How to be convincing
When I participate in discussions about cosmetic ingredients, I’m usually disappointed in the quality of arguments people put forth in support of their positions. It…
What is an emulsion? Back to Basics
You may have heard the term emulsion, but still don’t quite understand what it means, especially if you are not a chemist. Well, I thought…
Biochemistry Terms that Cosmetic Chemists Should Know
When I was in high school I learned about cloning and thought it would be a great idea to clone myself. I wasn’t particularly serious…
Episode 37: Botaneco Natural Emulsion Technology
Chemists Corner is a podcast about cosmetic science and formulating. Interview Tony Abboud currently does Technical Sales and Special Projects at Botaneco. Tony graduated with…
The Chemistry of Hair Colors
Yesterday, I did a talk for a cosmetic science class at the University of Toledo which outlined the hair research I did which eventually resulted…
Creating New Hair Follicle Cells
If you could “cure’ baldness, you would be a billionaire. You wouldn’t even have to spend much money marketing the product. It would sell itself.…
Cosmetic Innovation – Sleep Cream to Improve Skin
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…
Cosmetic Preservation – Some Definitions
This is a post by Nitesh Rajput In my previous article I talked about natural cosmetic preservatives. To expand on that topic, here are some…
Are gold nanoparticles causing wrinkles?
Scare stories about the dangers of cosmetics always grab headlines. Whether they are put out by fearmongering groups, politicians or even researchers, these stories are…
How your brain works – fast and slow thinking
Here is a fun video to watch this weekend. [youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiTz2i4VHFw#!’]
How to boil water at room temperature
Here’s a fun science video for your weekend enjoyment. A demonstration that water doesn’t have to be 100C to boil. [youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ2tPVSoiH0′]
Laser Technique Allows Calculation of Skin Age
This was an interesting story about the determination of skin aging. According to the report, scientists used a harmonic generation microscope to determine the intrinsic…
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…
Salt Curve Analysis – How to control cleansing cosmetics
When you formulate an anionic surfactant based cleansing formula, you don’t normally have to include a separate thickening system. This is because salt will thicken…
Periodic Table of Videos
This is a pretty cool resource for you chemistry types. It is the Periodic Table of Videos. I heard about it on a podcast that…
Free Education Online
One of the greatest things about the Internet is the proliferation of educational materials. You can find great stuff on Youtube or elsewhere, but you…
Are Stem Cells a Revolutionary Cosmetic Ingredient?
A significant trend in the cosmetic industry is one loosely called “customization”. A number of consumers claim that they want products that are customized to…
How do Alpha Hydroxy Acids work?
Despite what many comsetic marketers claim, there aren’t a lot of anti-aging actives that work when delivered from topical applications. Retinol, maybe Niacinamide but not…
A Cosmetic Chemist at the Museum of Science and Industry
Here in Chicago we have an excellent science museum, the Museum of Science and Industry. I make a trip there almost once a year and…