The Cosmetic Chemist Guide to the Internet
Last weekend I taught a class on ways cosmetic chemists can use the Internet to become more more productive. The class was created as an attempt to teach people ways to get just what they need from the Internet and to avoid wasting time being non-productive.
I will put the entire course online at some point. However, here are some of the highlights.
Automating Your Internet Experience
The Internet is so full of information you can quickly become overwhelmed. The old method of visiting a bunch of websites every day is not efficient. A better method is to set up a good homepage and subscribe to websites that will produce information you want. You can subscribe to almost any regularly updated website through their RSS feed. Take a look at this video to get a sense of what RSS feeds are all about.
We suggest that you use iGoogle as your homepage and Google Reader as your RSS reader. Google has so many great products that are easily integrated with each other. You can create an excellent web experience using them. And you can’t beat the price…Free.
Key Websites
There are a number of websites that are specifically geared towards the cosmetic industry. Here are just a few
Innovadex.com - Site listing a number of raw materials relevant for cosmetic chemists. Hub site for a number of raw material suppliers. Also has a database of formulas. Free to sign up if you qualify. A great place to learn about the latest in cosmetic science.
Scconline.org — The main site for the national Society of Cosmetic Chemists. Keep up with the latest news of the chapters and also get the entire Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists right online.
Personal Care Products Council - Find consumer information, regulatory news, etc. all relevant for the cosmetic chemist.
FDA Cosmetic site- A wide range of articles concerning the FDA and its position on various topics like labeling, ingredients, and enforcement.
Online Magazines
Happi.com
Cosmetic World
GCI Magazine
Cosmetics & Toiletries
Skin and Allergy News
Womens Wear Daily
Allure
Science News Sources
Eurekalerts — The latest news release in all areas of science.
Sciencedaily— Another news release site. Easier to search than Eurekalerts.
Ways to Search
While everyone is no doubt familiar with the Google search engine, there are a few others that you might find more useful. Here are just a few that are good for cosmetic chemists.
Google — The biggest and best keyword research tool around.
Simply Google - Lists all the different Google search options on one page.
Chacha — Search engine where you can ask a specific question
Kartoo — Search engine that gives a visual representation of your results
Stumbleupon — Focused but random search engine that helps you find interesting new websites and ideas. Great source for generating new ideas.
Pubmed — Search engine for science/health journal articles.
Life Hacker List of 10 alternate search engines
Social Networking
Social Networking sites are those that allow you to connect to people around the world. They provide an excellent place to find people within your industry or those who are interested in your subject. These sites are likely the future of the Internet.
LinkedIn — The primary place for professionals to get connected with people around this industry and others. A great place to find experts in any field, to showcase your own expertise and to find people that you formerly worked with. Everyone should create a Linked In profile (It’s FREE!)
You can connect with me through Linked In by clicking the button here.
Twitter— Social networking site that allows you to broadcast and follow experts in any subject you choose. This site keeps messages brief (140 characters max) but allows for unlimited postings. An excellent place to follow trends, get new product ideas, and find help to solve your problems.
You can follow me on Twitter by clicking the button below.
Outsourcing
If you really want to get productive, you’ve got to delegate some of your work. There are some excellent websites that allow you to hire experts to help you get specific tasks done. Open Innovation sites can help solve technical problems or even develop new solutions.
Innocentive — Open innovation site that allows you to pose challenges to their community of solvers. Great for getting things done.
Nine Sigma- Another open innovation site that may give better results than Innocentive for certain topics.
Elance— Website for numerous different freelance professionals like writers, computer programmers, marketers, and even chemical engineers. Provides a cost effective way to get projects / tasks done.
Each day a new tool is launched on the Internet and the people that take advantage of new sites will be well ahead of their competition. Since you’re reading this, you already know more than most cosmetic chemists in the industry. The next step is to start using this knowledge to produce better cosmetic products.
