How to Read a Scientific Journal Article
If you want to stay up on the latest research in cosmetic science, you’ll have to learn to quickly filter and read scientific papers. With…
Valentines Day and the Cosmetic Chemist
If you ever wanted to create a Valentine’s Day themed cosmetic product, here is an ingredient you might consider adding. Synthetic pheromones. In a study…
Why people age
Here’s a pretty good video demonstrating how and why aging is programmed right in your cells. I’m still trying to figure out this whole Hayflick…
3D printing for skin products
We are in the early phases of the development of 3D printing technology but I believe it has the potential to revolutionize the cosmetics industry.…
Why an oil phase heats faster than a water phase
I was sent an email asking me about what the best set-up was for heating batches. It seemed that this formulator was having a hard…
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…
Surfactant Science – Traube’s Rule
While it doesn’t come up too often when creating cosmetic formulations, it is useful for cosmetic chemists to know the concept of Traube’s Rule. At…
Cosmetics Made Absolutely Simple – Book Review
We received a new book from Allured called Cosmetics Made Absolutely Simple. It’s a basic introduction to the field of cosmetics and is a translation…
SCC Midyear Symposium in St Louis Wrap-Up
Last week was the Mid-Year SCC Scientific Symposium held in St. Louis, Mo. It was an excellent event that featured two days of fascinating talks…
Happy and Sad
I recently was a judge at a local science fair for grade school students. It was great to see all the students excited about their…
A new cosmetic science project
We’ve been getting a number of questions about cosmetic science over the years and it occurs to us that there is enough interest that we…
Orange Juice and Alcohol – A New Skin Protector?
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…
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…
Genetics and Cosmetics?
The Human Genome Project was an impressive accomplishment in the history of human existence. No other creature on the planet could have done what we…
Basic cosmetic science from the ACS
If you were a chemistry major in college, you undoubtedly heard of the American Chemical Society (ACS). It’s one of the oldest professional societies in…
What can a cosmetic chemist do with this waterproof coating?
Here’s a great new technology that demonstrates some really impressive results. [youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwZ0zlJrpe4′] The shoe coating is incredible. I see this being interesting for cosmetic…
Adding functionality to face paint
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…
Episode 28: Beth Johnson – Cosmetic Science
Interview begins at 14:15 Interview – Beth Johnson Beth Johnson has been with Dow Corning for fourteen years, working to commercialize new technologies for the…
Journal of Cosmetic Science Summary
There is actual science that happens in the cosmetic industry and you can find much of it written in the peer reviewed Journal of Cosmetic…
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…