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…
Category: Formulating
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…