What is cosmetic chemistry?

Cosmetic chemistry is the science of creating and formulating personal care products, cosmetics, and beauty items. It involves understanding how different chemical ingredients interact to create safe, effective, and stable products.

How do I become a cosmetic chemist?

A background in chemistry or a related science field is typical. Chemists Corner offers online courses, resources, and a community to help aspiring cosmetic chemists learn formulation skills and break into the cosmetic industry.

Do I need a degree to create cosmetic formulations?

While a formal degree in chemistry or chemical engineering is helpful, it is not always required. Many successful formulators have learned through hands-on experience and dedicated courses like those offered by Chemists Corner.

Formulating

309 articles about formulating for cosmetic chemists.

What Cosmetic Chemists Should Know About Natural and Clean Beauty

Natural and clean beauty are everywhere—but are they really safer or better? A cosmetic chemist breaks down the challenges of formulating “natural” products and how the industry has responded.

S. Romanowski•Jul 7, 2025•5 min

Should You Formulate a Scalp Serum? A Look at the Science

Scalp serums promise thicker, healthier hair—but how much of it is marketing? A cosmetic scientist examines the claims, ingredients, and the real science behind scalp care.

S. Romanowski•Jun 11, 2025•5 min

How to Read a Raw Material Specification Sheet

A step-by-step guide to reading a raw material specification sheet, so you can make smarter decisions in cosmetic formulation.

S. Romanowski•Jun 9, 2025•5 min

Formulator's Guide to Contacting Ingredient Suppliers

Save time and build better supplier relationships by preparing key information and questions before you reach out. Here's what every formulator should know.

S. Romanowski•Jun 5, 2025•5 min

What to Know About Preservatives in Cosmetic Formulas

Learn the real science behind cosmetic preservatives including myths, use levels, and how to build an effective, safe preservation system.

S. Romanowski•Jun 3, 2025•5 min

Cutting Through The Confusion Between Natural and Synthetic Cosmetic Ingredients

A science-based breakdown of natural vs. synthetic cosmetic ingredients and why the distinction matters less than function, safety, and performance.

S. Romanowski•May 14, 2025•5 min

What Ingredient Lists Don’t Tell You

Cosmetic ingredient lists may look transparent, but they often hide critical information about concentration, function, and formulation strategy.

S. Romanowski•May 12, 2025•5 min

Why Understanding Raw Materials Improves Your Formulas

Knowing your cosmetic raw materials is essential to creating stable, effective, and innovative formulas and here’s why ingredient knowledge matters.

S. Romanowski•May 9, 2025•5 min

The 3 Types of Cosmetic Raw Materials You Need to Know

Discover the three fundamental types of cosmetic ingredients—functional, aesthetic modifiers and claims and how they shape your formulation decisions.

S. Romanowski•May 7, 2025•5 min

AI Cosmetic Formulation - A cosmetic chemists guide

AI cosmetic formulation tools are coming and will impact cosmetic chemists and beauty product formulators. Here's how they will be used

Perry Romanowski•Jan 5, 2024•5 min

Pixi Glycolic Body Wash - Formula Review

This post breaks down the formula and gives the purpose of the ingredients in the Pixi Glycolic Body Wash product.

S. Romanowski•Jun 28, 2022•5 min

Clinique Cleansing Balm - Formula Review

This post breaks down the formula and gives the purpose of the ingredients in the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm product.

S. Romanowski•Jun 23, 2022•5 min

Solving cosmetic formulation problems

One the cosmetic science formulation forum we often get people looking for advice on how to improve their formulas. While each question and formulation is a little different, there is one thing nearly...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 20, 2022•5 min

Why companies might change a product formula

There are a few reasons why brands would change a formula. And these changes are often what you will be working on as a new cosmetic chemist.

Perry Romanowski•Mar 21, 2022•5 min

Why beauty products are going waterless

Waterless cosmetic products have a few advantages which makes them appeal to natural and green seeking consumers. But there are downsides

Perry Romanowski•Dec 1, 2021•5 min

What conditioner ingredients work the best?

The chemistry involved in how a hair conditioner works is interesting and we explore why some conditioning agents work better on different hair types

Perry Romanowski•Mar 17, 2021•5 min

Places to find ingredient lists for cosmetics

Cosmetic product ingredient lists - some of the best sources for formulators to find beauty product list of ingredients. With reliability ratings.

Perry Romanowski•Jan 25, 2021•5 min

Cosmetic product analysis - How do you do it?

A skill all cosmetic chemists and formulators need to learn is analyzing a competitive product. Here are 5 steps to do just that.

Perry Romanowski•Jan 22, 2021•5 min

How to analyze a cosmetic ingredient list

Learning to analyze a cosmetic ingredient list is a crucial skill for you to learn if you want to be a competent cosmetic formulator. Follow the steps outlined here, practice on existing ingredient lists, and start developing a sense of what raw materials are important and which are just marketing fluff.

Perry Romanowski•Jan 5, 2021•5 min

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 within the molecule. The discovery of nitrogen is attributed t...

S. Romanowski•May 15, 2019•5 min

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 actually any cosmetics that I would consider natural...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 15, 2019•5 min

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 give my 2 cents. Today’s topic…Cruelty Free Cosmetics. I’ve se...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 19, 2018•5 min

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 on skin. The researchers looked at geranium and...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 26, 2018•5 min

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, interf...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 25, 2018•5 min

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 go into a long explanation about how this is a complicated...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 12, 2018•5 min

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 is the fact that from a technology s...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 5, 2018•5 min

Cosmetic Ingredients to Avoid when formulating

It's getting harder to be a cosmetic formulator these days. It used to be you could mix together any reasonable ingredients to get the performance you wanted and everyone was fine with it. Formulators...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 3, 2018•5 min

Expiration Date of a Cosmetic Formula

One of the more frequent questions received here at Chemists Corner is about the expiration date of products. Formulators, and beauty product consumers alike, want to know how long a formula will last...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 2, 2018•5 min

Creating a cosmetic - what is a concept

Learning the chemistry of cosmetics and how to formulate products is not actually the first step required in making a cosmetic product. The first thing you have to do is to create a concept. Once you'...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 27, 2018•5 min

Cosmetic testing - in vitro - in vivo - ex vivo - and more

When evaluating cosmetic products there are some terms you'll here in reference to specific types of testing. These include in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo. If you have a background in science you may...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 26, 2018•5 min

Should you learn to make cosmetics?

I've been a cosmetic chemist for over 25 years and have come to love the process of creating personal care and beauty products. It appeals to my interest in science, it lets me invent things, it leads...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 25, 2018•5 min

New formulation club by the in-cosmetics Group announced

This may be useful for all the cosmetic formulators out there. 24 May 2018 - Its events are a trusted source of formulation know-how for thousands of R&D professionals around the world, and today the...

Perry Romanowski•May 24, 2018•5 min

How Shampoos Are Made

In this cosmetic formulation series we will go through the various cosmetic & personal care formula types and describe what they are, what raw materials are in them and how they are manufactured. Sinc...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 17, 2018•5 min

Color Selection for Cosmetics and Personal Care Products

Part 1: Stability of Certified Colors An important consideration in the color additive selection process is stability. Once the regulatory requirements for the market(s) where a cosmetic or toiletry p...

S. Romanowski•Apr 3, 2018•5 min

Find a cosmetic chemist for your product idea

One of the most common questions we get here on Chemists Corner is someone asking for help to find a cosmetic chemist. Unfortunately, the majority of people who have expertise in developing cosmetics...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 2, 2018•5 min

Cosmetic Science - What is it?

Simply put, cosmetic science is the area of study focused on the development of products designed to improve the look and feel of skin, hair, nails and other surfaces of the body. The subject of cosme...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 5, 2018•5 min

Basic cosmetic chemistry course

When you study chemistry in college, they don't spend much time teaching you what to do with your degree after you get out. In reality, you learn basic chemistry and some advance concepts in the subje...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 5, 2018•5 min

Why are some cosmetic ingredients added hot and others added cold

Formulating cosmetics can be a lot like cooking. And just like when you are making lunch or dinner, some dishes and cosmetic formulas must be heated and others can be mixed at room temperature. Here a...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 30, 2018•5 min

Why are some oils solid while others are liquid?

Fats, oils, waxes and butters are natural materials that find use in improving the look and feel of skin and hair. They can provide shine, smoothness, supple feel, slip, and aid in combating the negat...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 29, 2018•5 min

Vitamin E is not a preservative - and other cosmetic preservation misconceptions

Somehow there developed this idea on the Internet that Vitamin E is a cosmetic preservative. It's not. Vitamin E is not a preservative ! If you put vitamin E in your formula, you are not preserving it...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 18, 2018•5 min

Exercise your way to younger looking skin

Here’s a study which shows that you may not have to spend a lot of money on expensive facial creams to make yourself look younger. Instead, you may be able to exercise the wrinkles off your face. Rese...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 16, 2018•5 min

Should you be worried about asbestos in your cosmetics?

According to a story in Happi the cosmetic retailer Claire’s has had to recall a number of its cosmetic products because they are thought to be contaminated with asbestos. It seems that a worker at a...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 15, 2018•5 min

Why cosmetic ingredients with the same name aren't always the same

When you learn chemistry in school, they teach you the molecular structure of materials and the chemical and physical characteristics of the compound. It's easy to get the impression that the world is...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 10, 2018•5 min

in-Cosmetics Global in Amsterdam to home in on R&D

The leading personal care ingredients event reveals a focus on R&D at its Global event in The Netherlands from 17-19 April 2018 The ever-evolving personal care industry changes radically from one year...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 20, 2017•5 min

5 Reasons Sulfate-Free Products Exist

Have you ever wondered why companies sell sulfate free products? If there is some safety issue with sulfates, why do companies continue to sell those products? Why would L'Oreal sell a sulfate free sh...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 3, 2017•5 min

To start a cosmetic lab you need Lab Supplies

Here's the next article in our series about starting a cosmetic lab . Here is the basic equipment you'll need. Containers Weighing equipment Mixers Heating & Cooling equipment Lab supplies Testing equ...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 5, 2017•5 min

Things to know about starting an organic or natural cosmetic line

I frequently get requests here on Chemists Corner from people who want to start their own organic skin care line or their own natural cosmetics line. Sometimes they want to know how to make it themsel...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 22, 2017•5 min

How to set up a cosmetic lab - containers

When you are hired on as a cosmetic chemist out of college you typically will start in a lab that is already equipped with all the things you'll need to make cosmetic products. This is one of the big...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 12, 2017•5 min

What are surfactants? A Formulators Guide

Of all the ingredients you could use to formulate cosmetics , surfactants are perhaps the most important. They are used for a wide range of applications such as cleaning surfaces, delivering condition...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 20, 2017•5 min

Formula adjustment ingredients for cosmetics

When creating cosmetic products in a lab it is easy to have control over the final characteristics of your formula. Under this setting you get the maximum control over everything such as mixing condit...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 7, 2017•5 min

Optimizing cosmetic formulas - part 2

In the previous post in this formula optimization series we covered the basic process of optimization and also the things you could optimize and how to measure them. In this post we'll cover some of t...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 28, 2017•5 min

Cosmetic Formula Optimization - part 1

As a formulator one of your main tasks will be to come up with the recipes for the various products that your company sells. But even after the product is launched your work on the formula is not comp...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 27, 2017•5 min

What is an emulsion? Back to Basics

You may have heard the term emulsion, but still don't quite understand what it means, especially if you are not a chemist. Well, I thought we go back to basics and take a simple look at emulsions. Wha...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 24, 2017•5 min

How to formulate nutricosmetics

As a cosmetic formulator, you are expected to know how to formulate any cosmetic product. But these days the definition of what is a cosmetic product is expanding. Now, brands are launching nutricosme...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 22, 2017•5 min

How to make cosmetic formulations - a complete overview

When you get out of college and start your new formulation job in the cosmetic industry, you will quickly learn that not much of what you learned in your Chemistry courses applies to cosmetic science...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 21, 2017•5 min

Should you use a blend for your cosmetic formulation?

The primary job of a cosmetic formulator, namely creating cosmetic products, can be challenging. That's mainly because you are trying to achieve a number of goals with every formula you make. Each for...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 20, 2017•5 min

In-cosmetics Global 2017 focused on Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence

As Euromonitor International hails UK consumers among the biggest beauty and personal care spenders in Western Europe, the stage is set for in-cosmetics Global as it returns to London for the first ti...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 3, 2017•5 min

Cosmeceuticals in cosmetics

A reader asked me why there weren't more high performance cosmeceutical ingredients in cosmetics. I think there are a few reasons you don't see many of them used. 1. Cosmeceutical claims are limited....

Perry Romanowski•Jan 3, 2017•5 min

What is an active ingredient in cosmetics

I was recently asked this question by a reader, what is an active ingredient? You hear this term a lot in cosmetic marketing. And according to this article in Happi.com you can't have a successful ski...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 15, 2016•5 min

Cosmetic ingredient expiration dates

Cosmetic ingredients often have an expiration date but what do they really mean? Typically, it just means the raw material specifications

Perry Romanowski•Sep 26, 2016•5 min

8 ways to reduce your cosmetic formula cost

When I got my first formulation job, I was hired as a “cost savings” chemist. This meant it was my job to identify ways to reduce the costs of our formulas. It wasn’t a particularly glamorous job but...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 12, 2016•5 min

Natural Colors in Cosmetics

Many consumers desire natural cosmetics. While some countries, including the US and EU, have natural colors in their positive lists these color leave a lot to be desired in terms of color properties a...

S. Romanowski•Aug 29, 2016•5 min

Cosmetic Formulating - How much of an ingredient should you use?

As a formulator one of the hardest things to do is to create new formulas from scratch. This is because formulations are a mixture of chemicals and it is extremely difficult to predict what will happe...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 15, 2016•5 min

In-cosmetics returns to Korea to showcase next generation of cosmetics

In-cosmetics Korea , Coex Hall B, 159 Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-731, Korea, 6-7 July 2016 In-cosmetics returns for its second exhibition in Korea from 6-7 July 2016 . The free-to-attend eve...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 21, 2016•5 min

Where to get raw materials for making cosmetics

When I was working for a company it was pretty easy to get the raw materials I needed for making cosmetic formulas. I would just look up a raw material, contact the sales person I knew from the compan...

Perry Romanowski•May 12, 2016•5 min

World Perfumery Congress is coming

World Perfumery Congress returns to the US in 2016 World Perfumery Congress, 13-15 June 2016, Fontainebleau Resort, Miami Beach, Florida The organizers of the biennial World Perfumery Congress (WPC) h...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 7, 2016•5 min

Cosmetic Preservation - What’s In a Name?

What’s in a name, the preservation name? Whether it's Montague or Capulet….love or scorn…parabens or not? Brands, marketers and formulators find themselves in a quandary of hearsay to balance consumer...

S. Romanowski•Mar 7, 2016•5 min

Should you formulate with essential oils

Here was a question sent in by our readers about formulating with essential oils. I'm not a chemist but I have been formulating cosmetic products for my wife for a short time and have been getting a l...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 30, 2015•5 min

Using Extracts in Cosmetic Formulas

On a Facebook page that I participate in someone there was a discussion about extracts in cosmetics and someone posed the question "Do a significant number of cosmetic chemists and formulators really...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 23, 2015•5 min

Start with simple cosmetic formulas

On the forum there was a question about a shampoo formula and how to make it more conditioning . The question is a good one because it helps illustrate a point that many formulators miss. When you are...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 7, 2015•5 min

Functional raw materials in the cosmetic industry

We’ve previously discussed cosmetic raw materials on this website and have even come up with a classification system which demonstrates that there are only 3 types of cosmetic raw materials including...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 3, 2015•5 min

In-Cosmetics Brazil 2015 begins September 1st

The 2015 in-cosmetics Brasil fair set to feature many novelties and innovative educational content in-cosmetics, Brasil 30 September -1 October , Expo Center Norte, Säo Paulo, Brasil The second editio...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 30, 2015•5 min

3 Ways to Make Surfactant Free Emulsions

Emulsifiers are great for keeping mixtures of oil and water together but they do have a number of downsides that has prompted researchers to look for alternatives. Some of the problems include skin ir...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 21, 2015•5 min

How to be a Complete Cosmetic Chemist

To be a complete cosmetic chemist you need to have a wide range of knowledge and skills not taught in college. Here are the 5 main areas you need to develop to excel in a cosmetic science career. Cosm...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 10, 2015•5 min

When do you need to add a cosmetic preservative

Join the Cosmetic Preservative Webinar Featuring cosmetic preservative expert Dene Godfrey Learn About Preservatives What is it? We're hosting for a limited time a webinar by cosmetic preservative exp...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 8, 2015•5 min

What is the best ingredient to use?

On a few occasions we've gotten a question that goes something like this.... "What is the best preservative to use?" or "What is the best ingredient I can use for moisturizing?" A question like this i...

Perry Romanowski•May 21, 2015•5 min

Does alcohol cause skin irritation?

I recently received an email asking me about why a company would include alcohol (denatured) in their skin care formulas. They were under the impression that alcohol caused skin irritation. They are n...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 22, 2015•5 min

5 Steps For Getting Replacement Raw Materials

There are a number of reasons why you might want to find a replacement for a raw material you currently using. It could be because the supplier can't get you the ingredient, you can save money on your...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 9, 2015•5 min

Which cosmetic ingredients are animal derived?

When the INCI Dictionary was first published there were about 2000 cosmetic ingredients listed. The latest edition has over 14,000 ingredients. Hundreds of new raw materials are added to the INCI dict...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 7, 2015•5 min

Types of Peptides in Cosmetics

There are a number of types of ingredients offered to formulators as "active ingredients." You can find molecules claimed to boost collagen production, turn off melanocytes, and even grow hair. In rea...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 6, 2015•5 min

5 Things That Cosmetics Can Do

While there are hundreds of types of cosmetics and thousands of cosmetic brands, there are really only 5 things that cosmetics do. If you want to be a well-rounded cosmetic formulator you should be fa...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 10, 2015•5 min

What to ask about your new cosmetic raw material

At some point in your cosmetic chemistry career, if you haven’t already, you’ll be introduced to new ingredients. The supplier will probably furnish you with a few studies that have been run on why sa...

S. Romanowski•Mar 10, 2015•5 min

Why formulators should pay attention to beauty bloggers

In the cosmetic industry beauty bloggers seem to be gaining in their influence and big brands are beginning to take them more seriously. This is good for beauty bloggers and the brands they like but i...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 23, 2015•5 min

What is Polyquaternium?

This is a post by Nitesh Rajput A product is considered to be a conditioner if it improves the quality of the surface to which it is applied, particularly if this improvement involves the correction o...

S. Romanowski•Feb 20, 2015•5 min

Types of Water Used in Cosmetic Formulating

There are a wide variety of water types that you might use for creating a cosmetic or personal care formula. Here are the differences

Perry Romanowski•Feb 11, 2015•5 min

Controlling Cosmetic Product Quality

A question was posed to us recently about creating consistent cosmetic products and formulations. Basically, the reader wanted to know how you do it. The answer is probably the same whether you are ma...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 22, 2015•5 min

Figuring out the 1% line

A fun activity for any cosmetic chemist is to look at a list of ingredients (LOI) and try to determine where is the 1% line. If you don't know the 1% line refers to the place in the LOI which indicate...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 21, 2015•5 min

What are cosmetic product specifications?

When you create a formula in the lab it's rather easy to create batches that are consistently the same in terms of their physical and chemical characteristics. This is because you use sensitive balanc...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 20, 2015•5 min

Surfactants - Does the counterion matter?

There was an interesting discussion on LinkedIn about whether Magnesium Laureth Sulfate was more gentle than Sodium Laureth Sulfate. It's a pretty good question and I'm not really sure about the answe...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 19, 2015•5 min

So you want to formulate sulfate free?

Somewhere along the line surfactants which contain the name “sulfate” got a bad name. It’s difficult to say exactly how this negative reputation was developed but I suspect it was the result of a clev...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 16, 2015•5 min

Cosmetic Formulating - Working with Base Formulas

When you start out as a cosmetic formulator you will not be asked to come up with your own formulas. There may be some exceptions at small companies or contract manufacturers but at companies that hav...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 12, 2015•5 min

The Three Types of Cosmetic Raw Materials

Did you know that there are only 3 main categories of cosmetic raw materials? Really all of the ingredients used in cosmetics can be put into one of these three categories: Functional Aesthetic Modifi...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 9, 2015•5 min

Where to find the list of ingredients for a cosmetic

It's a requirement in the United States and around most places in the world that cosmetic products have their ingredients listed on their label. We've previously written about cosmetic product labelin...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 8, 2015•5 min

Thickening cosmetic products

Here's a pretty good article which outlines the different methods for thickening cosmetic formulas. Cosmetic product thickening In the future we'll do a more in-depth thickening article but that will...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 7, 2015•5 min

Why Cosmetic Chemists Must Remain Skeptical

In a recent discussion on our cosmetic science forum about functional cosmetic ingredients a commenter complained that my positions were too demoralizing. I suspect my skepticism about the effectivene...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 22, 2014•5 min

What does Natural Cosmetics mean to consumers?

Many cosmetic entrepreneurs are interested in producing all natural and organic cosmetics. We frequently get emails here on Chemists Corner that say something like “I want to make a natural and organi...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 25, 2014•5 min

Proper Preservation for your Cosmetic Formulation

There have been a few stories in the news recently about product recalls due to bacterial or microbial contamination of cosmetic products. This one about baby wipes that have been recalled is an examp...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 29, 2014•5 min

Cosmetics are not a consumer danger in the US but dietary supplements are

As a cosmetic formulator I’m often annoyed by chemical fear mongering of NGOs and other non-scientists who claim that cosmetics represent a significant health concern. The reality is that there is no...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 27, 2014•5 min

Cosmetic delivery system of the future

Are nanoparticles the cosmetic delivery system of the future? They may be if this research can ever be completed and commercialized. According to scientists at the University of Southampton, they have...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 22, 2014•5 min

Becoming an excellent cosmetic formulator

I saw this infographic titled “how to excel as a formulator” which lists 9 things you need to achieve that goal. The 9 tips from George Deckner are great but they could use some expansion. Unfortunate...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 17, 2014•5 min

The hardest things a cosmetic chemist has to do

There are some aspects of cosmetic chemistry that are easy but there are others that can be a but difficult. This list refers to the latter. 1. Generating new product ideas. There's a reason that cosm...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 25, 2014•5 min

9 Topical Cosmetic Compounds That Work

Last weekend I had the opportunity to speak at the Face and Body show in San Jose. It was a great show and I was happy to have such an attentive audience. The attendees were primarily estheticians fro...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 3, 2014•5 min

Strategies for formulating green products

Previously, we talked about how sustainability will effect the formulating efforts of cosmetic chemists. In this article, we'll discuss some of the different formulation strategies you might use to im...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 26, 2014•5 min

7 Tricks for Saving a Bad Body Wash Batch

This will happen to you at some point in your career as a cosmetic chemist. You'll either get a call from the QA people telling you a batch is "out of spec" or the huge batch you made for a consumer t...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 20, 2014•5 min

How to Decipher Cosmetic Claims - Hair Conditioner

In the United States cosmetic companies are not prevented from making almost any claim they want. However, there is a significant rule they must follow. "You can not make false claims" While small cos...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 19, 2014•5 min

How do you know if a cosmetic raw material works?

I saw a science article that indicated in a mouse study that a compound in apple peals (ursolic acid) was good for helping build muscles. After I "tweeted" this fact, one of my followers responded tha...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 18, 2014•5 min

Thickening Agents for Cosmetic Formulations

One of the requirements of most cosmetic products is that they have an appealing rheology. This means that you as a cosmetic formulator you are going to understand cosmetic thickeners in order to cont...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 16, 2014•5 min

Essential Cosmetic Lab Equipment

If you want to be a cosmetic chemist and make cosmetic products, there is certain essential equipment that you'll need to get. Here is a list of the basic equipment for setting up a cosmetic lab. Basi...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 3, 2014•5 min

How to Determine Cost of a Formulation

Here is a short cosmetic science tutorial video we made that shows you exactly how to go about figuring out the costs of a cosmetic formulation. If you find it helpful, you can use the following sprea...

Perry Romanowski•May 22, 2014•5 min

A Cosmetic Chemists Guide to Ingredient Lists

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 c...

Perry Romanowski•May 19, 2014•5 min

How Cosmetic Claims Can be Used to Make You a Better Cosmetic Chemist

As a cosmetic chemist , you should always keep an eye on products and try to figure out what other people in the industry are doing. One of the best ways to do this is to review their product claims,...

Perry Romanowski•May 8, 2014•5 min

A great online community where you can engage consumers

I'm sure Perry has already told you this but as a cosmetic scientist it's important for you to know your consumer. One way to understand the wants and needs of consumers is to tap into questions they...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 18, 2014•5 min

What Makes one Cosmetic Ingredient Better than another?

As a cosmetic chemist , you will be often visited by chemical sales people and presented "new" raw materials to put in your formulas. Or you may be asked by your marketing people about ingredients and...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 16, 2014•5 min

The 10 Different Types of Cosmetic Formulas You Must Know

While there are literally thousands of different types of cosmetic products, there are actually only 10 different types of cosmetic formulas. Here is a brief overview of those types including what the...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 31, 2014•5 min

HLB - The Easiest Way to Create An Emulsion

As a cosmetic chemist you will undoubtedly be asked to make products that require you to combine materials that aren’t easily compatible. Fortunately, there is a system that can help you get started....

S. Romanowski•Mar 26, 2014•5 min

How to make a cosmetic formula

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCP0f_MqNTk I'm experimenting with a whole new type of video recording. What do you think? If you're interested in the program that was discussed in the video, just sig...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 25, 2014•5 min

Knockout Experiments for Cosmetics - The Fastest Way to Become an Expert Formulator

Knockout experiments can be used in cosmetic formulas for a wide range of purposes. Here is an outline of how to conduct them.

Perry Romanowski•Mar 18, 2014•5 min

Why Cosmetic Chemists Should Always Try Their Products

The number of people I've known who work on products that they've never even tried has always amazed me . They miss so much when they don't have direct experience with a product. Perhaps it's understa...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 17, 2014•5 min

Lab Notebooks and the Cosmetic Chemist

When I was in college I dreaded writing lab reports. They seemed so structured and uncreative that doing them was a chore. Then you had to worry about the grade you would get. It wasn’t fun. So, when...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 11, 2014•5 min

Most common cosmetic preservatives

We frequently see brands that claim to be "paraben free" and "formaldehyde free." With so many new brands making this claim it might surprise you to see the frequency at which certain compounds are us...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 26, 2014•5 min

Demonstrating a cosmetic benefit

I was reading my twitter feed and noticed someone reporting from the annual PCPC conference (#pcpc2014 in case you are searching Twitter). The following quote Jonah Berger was relayed and it struck me...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 24, 2014•5 min

A further look at the Whole Foods Ingredient list

In our continuing series examining the Whole Foods banned ingredient list , this article is going to focus on the dreaded “sulfates” category (and I’ll include sulfonates and sulfosuccinates as well)....

S. Romanowski•Feb 13, 2014•5 min

Do consumers think about parabens in cosmetics?

If you spend a lot of time on the Internet surfing RSS feeds and social media, you could develop the notion that parabens are dangerous chemicals in cosmetics and that you should avoid products that c...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 10, 2014•5 min

Old time cosmetic formulations

I just opened up a box I had in storage and rediscovered a formulation series of books called Benett's The Chemical Formulary. I actually have the entire series. The first volume was published in 1933...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 29, 2014•5 min

No more formaldehyde - How to modify a cosmetic

J&J seems pleased with themselves for capitulating to fear mongering groups and reformulating their iconic J&J Baby Shampoo . We previously wrote about why caving to fear mongering groups is a bad thi...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 20, 2014•5 min

How long should your cosmetic formulas last?

I have personal care products that I haven't opened for a few years. These are mostly hair styling products that I got for free and have never got around to using. It takes me a long time to go throug...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 17, 2014•5 min

Cosmetic Prototype Batch Size

As a cosmetic formulator one of the most common decisions you'll have to make is to decide how large a batch you need to make. To best determine this you need to first answer the question of why you a...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 6, 2014•5 min

A Formulating Strategy That Makes Sense

There is a discussion in the cosmetic science forum asking about the stabilization of Vitamin C in a formulation. It is an interesting enough conversation and I encourage you to go read it. One of the...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 27, 2013•5 min

Whole Foods Ingredient List Clarification

The following was submitted in response to the articles we published on the Whole Foods Banned ingredient list. I am writing in response to the December 4, 2013 and December 12, 2013 blog entries, " T...

S. Romanowski•Dec 18, 2013•5 min

The Whole Foods Unacceptable Ingredient List is Wholly Unacceptable

This post will explore acids that are found on Whole Foods’ premium body standards list . For those that didn’t catch last week’s post, the idea behind this series started with this Whole Foods ingred...

S. Romanowski•Dec 12, 2013•5 min

The Whole Foods Banned Ingredient List is Wholly Flawed

I intend these posts to be a multi-part series focusing on different parts of the nebulous Whole Foods banned ingredient list. The list I’ll be referring to is from their Premium Body Care Standards s...

S. Romanowski•Dec 4, 2013•5 min

Cosmetic Chemist Talks Cosmetics

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a Google Hangout. It was pretty cool. Essentially a hangout is a video chat with another person (or a group of people). In this segment I talk to Joan...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 1, 2013•5 min

The Beat Goes on to Hyaluronic Acid Mini

Hyaluronic Acid, the ever acclaimed naturally occurring Biopolymer, with 50% of its bodily existence in the skin is sounding good…REAL good. We have experienced the many notes of Hyaluronic Acid throu...

S. Romanowski•Oct 25, 2013•5 min

Limits for including a cosmetic raw material

When you look at the back of a cosmetic product label, you will see all of the raw materials included on the list of ingredients (LOI). At least you should. We've previous talked about the rules for c...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 15, 2013•5 min

Stem cells and cosmetic ingredients

I've never thought stem cells in the cosmetic industry were anything but a marketing story. I have been, and remain, highly skeptical of the claims made by raw material suppliers who claim their stem...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 10, 2013•5 min

When should you reformulate your cosmetic product?

I was just alerted to this article that said J&J will be reformulating their sun cream formulation after receiving 150 allergic reaction claims . It turns out that one of the ingredients, Methylisothi...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 24, 2013•5 min

Skin care advice from the masses

Here's an interesting website that purports to give advice for taking care of your skin. I don't think it is put together by a cosmetic chemist but the advice seems reasonable. Certainly more reasonab...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 11, 2013•5 min

How to make a survey say what you want

I just finished reading this article about a survey of people and their feelings about animal testing of cosmetics . Unsurprisingly, a large majority of people oppose the testing of cosmetics on anima...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 9, 2013•5 min

Natural Colorants for Cosmetics

Did you know that in the United States it is not permitted by the FDA to just add any old ingredient into your cosmetic for the purposes of changing color? In fact, of all the ingredients in cosmetics...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 28, 2013•5 min

Lessons From a Natural Formulator

By: Mark Fuller As a Consultant I have the opportunity to work with many start-ups and Entrepreneurs. With the popularity of “Natural” and “Organic” Cosmetics this leads to the bulk of my projects bei...

S. Romanowski•Aug 27, 2013•5 min

There are no fillers in cosmetic products

It's difficult to know where the claim or idea comes from but I frequently hear people say that there are "synthetic fillers" in cosmetics. You even get some natural marketing brands who tout the fact...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 26, 2013•5 min

Old Spice Fresh Collection Denali Body Wash - Dissecting a cosmetic label

It's been a little while since we've done a dissecting the label so let's do one. Today we will look at the Old Spice Fresh Collection Denali Body Wash . Incidentally, if you have products for which y...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 23, 2013•5 min

Are you protecting hair from copper?

The truth about cosmetic science is that there is not much basic research going on. In fact, there are a number of questions that remain unknown primarily because no one has taken the time or spent th...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 11, 2013•5 min

The Strength of the Halo Effect in Cosmetics

In your cosmetic formulating career don't be surprised if something like the following happens. You spend months and months developing a new shampoo formulation. You test & re-test. Formulate and re-f...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 8, 2013•5 min

Handling Viscosity in the Cosmetics Lab

By Bob Wilcox Fluid viscosity is a measure of resistance to deformation. Deformation can be initiated by actions such as stirring or mixing. When applied to liquids it is often referred to as thicknes...

S. Romanowski•Jun 24, 2013•5 min

How to pick a cosmetic formulation benchmark

Whenever you start a new project it is a great idea that you find an existing formula that will serve as a benchmark for your formulation efforts. Typically, your marketing person will propose a bench...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 14, 2013•5 min

Beginning Cosmetic Chemistry in the Internet Age

For everyone in the New York area, I wanted to let you know that I will be giving a one-day course about cosmetic chemistry. It is a two-part session which will include information about the cosmetic...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 3, 2013•5 min

Top causes of skin allergies

Many people complain of being sensitive to chemicals or even having allergic reactions. So as a formulator you'll want to avoid using ingredients that might cause a problem in a significant number of...

Perry Romanowski•May 29, 2013•5 min

Using Knockout Experiments to reduce formula costs

I don't know how I stumbled on the knockout experiment but it is by far the most useful formulation exercise. I think I was inspired by reading about knockout mice while I was studying biochemistry. A...

Perry Romanowski•May 28, 2013•5 min

How to evaluate cosmetic raw material marketing

Last week was the annual Suppliers Day for the New York chapter of the SCC. It's always a huge event and you can find thousands of raw materials from hundreds of different suppliers. And to convince y...

Perry Romanowski•May 23, 2013•5 min

Cosmetics Ingredients are not all the same

As a beginning chemist, one of the most frustrating things for me as I started my career was the product ingredient lists. While all the products had cosmetic ingredient listings, the ingredient were...

Perry Romanowski•May 15, 2013•5 min

How to Select Overhead Stirrer Mixing Tools

By Bob Wilcox In an earlier article on cosmetic mixing with overhead stirrers I outlined how these lab tools are used to provide a fast way to develop formulations and processing parameters ranging fr...

Perry Romanowski•May 6, 2013•5 min

Cost savings in a shampoo formula

Here is a typical shampoo formula. It's pretty basic and features sulfates, betaine, standard preservatives, and a fragrance. Whenever you are creating a formula, you should make a sheet like this. So...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 30, 2013•5 min

25 tips all cosmetic chemists should know

I saw an article on the FutureDerm blog about 25 things everyone should know about skin care . That inspired me to come up with this list of 25 things that every cosmetic formulator should know. For s...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 29, 2013•5 min

Will bottletop burettes work for your formulation efforts?

By Bob Wilcox If you've been frustrated from time to time (or lots of times, for that matter) trying to dispense the exact amount of a raw material or any other liquid using calibrated glass tube bure...

S. Romanowski•Apr 24, 2013•5 min

How to save a cosmetic batch

As a cosmetic formulator you will undoubtedly run into a situation where you screw up a batch. Or maybe the batch just gets ruined through no fault of your own. Most of the time you should simply thro...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 3, 2013•5 min

General guidelines to scale up cosmetic formulations

We had an interesting question posed by one of our readers who has a background in Chemical Engineering. Specifically, he wanted to know if there were some general guidelines for scaling up a formulat...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 2, 2013•5 min

A Primer on Magnetic Stirrers

Author: Bob Wilcox Laboratory magnetic stirrers are clever mixing tools that, most simply defined, use a rotating magnet in the base of the unit to cause a bar magnet in solution flasks or beakers to...

S. Romanowski•Mar 13, 2013•5 min

Why All Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Sources Aren't The Same

I spent much of my career formulating hair care products including shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. One of the largest projects that I was ever involved in was qualifying a second source...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 1, 2013•5 min

Using Homogenizers in the Cosmetics Lab

Author: Bob Wilcox We’ve noted several posts in the Chemists Corner discussion forum on using homogenizers to prepare shampoos. Our take on homogenizers is primarily from the R&D perspective — that is...

S. Romanowski•Feb 27, 2013•5 min

What to do with working cosmetic technologies you can't use

If you are not in the business of formulating hair care products you may have missed the big kerfuffle caused by the use of formaldehyde in a salon treatment called the Brazilian hair-straightening. A...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 25, 2013•5 min

10 Consumer Trends in 2013 that will affect cosmetic formulators

Euromonitor International is One of the market research firms that reports on the cosmetic industry. They often provide interesting insights into what consumers are thinking. This year they have publi...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 22, 2013•5 min

Why most active ingredients don't work

I was listening to one of my favorite skeptical podcasts, The Skeptics Guide to the Universe , and they were talking about Deer Antler Spray . Apparently, a player in the Super Bowl was rumored to hav...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 18, 2013•5 min

How to find a cosmetic market niche

While it may be a dream of a cosmetic formulator to make a product that will be bought and used by everyone, this almost certainly will never happen. It is extremely difficult to be successful marketi...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 16, 2013•5 min

How long do cosmetics last?

In Colin's post on nail polish , he reminded me of a common question I'm asked about beauty products and cosmetics is "how long do they last?". Most people are hesitant to throw out any product they h...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 15, 2013•5 min

Greenwashing - A Cosmetic Chemists Guide

I saw that there was going to be a masterclass on greenwashing so I thought I would add my two cents about the different levels of greenwashing prevalent in the cosmetic industry. If you're a formulat...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 6, 2013•5 min

Preservative free cosmetic formulating - How to make them

There was an interesting question posed on the cosmetic science forum the other day. The forum member wanted to know whether they could still call a cosmetic "preservative free" if one of the raw mate...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 31, 2013•5 min

Cosmetic Mixing with Overhead Stirrers

This is a guest post by Bob Wilcox Overhead stirrers find wide application in the cosmetic industry. They provide a fast way to develop formulations and processing parameters ranging from benchtop to...

S. Romanowski•Jan 28, 2013•5 min

Cool chemistry reactions

This is pretty cool. You almost never get to conduct cool chemistry experiments like these in a cosmetic science lab but they are still pretty cool. For 14 more cool chemistry reactions, see this page...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 27, 2013•5 min

Calculating Cosmetic Formula Costs

Deciding on the use level of raw materials in a cosmetic formula is an important aspect of formulation. However, product performance is only one factor that you should consider when formulating. Addit...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 14, 2013•5 min

Old Technology in New Cosmetic Formulas

There was an interesting discussion going on in the cosmetic science forum about a formulation that one of the chemists was working with which included Quaternium-15. Quat-15 is a formaldehyde donor p...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 12, 2013•5 min

Making Cosmetics the scientific way

Making cosmetics can be done by almost anyone whether you have scientific training or not. Certainly, it is easier for cosmetic chemists to create new formulas because they won't need to take as much...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 9, 2013•5 min

Olay Oil Minimizing Toner - Dissecting the Label

One of the most simple products that a formulator might be called on to produce is a toner. This Olay Oil Minimizing toner is one of the most popular ones so it makes sense for us to dissect the label...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 8, 2013•5 min

Where can you get Natural Cosmetic Formulation training

We often get questions about formulating and frequently those are centered on Natural cosmetic formulating. Here is a recent question sent in by someone who has limited background in chemistry but an...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 7, 2013•5 min

7 Types of Cosmetic Story Ingredients

Cosmetic formulators have to make great performing formulas. You have to get the functionality right, the formula has to be stable, and it has to be aesthetically acceptable to the majority of your co...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 21, 2012•5 min

What does percent solids tell you?

This question came in via the cosmetic science discussion forum and it was something that we hadn't covered before. The question specifically was "what is % solids and what does it tell you?" % solids...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 26, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Science Basics - Silicones

The vast majority of cosmetic raw materials are based on hydrocarbons. Oils, polymers, waxes and more involve bonds of carbon and hydrogen. But a notable exception to this hydrocarbon dominance is Cos...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 21, 2012•5 min

Salt Curve Analysis - How to control cleansing cosmetics

When you formulate an anionic surfactant based cleansing formula, you don't normally have to include a separate thickening system. This is because salt will thicken surfactant systems . This is a pret...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 2, 2012•5 min

Does it matter if your formulations are sustainable?

You can't get around this trend in the cosmetic industry. Natural, green, organic, sustainable, etc. They are here to stay and will affect your formulation efforts in the future. According to this sto...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 31, 2012•5 min

Microbial Enumerations Tests - What Every Cosmetic Chemist Should Know about USP 61

This is a guest post by Rachelle Baker, Lab Manager, Cosmetic Test Labs Microbial contamination of cosmetic and personal care products is a frequent concern within the industry. Contamination with mic...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 29, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Formulation Basics: What's in a lip balm, and why?

This is a guest post by Gary Neudahl. He is currently Product Application Manager, Personal Care Ingredients, for the HallStar Company and is based at the HallStar Manufacturing and Technical Center i...

S. Romanowski•Oct 10, 2012•5 min

My first patent 8,277,790

One of the coolest things about being a cosmetic chemist is that you get to be an inventor. You invent new formulas, new processes, or for the lucky few, new chemical reactions. If you happen to work...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 8, 2012•5 min

Most significant challenges for natural formulators

One of the biggest trends in cosmetic formulating is the trend towards making "natural", "green" and sustainable formulations. This represents a challenge for cosmetic chemists because you are essenti...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 5, 2012•5 min

Top 7 Cosmetic Chemist Myths

As cosmetic formulators, we are supposed to be scientists. Rational, curious, and willing to modify our beliefs based on new information. But we are mostly humans who suffer from confirmation bias, pe...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 4, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Challenge Testing: Why Even Well-Known Preservatives Need Testing

This is a guest post by Rachelle Baker, lab manager at Cosmetic Test Labs . A popular trend in the cosmetic and personal care product industry is to "go green." For most manufacturers, the switch to a...

S. Romanowski•Sep 20, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Formulations - Body Wash

This is a guest post by Gary Neudahl The long, hot summer days in the Midwest are coming to an end, and the busier days of fall are arriving, so perhaps it’s time to put away last month’s bath oil and...

S. Romanowski•Sep 19, 2012•5 min

Are Stem Cells a Revolutionary Cosmetic Ingredient?

A significant trend in the cosmetic industry is one loosely called "customization". A number of consumers claim that they want products that are customized to their needs and desires, so marketers hav...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 30, 2012•5 min

The science of Powdered Cosmetics

When I was a kid, I didn't give much thought to cosmetics. When someone said the word cosmetics, I automatically figured they were talking about lip stick, nail polish, or make-up. I didn't know that...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 24, 2012•5 min

Sunscreen Simulator Formulation Tool

Here is a pretty useful sunscreen formulation tool created by BASF. I put together a video to show a formulator exactly how she might use it. What do you think?

Perry Romanowski•Aug 17, 2012•5 min

Is sunscreen effective at preventing cancer?

Here was an interesting article published on Boing Boing about sunscreens . The basic premise is that we do not know whether sunscreens actually prevent cancer or not. The reason, most sunscreens are...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 13, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic claims substantiation - Olay Wrinkle Smoothing Cream

Proctor and Gamble is arguably the biggest company in the beauty business. They also spend the most money on research and development which results in the creation of products that are preferred by th...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 6, 2012•5 min

Basic Cosmetic Formulations - Bath Oils

This is a guest post by cosmetic science expert Gary Neudahl. We’ve had a warm winter, a hot spring and a really hot and dry summer in the midwest. Perhaps you’ve thought of getting rid of the sweat a...

S. Romanowski•Jul 31, 2012•5 min

Are Cosmetic Chemists Going to be Replaced?

You may not have noticed but there is a small but significant DIY (Do it yourself) trend in the cosmetics arena. Well, a group out of France has launched the Rowenta Naturalis device that addresses th...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 25, 2012•5 min

Penetration of Cosmetic Ingredients

When you are meeting with a cosmetic raw material supplier, they often talk about how their ingredient will penetrate the skin. Even cosmetic marketers use the phrase "skin penetration" when advertisi...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 17, 2012•5 min

Kitchen Cosmetic Chemistry

It's nice to see young people having an interest in cosmetic chemistry. This video shows you how to make your own lipgloss. The approach they take is a little different than a cosmetic chemist would t...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 30, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Claims Substantiation - Case Study 02

Today, we turn out claims substantiation eye to a skin product, specifically, Peter Thomas Roth Unwrinkle Night Cream . Why this product? I don't know. It was the first one that looked interesting to...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 27, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Formulation Basics - Shaving Cream

Click here for a complete list of the the Cosmetic Formulation Basics series. Shaving Cream Shaving cream is a product put on the skin (primarily face and legs) to provide lubrication which helps prev...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 26, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Industry Jargon - Color Cosmetics

To become a cosmetic chemist, you are going to have to learn to speak like a cosmetic chemist. As in any industry, the cosmetic industry has a number of terms that are distinct to our industry. Some o...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 20, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Claims Substantiation - Case Study 01

Formulating is only one of the responsibilities of a cosmetic chemist. An equally challenging task is to come up with claims and tests that will support the claims that your marketing people want to m...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 14, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Formulation Basics - Toothpaste

Click here for a complete list of the the Cosmetic Formulation Basics series. Toothpaste Toothpaste is a semisolid product designed to clean teeth and leave breath smelling and feeling fresh. While it...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 11, 2012•5 min

A cosmetic chemist in Charleston

Not much to post except to report that I'm in Charleston for the mid year SCC meeting and having a great time. Here's a shot of tonight's dinner. The benefits of being a cosmetic chemist.

Perry Romanowski•May 31, 2012•5 min

The Drunkards Walk - Book Review

I may be a bit odd but statistics and probabilities have always been favorite subjects of mine. Ever since I learned that I could calculate the probabilities of a certain distribution of card hands, I...

Perry Romanowski•May 30, 2012•5 min

Is that cosmetic ingredient worth using in your formula?

As a cosmetic formulator I get the opportunity to look at a number of cosmetic formulations. Cosmetic chemists are like artists and many will have their own special style they bring to their formulas....

Perry Romanowski•May 22, 2012•5 min

The Cosmetic Calculator

Here's an interesting website. It's called the Cosmetic Calculator and it ostensibly tells you how old your cosmetic is. You put in the lot code and it will tell you when the product was made. They do...

Perry Romanowski•May 21, 2012•5 min

What is driving the development of alternative preservatives?

Here's an article which claims that paraben-free cosmetics are gaining popularity. They say that it is due to consumer demand but I suspect there are other more significant forces. 1. Fearmonger press...

Perry Romanowski•May 12, 2012•5 min

Aussie Smooth Tizz No-Frizz Gel - Dissecting the label

Today we're going to take a look at a hair gel. This is one of the best selling formulas in the category and may even be worth using as a benchmark for your future hair gel formulation efforts. Also,...

Perry Romanowski•May 8, 2012•5 min

Becoming a cosmetic evaluation expert

To become an expert cosmetic chemist, it is not enough to learn the science of cosmetic raw materials and which ones are compatible or not. Indeed, this information is criticial but another part of th...

Perry Romanowski•May 7, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Science in 300 seconds - Surfactants

We're starting a new feature here on Chemists Corner. It's called cosmetic science in 300 seconds. It will be a 5 minute video that will quickly explain some aspect of cosmetic science, formulating, t...

Perry Romanowski•May 2, 2012•5 min

How do you switch sources for Cosmetic Raw Materials

This question was asked on the cosmetic science forum and I thought would make for a good discussion here on the blog. How do you go about switching ingredient vendors? We want to switch vendors becau...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 29, 2012•5 min

The Joy of Cosmetic Chemistry

Today, I'm going to be speaking to a group of high school students about cosmetic chemistry and what it means to be a cosmetic chemist. It is my goal to inspire some of these people to go into science...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 27, 2012•5 min

What are Sustainable Cosmetics?

When I first came into the Industry the terms Organic, Natural, Green and Sustainable kind of jumbled themselves into one niche group, of next generation products. We have previously taken a look at O...

S. Romanowski•Apr 24, 2012•5 min

How do you measure viscosity of cosmetics

There was a question on one of the cosmetic science forums I subscribe to about viscosity. This reader wanted to know whether they needed an "expensive" Brookfield viscometer or whether they could tak...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 20, 2012•5 min

Why does cold cream feel cold?

I've just started reading a book called Chemistry Connections and it's quite good so far. One of the questions had to deal with cosmetics and I thought it was an interesting one to discuss. Why do col...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 19, 2012•5 min

Natural beauty summit coming soon

For you formulators that are interested in natural formulating there is a beauty summit that is being held in New York on May 14 and 15. At the event you will be able to engage with leading natural pl...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 18, 2012•5 min

How good are your color matching skills?

As a cosmetic chemist you have to hone certain skills to be able to discern subtle differences between formulation prototypes. These skills include things like determining differences in feel, picking...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 15, 2012•5 min

Governmental Guidelines for Cosmetic Stability Testing

I stumble upon some of the most interesting things while going through the Internet. Back in 2004 the CTFA (now the PCPC) and its EU sister organization COLIPA issued some Guidelines on Stability Test...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 11, 2012•5 min

What is in a sunscreen spray, and why?

This is a guest post by Gary Neudahl who is currently Product Application Manager, Personal Care Ingredients, for the HallStar Company and is based at the HallStar Manufacturing and Technical Center i...

S. Romanowski•Apr 10, 2012•5 min

Formulating Easter Raw Materials into your Cosmetics

When I was a kid, Easter used to be a much bigger deal holiday than it has become. We used to get baskets of candy, go on easter egg hunts and get together for a big family dinner. Now, it's just the...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 8, 2012•5 min

3 Challenges to Formulating Natural Products

As a cosmetic chemist and formulator you will likely receive requests from your marketing group or your customers to develop an all-natural formula that is devoid of any "bad" chemicals. Indeed, this...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 6, 2012•5 min

Can you make a spoon disappear?

I've been reading this book which is excellent called the Disappearing Spoon. It's a historical account of the periodic table of elements. And I love it. I will do a review of it shortly but I wanted...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 6, 2012•5 min

A List of Cosmetics that have FDA Monographs

On the cosmetic science forum someone posed this question, "Where can I find the monograph for cosmetics?" It's an interesting question for a number of reasons so I thought I would make a complete blo...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 2, 2012•5 min

See the production of a bath bomb

I thought this was a pretty interesting video. It shows how Lush makes one of their bath bombs. A few things are noteworthy. 1. The green color they get is actually from dyes and not the avocado. 2. I...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 30, 2012•5 min

What is in a hand & body lotion, and why?

S. Romanowski•Mar 29, 2012•5 min

Cetaphil - Gentle Skin Cleanser - Dissecting the label

Today we're going to take a look at a cleanser that is fairly frequently recommended by dermatologists. This was a brand that I had heard of even before I got into the cosmetic industry. And that is s...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 28, 2012•5 min

Gladwell on Innovation

I like Malcolm Gladwell's stuff. While it gets a little too story like and is more definitive about life than science would suggest, it is inspiring for innovators.

Perry Romanowski•Mar 25, 2012•5 min

Midwest SCC technical symposium review

First talk was by Dr Sam Shefer about fighting acne using time release technology. He explained the problems formulating with salicylic acid and discussed a solution which involved encapsulation techn...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 21, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Chemists Baloney Detection Kit

I saw this excellent video about critical thinking and how you can detect whether a claim is bogus or not. This is an important skill for cosmetic chemists because despite your knowledge of science, y...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 20, 2012•5 min

Good stories for cosmetic chemists

Here are a few stories that caught my eye. 1. 2012 will be the year of skin care. Really? I think the fact that skin care products border on drug claims may make it tougher for cosmetic chemist. 2. Ne...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 18, 2012•5 min

Innovation inspiration while traveling

Although I'm on vacation I continue to think of new product ideas. The idea I thought of was related to my running clothes. Whenever I run my clothes get sweaty and end up smelling really bad. I've be...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 17, 2012•5 min

Hot topics on the cosmetic science forum

Today I'm traveling to Utah for a little downhill skiing. Of course, I've got my sunscreen and travel toiletries as every good cosmetic chemist should. But writing a full blog post gets a bit challeng...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 16, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Formulating Checklist

Whenever you begin a formulating project there is a variety of information you need to establish before doing anything else. Some of these things will be obvious and easy but others might be challengi...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 13, 2012•5 min

Formula optimization course coming soon

I'm traveling back to Chicago (from Florida) today so don't have much time to post. But I thought I'd let you know about a couple courses coming soon. One is the Physiology of Skin and the other is Fo...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 11, 2012•5 min

Do hippos hold the key to new sunscreens?

I thought this was an interesting story that I stumbled on. It turns out scientists have isolated the proteins responsible for protecting hippos (who spend numerous hours every day in the sun) from su...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 7, 2012•5 min

Useful Formulating Spreadsheet

We posted this a while back but there are a number of new readers do I though I would post it again. This video shows you how to make an excel spreadsheet for formulation efforts. http://www.youtube.c...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 5, 2012•5 min

A cosmetic chemist at the beach

I've had the opportunity to spend the last couple weeks in Florida by the ocean. This means I've had many opportunities to go to the beach. And while I'm at the beach I often think about sunscreens. M...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 3, 2012•5 min

Are Hand Sanitizers Better Than Washing Your Hands?

This is a guest post by Shannon Romanowski While this winter has been mild and there is a spring-like feeling in the air, we are still in the midst of cold and flu season. Clean hands are a good way t...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 2, 2012•5 min

Old product new inspiration

Today, I was given a product that I didn't know existed. It's a product called New Skin liquid bandage and the premise of the product is that it can repair damaged skin. Now, I'm familiar with the bra...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 29, 2012•5 min

Open Minded Formulating

I was having an Internet conversation about the nature of misleading claims wheas someone accused me of being closed-minded. This came about when I asked for some scientific evidence ofa what was bein...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 22, 2012•5 min

Basic Cosmetic Formulations - Deodorant Sticks

Article submitted by Gary Neudahl In a previous post, the composition of an antiperspirant deodorant (APDO) stick was presented. In this post we’ll look at the typical composition of a deodorant stick...

S. Romanowski•Feb 20, 2012•5 min

Innovative beauty products - Magnetic Nail Polish

Since I'm traveling today I didn't get time to do a full post however, I was reminded of one of the most innovative cosmetic products that I've seen in some time. Magnetic nail polish. Here's a pictur...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 16, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic Label Dissecting - Burts Bees Baby Shampoo

Here's another in our continuing series on dissecting the cosmetic label. By reviewing these labels it is our hope that you will develop the skills yourself. This is a key activity that all good cosme...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 7, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic formulation basics - Foundation

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 im...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 2, 2012•5 min

Pantene Pro-V Brunette Expressions Daily Color Enhancing Shampoo - Dissecting the label

Another in our continuing series that endeavors to teach cosmetic chemists how to look at a product label and see what they can determine about the cosmetic ingredients used in the formula. In this po...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 25, 2012•5 min

Introducing girls to cosmetic science

There are a couple of things I like about this video. 1. It encourages girls to be interested in science. 2. It demonstrates simple safety testing that should be done They do brush over the science a...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 21, 2012•5 min

Cosmetic formulation basics - Nail Polish

Click here for a complete list of the Cosmetic Formulation basics series. Nail Polish Nail polish is designed to improve the appearance and condition of nails. It also can protect nails from breakage....

Perry Romanowski•Jan 18, 2012•5 min

Are vitamins effective in cosmetics?

On a number of occasions we've mentioned the use of vitamins in cosmetic products. The typical spin is that vitamins are put in cosmetics to make label claims because they don't really have much effec...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 16, 2012•5 min

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cosmeceuticals

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Cosmeceuticals I saw this interesting review study about cosmeceuticals . The article goes through and looks at the best scientific evidence available for various cosme...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 13, 2012•5 min

Organix Conditioner - Dissecting the formula

Another installment of our Dissecting the Label series. In these blog posts we dissect a lable and discuss what each of the ingredients do in the formula and ponder why they are added. Last time we di...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 12, 2012•5 min

Why do you need multiple preservatives in your cosmetic formula

We received this question here at Chemists Corner central and thought it would be a good one to write an article about. "Why do the raw material suppliers recommend the combination of presevatives ver...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 10, 2012•5 min

Organic Formulating - Tales from the front

I am health. I am wealth. I am stealth. Ok, maybe not stealth, but it rhymed so well… I am ORGANIC. At least this is where my mind goes when I think of Organic. You make think it odd, that I did not m...

S. Romanowski•Jan 5, 2012•5 min

Basic Cosmetic Formulating - Antiperspirant

This is a guest post by Gary Neudahl . In personal care, there are cosmetics and there are toiletries. What’s the difference? In general, a cosmetic is intended to beautify the body; a toiletry is int...

S. Romanowski•Jan 3, 2012•5 min

Longer lasting formulas are more sustainable

Living in America, I was raised to wash my hair every day. In 2005, while developing a new shampoo and conditioner formula for the mass market brand, I took it to an extreme and actually believe that...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 2, 2012•5 min

An example of how to test a hypothesis

Yesterday, I wrote about what makes a good scientific study and how you can prevent fooling yourself. The key was to remain skeptical and create studies that are blinded. Here is a video which shows j...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 29, 2011•5 min

How to determine the level of cosmetic ingredients

In yesterday's post we talked about cosmetic claims ingredients and why they are used at low levels. In today's post we'll describe a process by which you can evaluate ingredients that might have some...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 28, 2011•5 min

Why natural extracts are not put in cosmetics at high levels.

One of the things that people find surprising when they first enter the cosmetic formulating business is that many of the feature ingredients have very little effect. I distinctly remember the look on...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 27, 2011•5 min

Merry Cosmetic Chemistry Christmas

Well, I don't have much today but I never like to take a day off so I'll write a Christmas cosmetic chemistry poem. Cosmetics Humectants Rheology Ionic bonds Surfactants Thickener Molecules Aerosol So...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 25, 2011•5 min

Jergens Natural Glow - Dissecting a cosmetic label

On one of my other blogs ( The Beauty Brains ) we do a series where we look at the ingredients on a cosmetic label and write about what they do. I don't know why it never occurred to me to do the same...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 22, 2011•5 min

On Becoming an Organiceutical Formulator

Today we feature a new writer here on Chemists Corner. Natural. Green. Organic. EcoCert. EWG. COSMOS. NPA, etc., etc., etc. Do these ever nagging terms sound familiar? Did I say nagging? Well yes, I d...

S. Romanowski•Dec 15, 2011•5 min

Buzz words for the natural formulating chemist

One of the biggest trends in the cosmetic formulating business is the Naturals or Green product trend. Terms get thrown around and it is often difficult to know exactly what people mean. Therefore, we...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 14, 2011•5 min

Varieties of Cosmetic Emollients

There are a variety of cosmetic emollients that cosmetic chemists will use to formulate skin and hair care products. The type you use will depend on your specific formula and the characteristics you a...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 12, 2011•5 min

See an aerosol production line

This is an interesting enough video for anyone who wonders how aerosol hairsprays, sunscreens, or deodorants are made. This is an example of a slow speed filling machine. It's slow enough that a worke...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 10, 2011•5 min

How to convert a formula from ounces to percentages

Someone sent me a question about how to convert their formula from ounces into percentages. This is an important skill for cosmetic chemists to learn so we provide it here for anyone who might not kno...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 29, 2011•5 min

How to get useful cosmetic information sent to you

The Internet has really changed the way you should be doing cosmetic formulating. In the past, you used to rely on your suppliers, trade shows and SCC events to learn the latest in cosmetic science de...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 28, 2011•5 min

The senses of a cosmetic chemist

We've previously talked about the importance of trying all of the products you are working on. But this article about the ability for people to train their sense of smell made me think of the skills t...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 27, 2011•5 min

Weekend science shopping

I'm not really much of a shopper but after this morning's round of golf, my father in law and I went to American Science and Surplus. It's a fun store literally full of science stuff and other junk. T...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 26, 2011•5 min

Thanksgiving Ingredients in your Cosmetics

As a cosmetic formulator, you can find some fun stuff by looking through the INCI dictionary . In honor of the US Thanksgiving holiday, today we're going to do a post on Thanksgiving ingredients used...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 24, 2011•5 min

What makes a good cosmetic ingredient study?

On the cosmetic science forum , user PMA asked an excellent question about the effectiveness of Hyaluronic Acid in skin care products . Specifically, the question was, "Is hyaluronic acid a better moi...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 22, 2011•5 min

Will this viscosity device replace Brookfield viscometers?

According to this story, researchers have developed a new viscometer that can take viscosity measurements by simply flowing liquid through it. They say that it can be made the size of a microchip and...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 18, 2011•5 min

The most useful smart phone apps for cosmetic chemists

If you have a mobile smart phone (an iPhone for example) there are a number of apps that a cosmetic chemist will find useful. Here are some of the best that I've found. Productivity Dropbox - This is...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 15, 2011•5 min

Parabens declared safe for use by EU

In case you were curious, the EU is in the process of updating its regulations regarding the use of parabens in cosmetics. According to the new rules, parabens will continue to be allowed at specific...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 5, 2011•5 min

Cosmetic formulation basics - Sunscreens

The sunscreen market is a growing one and to be a competent cosmetic chemist, you should know the basics of how to formulate one. How a sunscreens work A sunscreen is typically a skin lotion with adde...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 3, 2011•5 min

Cosmetic formula testing - Triangle Test

As a cosmetic chemist, one of the most basic things you need to be able to do is to evaluate formulas and new raw materials. This is one reason we highly recommend that formulators try EVERY product t...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 31, 2011•5 min

Why more cosmetic chemists aren't doing research?

On another post about wrinkle treatment breakthrus , Louise asked this excellent question which I thought would make a good post because people just starting out in the cosmetic industry might wonder...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 28, 2011•5 min

Self Tanning - Cosmetic Formulation Basics

Self tanning products are designed for people who want to darken the color of their skin without risking the negative health effects of UV exposure. Technology improvements in the purification of the...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 25, 2011•5 min

Optimizing cosmetic raw material levels

As a cosmetic chemist, you will frequently be called on to evaluate a new raw material or to optimize its level. But unless you've done it before, you won't have any easy method. Here's one you can fo...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 21, 2011•5 min

7 reasons to do a stability test on a cosmetic

One of the primary tests that you will run on your cosmetic formulations is a stability test. You can read this other post for a complete procedure for stability testing. In this post I wanted to go o...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 20, 2011•5 min

Naming Cosmetic Chemicals

Here's a video I put together explaining how cosmetic chemicals get their names. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dvW5o8GOm0 It's not quite the IUPAC system but it is logical.

Perry Romanowski•Oct 18, 2011•5 min

On Formulating a Greener Shampoo

Next week I'm giving a talk on cosmetic sustainability at the Southwest SCC monthly meeting. It should be fun. This is a hot topic in the cosmetic industry and it is particularly of interest to formul...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 17, 2011•5 min

The Pressures Against Innovative Cosmetics and how to overcome them

As a cosmetic formulator, you have a tough task. You have to make great new formulas that consumers love, your marketing department loves and they have to be better and unique compared to anything on...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 15, 2011•5 min

SCC Technical Symposium

Today, I am giving a talk about how cosmetic chemists can use the Internet to become better cosmetic chemists. It should be a fun talk and I look forward to it. This is one area that I believe chemist...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 13, 2011•5 min

What color will your cosmetic products be in 2012?

This article is Happi reports that Pantone, the global authority on color, has released it's predictions for the top 10 colors for women's fashion in 2012. I guess these are the people the pick the co...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 28, 2011•5 min

Electronic Devices in Dermatology

I saw this article about electronic devices being more important in cosmetic treatments . It seems that dermatologists are using these gadgets more frequently to deliver skin care benefits. They are s...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 26, 2011•5 min

Cosmetic Formulation Basics - Skin Lotion

Click here for a complete list of the the Cosmetic Formulation Basics series. Since skin care represents the largest market in cosmetics and oil soluble ingredients are often the best performing skin...

Perry Romanowski•Sep 6, 2011•5 min

Why does salt thicken shampoos?

When I first got into the cosmetic industry I worked on hair care products, specifically, shampoos. One of the things that I found fascinating about shampoos was that if you added salt to them they wo...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 10, 2011•5 min

Cosmetic Formulation Basics - Styling Gel

Every cosmetic chemist should learn how to make a gel. It has a great look and consumers respond well to the product form. The most common type of gel in the cosmetic industry is hair styling gels so...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 11, 2011•5 min

Nail Polish formula

Consumers like to change the appearance of their nails and the most common way to do this is to use nail polish. What Nail Polish does Nail polish is a liquid solution applied to the fingernails or to...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 22, 2011•5 min

Formulating Multifunctional Cosmetic Products

One of the biggest challenges a formulator faces is creating products that are different than their competitors. Unfortunately, most cosmetic chemists have to do this using the same ingredients that e...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 16, 2011•5 min

Conditioning Agents for Hair and Skin

Some years ago I co-edited a book about the different types of conditioning agents that are used by cosmetic chemists for hair and skin products. You can still get the book through ( Conditioning Agen...

Perry Romanowski•Jun 9, 2011•5 min

Cosmetic Formulating Basics - Lipstick

Click here for a complete list of the the Cosmetic Formulation Basics series. Lipstick Lipsticks are designed to improve the natural appearance of lips. They typically involve a color change but also...

Perry Romanowski•May 12, 2011•5 min

Cosmetic Formulating Basics - Body Wash

Click here for a complete list of the the Cosmetic Formulation Basics series. Body Wash Body wash is a product designed to remove dirt and odors from skin. They have taken the place of bar soap in man...

Perry Romanowski•May 3, 2011•5 min

Cosmetic Formulation Basics - Hair Conditioners

Click here for a complete list of the the Cosmetic Formulation Basics series. Rinse-out Hair Conditioners While shampoos represent the most common type of hair product, conditioners are a close second...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 28, 2011•5 min

8 Types of Cosmetic Ingredients in Formulas

As a beginning cosmetic formulator you will most likely not be given the responsibility to create your own formula from scratch. More likely, you will inherit a formula from a previous chemist and be...

Perry Romanowski•Apr 25, 2011•5 min

How to Find Answers to Common Cosmetic Product Questions

When people find out you are a cosmetic chemist, they instinctively begin asking questions. They assume that you are an expert who will give them the “real” answers to their burning beauty queries. Th...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 16, 2011•5 min

Viscosity Tips for Cosmetic Products

On another discussion group someone asked how to determine the correct viscosity range and spindle for your formulas. Specifically, they wanted to know what parameters go into making a viscosity range...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 15, 2011•5 min

Ingredients a Makeup Chemist Should Know

A makeup chemist is a cosmetic chemist who focuses on creating color cosmetics. They face the same issues as personal care product formulators, but they need to know about slightly different ingredien...

Perry Romanowski•Jan 4, 2011•5 min

Cosmetic Formulating Around the Halo Effect

It's happened to me on numerous occasions. I spend weeks testing different ingredients and improving the performance of my cosmetic formula . I get evidence from lab tests that demonstrate its superio...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 29, 2010•5 min

Alternative Cosmetic Preservatives - What are your options?

We've previously written about cosmetic preservatives and for the most part, there are ingredients that are effective for almost any standard condition a cosmetic product will experience. However, for...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 5, 2010•5 min

Cosmetic Formulation Philosophy

I recently traded emails with one of our Complete Cosmetic Chemist training program students about a cosmetic formulation she was working on. Without getting into the exact details, she was working wi...

Perry Romanowski•Nov 1, 2010•5 min

How to Reduce the Cost of a Cosmetic Formula

In your career as a cosmetic chemist , you will undoubtedly have the following experience. After months of prototyping and testing you create the most inspired, most incredible cosmetic formulation of...

Perry Romanowski•Oct 4, 2010•5 min

How to test Cosmetic Raw Materials

As a cosmetic chemist you will likely be inundated with new raw materials and sales people encouraging you to try out their latest and greatest offerings. If they have an interesting sales pitch you m...

Perry Romanowski•Aug 25, 2010•5 min

Cosmetic Formula Spreadsheet Template

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xymoPm2T7_g If you're interested in making cosmetic products from scratch but you don't have fancy software to do it, you can easily make them using a simple spreadshee...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 20, 2010•5 min

Math Used in Cosmetic Product Formulation

To become a college graduate with a degree in chemistry, you probably had to take at least a year of calculus and some type of statistical analysis. Then classes like Physical Chemistry or Inorganic C...

Perry Romanowski•Jul 6, 2010•5 min

Cosmetic Science Training Program Syllabus

Chemists Corner is dedicated to teaching you about the field of cosmetic science and how to become a cosmetic chemist. We've enjoyed writing blogs, discussing topics with you through the comments and...

Perry Romanowski•May 22, 2010•5 min

Ingredients Cosmetic Companies Add As Puffery and Why

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 direc...

Perry Romanowski•Mar 3, 2010•5 min

6 Steps to Create a Cosmetic Formula

Formulating is one of the most enjoyable aspects of being a cosmetic chemist . This is when you get to blend all the cosmetic science you’ve learned with your creative inspirations. It’s how you can m...

Perry Romanowski•Feb 24, 2010•5 min

Cosmetic Stability Test - Freeze Thaw Cycles

Previously, we covered the basics of cosmetic stability testing . But one member of the Chemists Corner community wanted some more details on Freeze Thaw testing. We'll look at that aspect of stabilit...

Perry Romanowski•Dec 7, 2009•5 min