Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating General Requests / Opportunities Where can I find a great chemist?

  • Where can I find a great chemist?

    Posted by Mimi on December 23, 2018 at 9:02 pm
    Hi all,

    I have an active interest in improving the world of skincare by a novel solution. In order to establish my business I am in need of a great chemist to work with.
    I am looking for a knowledgeable and creative chemist who is able to connect all the dots that result in real innovation. My interest is to work with active technologies (like medicine), which is why I need a bio-chemist and a material chemist.

    I want to be involved in every aspect of the production (e.g. suppliers, exact formulation and heritage) and I am only interested in using active technologies and bioavailable ingredients. Together with a professional chemist I would like to come up with several formulas and at the end of every process I would like to own the formula.
    I am interested in having a long-term work relationship with a chemist.
    I live in Amsterdam, but I am willing to travel.
    If you are confident about this project or know someone please send me a message with the whole process. I appreciate your kind suggestion and recommendation about this project.
    Microformulation replied 5 years, 10 months ago 5 Members · 8 Replies
  • 8 Replies
  • Microformulation

    Member
    December 24, 2018 at 1:06 am
    I want to be involved in every aspect of the production (e.g. suppliers, exact formulation and heritage)

    This alone would make me likely to pass on the job.
  • Gene

    Member
    December 24, 2018 at 1:09 am

    I want to be involved in every aspect of the production (e.g. suppliers, exact formulation and heritage)

    This alone would make me likely to pass on the job.

    Exactly. Leave that part to your great chemist.

  • MarkBroussard

    Member
    December 24, 2018 at 2:59 am

    @Mimi:

    I would suggest that you first actually define your product(s) concepts and project …

    All you have given are broad generalities … some undefined novel skincare solution using active technologies like “medicine” and bioavailable ingredients.

  • Mimi

    Member
    December 24, 2018 at 12:57 pm

    I want to be involved in every aspect of the production (e.g. suppliers, exact formulation and heritage)

    This alone would make me likely to pass on the job.

    Why?

  • Microformulation

    Member
    December 24, 2018 at 1:28 pm
    1. And this is important, you hire a Chemist to determine “every aspect of the production (e.g. suppliers, exact formulation and heritage).” To have what is for all intents and purposes a layperson participate and supervise is a drag on the R&D. Also, no offense, but Formulators learn to know which lines will be easy to work with. That term is a huge red flag that the client will demand that I justify in real time every selection, dot, and comma. You have undefined marketing terms but few technical terms. All told, I would see these as barriers to the market. HONESTLY, if you are qualified to cooperate and supervise a Chemist, ironically you wouldn’t need a Chemist.
    2. I have a closed facility, In my lab, there are all sorts of other line’s IP visible and vulnerable. Since you are not an employee, you wouldn’t even be allowed in AS I take my NDA’s extremely quite seriously.
    3. Now, you are assuming that the R&D is a linear process where we develop the projects from step 1 directly to Step 2 and so forth. It is not. During testing, there will be 7 and 28 day periods where the sample is in stability. Would you wait in the car?
    4.  As Mark touched on you have a hodgepodge of marketing terms, but not a single useful, acceptable or clearly technical term that helps in the R&D process.
    5. This sounds much like it would demand so much time as you “direct” the project that it would be a fulltime use of my lab. This could lead to a compromise or reduction in services to my existing clients, the ones I have had for 10 years and send me numerous projects a year.
    In summary, over the years I have had some start-ups and emerging lines early on in my practice which had many of these “danger signs” and over the years I have screened for them. Here is my advice. Get a Chemist. Do a comprehensive Product Development. Let them work. THEN, do what you really need to do, let them work, pivot and then you would work on branding your line and products.
    Please don’t see these comments as direct negatives. Honestly, I hope it brought up some issues that you would need to confront before getting into the process.
    That said, I truly and sincerely wish you all the success with your projects. Have a Happy Holidays.

  • Microformulation

    Member
    December 24, 2018 at 3:13 pm
    As an addition, you use the term “bioavailable ingredients” which to me implies absorption into the Body, If a product were truly “bioavailable” (as in it delivers a measurable amount of actives to the human body, physiologically), it would be a Drug product, not a Cosmetic.
    It is really all these refinements where a Chemist would come in. Again, no offense but you have a narrative of buzzwords which sound great together from a Marketing standpoint but do not describe any credible Cosmetic benefit or address a standard in any manner.
  • belassi

    Member
    December 24, 2018 at 3:21 pm

    Step 1: Do you even have a brand? Tell us your registered brand name, please.

  • Microformulation

    Member
    December 24, 2018 at 3:58 pm

    Belassi said:

    Step 1: Do you even have a brand? Tell us your registered brand name, please.

    See, as @Belassi is telling you, your task is in Brand Managment. Define the Product functionally and suggest raw materials of interest for the Chemist.
    I have never seen a line that spent TOO much time on Brand Managment and Sales/Marketing strategies.
    Or, will your product be so amazing that they will queue up to get to buy the product without any advertising? 

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