I pick some topic about the cosmetic industry that caught my eye and…
Fragrance Loophole Fears Are Unfounded
A common claim I see about cosmetics and fragrances in particular is that there is a “fragrance loophole” that allows cosmetic companies to fill their…
The Problem With Cosmetic Ingredient Research
I was scanning through the various science magazines I follow and stumbled on this interesting article about a couple of essential oils and their effect…
What Silicones Are In Cosmetics
Silicones are definitely controversial ingredients in cosmetic products. The misinformed reasons people suggest avoiding them include things like being unsafe for the environment, causing acne,…
Cosmetic Regulations Around The World
It has never been easier than it is now to create your own cosmetics for personal use and for sale. The Internet has made it…
What is the best preservative to use?
One of the most common questions we get here on Chemists Corner about formulating is what is the best cosmetic preservative to use. Before I…
Lotion Serum Cream - What do they mean
Formulating cosmetics can be challenging, but convincing people to buy products can be even harder. The biggest challenge in getting consumers to pick your product…