Are we tired yet of the word sustainability? I know I am (although I blatantly used it in the headline). Colleagues from the Midwest Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and I recently debated this as we planned an education session and considered this topic.
My initial reaction was yes, I think we are tired of it, and the industry wants to hear something different. After some disagreement among team members, we realized we were each defining the term differently. To some, it meant eco-friendly ingredients and lasting raw material resources while to others, it meant business survival.
Considering that this topic stirred debate with only a handful of people, we concluded the concept was still of interest—and that with any of our definitions, the underlying philosophies would always be relevant, thereby making sustainability sustainable. However, we also recognized that the term is over-generalized and when used, requires clarification.
In response to industry interest, this edition of Cosmetics & Toiletries magazine features Lochhead et al.’s article on sustainable ingredient trends-specifically, naturally derived surfactants and polymers that are renewable and environmentally benign. In relation, Choulot’s article examines natural actives derived from renewable sources for their application in a hair repair serum.
In addition, this issue features Part II of the discussion by sadly missed and belated industry colleague Johann W. Wiechers, PhD, and Eliana B. Souto, PhD, on delivering actives via nanoparticles and nanostructured carriers. Furthermore, Gao et al. evaluate the parameters of shine and color in hair to develop a new measurement for hair color vibrance in support of new market claims.
On A Personal Note
First, I wholeheartedly thank Katie Anderson and Lois Hince, who were crucial to the production of Cosmetics & Toiletries magazine during my maternity leave. In addition, I welcome the oversight of Jeff Falk, our new editor in chief, whose leadership will free up my time to seek compelling new content for you, dear reader. Finally, I welcome Marian Raney, our new group publisher, whose direction will further align the Cosmetics & Toiletries brand to support your product development and business success as we move ahead into 2012. I wish you all sustainable success in the New Year.
