Cosmetic ingredient expiration dates
We recently did a webinar on cosmetic emulsions and asked people for questions prior to the event so we could cover the most important information. Here…
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…
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…
Cosmetic Science – What is known and unknown
One of my Facebook friends posted a question looking for advice about which sunscreen she could use for her child. It turns out her daughter…
Will cosmetic chemists become obsolete?
A few weeks ago I was giving a talk at a Society of Cosmetic Chemists meeting and one of the formulators in the audience asked…
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…
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…
Is Aloe Vera Effective in Cosmetics?
Aloe Vera. Aloe Vera Gel. Aloe Vera Juice. Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice. There are even more names here for this nearly ubiquitous ingredient found…
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…
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…
Types of Water Used in Cosmetic Formulating
There are a wide variety of water types that you can use when formulating cosmetics. Distilled, deionized, purified or tap water are all options for…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
What is a Cosmetic Product?
Innovation from the cosmetic raw material companies always makes me smile. I remember when one particularly “innovative” company would come in for a visit and…