59 articles about innovation for cosmetic chemists.
This post discusses the impact of AI and Chat GPT on the beauty business and the benefits and pitfalls for cosmetic chemists.
Here’s a novel idea in cosmetic ingredients…bacteria. According to this report , scientists have found that they could improve the condition of skin by topically applying a bacteria that could metabol...
Sometimes it seems innovation in cosmetic formulation is nonexistent. Most of the new products that are launched every year are simply minor adjustments on current technology. In my view there has bee...
I played some poker last night and it is always a reminder to me that being lucky is a much bigger factor than anything else in the game. Sure, good players will win in the long run but during any giv...
As a cosmetic chemist it's always a good idea to come up with new ideas even if you aren't working in a particular area at the moment. If you're like most scientists in this industry, a number of your...
Here is an amazing new technology that could represent a new way to treat skin wrinkles. It is being tested for use for treating skin burns but I could see how this could be adapted to creating youthf...
There haven't been many new technologies introduced into sun care in the last few decades. There was the introduction of mexoryl sunscreen in the mid 2000's, nanoparticle sized titanium dioxide / zinc...
The future of cosmetic chemistry may be changing. While being able to mix surfactants, emollients, occlusive agents, and other cosmetic raw materials in the proper ratio to get excellently performing...
A big problem for contract manufacturers and finished goods makers in general is the development of a contaminating biofilm on the manufacturing equipment. Even after following GMP, a biofilm can pers...
As we start into the new year I always have fun going through articles that predict what will be the hot trends in the coming year. Mostly they are wrong but it does provide an interesting hint at thi...
I've generally been critical of the " beauty from within " trend in the cosmetic industry. There is little evidence that taking products like vitamins and herbal extracts will have any noticeable affe...
I've never liked toothpaste packaging. Mostly because it never seems like you get all of the product out. Then there are some people who don't squeeze from the bottom so the center gets all smashed an...
During my last few years working for a corporation in the cosmetic industry I focused most of my effort on innovation. We were always on the lookout for new technologies that could revolutionize cosme...
I use a plugin on my web browser that allows me to read web pages at a later time. There is so often that I see something that has an interesting headline but I don't have time at the moment to read i...
One of the last things I was working on at my former job was innovation. I am a big fan of innovation and believe that the cosmetic industry sorely needs some significant improvements. The products re...
Take a look at this interesting milk packaging. It changes color as it gets closer to the expiration date. I think this could be a novel way to tell people when their cosmetics have expired.
One of my favorite business books is one called Blue Ocean Strategy . There are a number of things I like about it, but perhaps what I find most useful is that it provides a great roadmap to creating...
Here's a cool new technology that could radically change cosmetic oral products. It is a tooth patch film that coats individual teeth, preventing decay and making the them appear more white. The film...
Here's a great new technology that demonstrates some really impressive results. The shoe coating is incredible. I see this being interesting for cosmetic products. For example, this could be the basis...
Dr Robert Lochhead is one of the better known cosmetic science academics in our industry. You can always find him at the yearly SCC meetings moderating, speaking, or asking a poignant question. His pr...
In our twitter feed I was alerted to this innovative Waterless Shower product . The product is said to contain germicides, biocides, moisturizers, and bioflavonoids, which kill germs and eliminate odo...
It's not often that I see some technology that I think can have a significant impact on the cosmetic industry. In truth, most "innovations" are simply baby step improvements in things that we could al...
Chemical free claims always bug me. You see them a lot in the sunscreen market where people claim "chemical free sunscreens." For some reason they don't see titanium dioxide or zinc oxide as chemicals...
You might have an idea for a cosmetic product but how do you know if it is any good? Well, you can ask your friends and family but they might not give you honest feedback for fear of hurting your feel...
As an ongoing project, we here at Chemists Corner try to put up posts that might inspire people to come up with truly innovative new cosmetic products. The majority of things that are invented now are...
When a consumer has a problem that can be addressed by cosmetics, they will often go and buy products. This is good for cosmetic chemists because it means more sales for your company and job security....
If you are going to make it in the cosmetic business you have to know your consumer. And if you are like most cosmetic companies, your consumer is a woman. Woman buy far and away more cosmetics than m...
This seems like a pretty handy app for formulators. Hopefully, other raw material manufacturers will jump on this bandwagon. Floratech has created an app that allows people with smart phones to scan t...
I don't know why but there seems to be a desire by consumers (at least according to some cosmetic manufacturers) to put food on their bodies as cosmetic treatments. There is beer shampoo, egg facial m...
We always appreciate the messages we receive from followers of Chemists Corner. I love to read the ideas that people have and am encouraged that innovation in our industry continues despite the uninte...
Being a cosmetic chemist can be frustrating. You'll want to create products that can solve consumer's problems but the reality is that you are handcuffed by one significant fact. The most pressing cos...
If you are going to start your own cosmetic line (or even help your company launch something new) you have to figure out how to add value to your product so you can sell it for more money. As an indiv...
One of the key techniques that has helped me immensely in my career as a cosmetic chemist is the Mind Map. I have previously mentioned mind mapping in my post about setting goals but it occurred to me...
On a previous post about the Natural cosmetics market, someone left a comment that suggested I was anti-natural. This is not true, although I can understand how someone would get that impression. Natu...
Here was an interesting article about innovation and creating disruptive ideas . The cosmetic industry is definitely in need of some disruptive ideas. Unfortunately, the big companies are risk adverse...
The slower holiday season is an excellent time for cosmetic chemists to brainstorm some new ideas to work on in the upcoming year. So, try out this week's innovation question and see what kind of idea...
It's been a little while since we've done an innovation question but here's one that might make you think differently about developing your cosmetic product. When you work at a cosmetic company, the t...
I just finished reading the book Proust was a Neuroscientist . It really was an excellent book and I encourage anyone who is interested in science and art to pick it up and read it. The book goes thro...
When trying to come up with different ideas for new cosmetic products, you need to consider the "pain points" that people experience when purchasing your product. Every product has some kind of issue...
To be a good cosmetic chemist, you'll want to generate a lot of creative ideas. Unfortunately, it's pretty tough to come up with new ideas. With thousands of new cosmetic products being launched each...
I can't tell if this is hype (probably) or if there is something to this new technology that is supposed to work like botox without needles . The basic story is that researchers took the active ingred...
We've previously talked about the beauty with-in trend in the cosmetic industry but this idea has inspired me to talk about it some more. While most beauty from with-in ideas are all about ingesting s...
Here's a short video worth watching. Phil McKinny explains why "best practices" is not a great way to do innovations. A quote that I love "If everyone is special than no one is special." In the world...
Perhaps the most difficult thing about being a cosmetic chemist is that the formulas are already pretty good. Also, nearly everyone has access to the same technology. This makes it nearly impossible t...
When you formulate cosmetic products long enough you start to think that everything that can be invented has been invented. In fact, it's pretty tough to imagine formulators creating a better shampoo....
Happi has an article about how science is shaping the future of beauty care products . The title was very appealing to me and I eagerly began reading. I whole-heartedly agree that to create new and in...
You should be familiar with all the website dedicated to cosmetic science such as the various industry magazine websites, the regulatory websites, and the cosmetic chemistry blogs. We've previously wr...
As a cosmetic chemist, it is always good to keep an eye out on developments in other fields of science. I found this article about advancements in skin regrowing technology interesting and pondered ho...
Are you stumped for new cosmetic product ideas? Think that everything has already been invented? Well, it hasn't. Take a look at the Cosmetic Product Idea Pool and see for yourself. What is the Idea P...
One of the hardest parts of being a cosmetic chemist is coming up with new product ideas. Of course turning them into working new products is also challenging but we'll save that for another time. In...
I saw this article about being innovative. In it they list 10 ways to be innovative. Not all of the original list of 10 apply but I'll list the ones that do. 1. Do you see opportunities the competitio...
Innovation is a subject I enjoy learning about, so I read as much about it as I can. Recently, I finished The Medici Effect by Frans Johansson. It was a great read and filled with practical informatio...
Kelly alerted me to this interesting article about some of the more unusual cosmetics launched in 2009 . In it they highlight the following products as examples of what cosmetic companies are doing to...
One of the missions of Chemists Corner is to teach and inspire scientists in the cosmetic industry to become more innovative. The personal care and cosmetic products of today have changed only slightl...
I read this interesting interview over at the Harvard Business blog . Some university types conducted a 6-year study of 3000 "creative" executives and came to the following conclusions about what inno...
At some point in your chemist career , you are going to have an idea that you think would make a great product. You might even think the idea is so incredible that once it's developed it will make you...
To advance in your cosmetic chemistry career you have to come up with good, unique ideas. If all your company needed from you was color and fragrance changes to formulas, they could’ve saved a lot of...
As formulation chemist , it can be fairly easy to spend your days executing projects your marketing & sales people think are worthwhile. This will usually involve taking a formula that already exists...
