Compass: Touching Us All

Enough cannot be said about the skin. It is something that we all have in common, and that literally touches us on an everyday basis.

Yet, there are still many mysteries to solve about the skin, which is why so much time and so many research dollars are dedicated to its study. At the International Federation of the Societies of Cosmetic Chemists meeting held recently in Japan, nearly two-thirds of the conference sessions featured research related to skin.

In the personal care industry, skin care usually tops the list for product sales.* As the behavior of skin and its underlying mechanisms become clearer, innovations continue to emerge to trigger antiaging responses, or beef up the skin’s vital protective functions. In this issue, authors Schmid and Zülli study what makes the skin age in, “Mutations in Mitochondrial DNA as Principal Aging Factor,” beginning, while Plantivaux et al. investigate the effect of the (Cys-Gly)2 dimer peptide against UV-induced oxidative stress on the skin.

Perfluoropolyether phosphate is investigated by Pantini et al. as a material to renew skin while maintaining an acceptable safety profile, and Rieger looks at current dermatological research on photo-aging and skin repair in his review article. Relating to photo-aging of the skin, this issue also features our annual Sun Care Formulary beginning.

Finally, one of the more recent innovations for the cleansing of, and delivery to, the skin is wipes. Meyer et al. discuss a new technology to produce o/w phase inversion concentration (PIC) emulsions with a very fine particle size, useful for impregnating lotions for cosmetic wet wipes.

A New Resolution
At what better time is there than at the start of a year to think ahead and set new goals to fulfil promises? C&T magazine has set its 2007 goals to deliver on its promise to provide readers with the latest information on formulations, new technologies, ingredients, testing and news.

Mindy S. Goldstein, PhD, will explore various topics of concern to the cosmetics and personal care industry in her premier column, “Tech Edge,” beginning with a discussion of the REACH legislation in Europe. In addition, beginning in next month’s issue, the new quarterly Testing Tactics column by Robert Holtz will highlight testing methods.

C&T magazine welcomes these dynamic additions to its 2007 editorial schedule and invites your feedback on topics covered, as well as those that you feel are missing.

More in Skin Care