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In Sight: Formulating For Fido

Formulating for pet care is not that different from formulating personal care. Although it may seem that formulating for pet care would be simpler than personal care, the truth may astonish some.

Beauty Devices Ready to Boom

Given global diversity concerning consumer awareness, regulatory requirements, purchase channels and device availability, a wealth of unrealized potential awaits marketers of at-home beauty devices, reports Kline.

Special Delivery: Clay Nanotubes for Skin

By 2011, clay nanocomposites are projected to reach 44% of the marketshare—and it is this area that provides opportunities in personal care, as recent research by one manufacturer of naturally occurring nanotubes and other nanomaterials, NaturalNano Inc., has shown; specifically, its halloysite nanocomposites.

In Sight: Packaging Becomes Eco-friendly

The personal care industry is well on its way to more eco-friendly packaging. Emerging chemicals on the scene only assure the industry that as technology advances, the time it takes for a product to biodegrade will only shorten.

Fueling the Skin

Some of the raw material sources for alternative fuels also are sourced for the production of personal care ingredients. Palm oil, extracted from palm tree fruit, is used in both bio-diesel fuel and personal care products. Due to biodiesel demand, the price of palm oil has risen. Additionally, the deforestation of palm trees has turned many personal care companies away from using palm oil for environmental reasons.

Heating Up the Preservative Debate

A possible solution to the preservative-free cosmetic formulation conundrum may lie in the milk pasteurization process. Ultra-high-temperature (UHT) sterilization is the process of heating milk or cream to temperatures exceeding 275°F.

FDA Clears Isoprenylcysteine Analog for Rosacea Treatment

A isoprenylcysteine (IPC) analog manufactured by biopharmaceutical company Signum Dermalogix Inc. (Dermalogix) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of rosacea.

Study Finds At-home, Hot-wire Hair Removal to Be No More Effective Than Shaving

In the past few years, the at-home beauty device market—including devices for cleansing, hair removal and light therapy, among others—has seen a boom, which is expected to grow according to a report by Kline & Company. However, a recent study by Brian S. Biesman, MD, in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, has found at-home, hot-wire, hair removal devices to be no better than shaving at improving density and reducing regrowth rate.

Literature Review: Skin Fluorescence, Nano Delivery, TiO2 and Cell Metabolism

Following is a sampling of recent scientific literature as assembled by Rachel Grabenhofer, editor of Cosmetics & Toiletries, which was found to have potential impact on personal care.

Smart Materials for Triggerred Release of Cosmetics

Smart polymers can be engineered to contain reactive molecules, commonly dubbed “molecular switches,” that respond to external stimuli and cause systemic changes to the polymer structure. The specificity of a molecular switch to a single stimulus is critical for controlled release, although multi-triggered systems capable of responding to systematic stimuli are being developed for advanced applications. Herein the authors describe several stimuli-responsive materials that have potential applications for personal care and related biomedical fields.

Beauty Devices Ready to Boom, According to Kline

According to Kline, "Given the global diversity concerning consumer awareness, regulatory requirements, purchase channels, and device availability, a genuine wealth of unrealized potential awaits marketers of at-home beauty devices."

PFC for Oxygen Delivery to Skin

Research on perfluorocarbons (PFCs) began before World War II but it was the 1942 Manhattan Project in the United States to develop the atomic bomb that led to methods of producing PFCs other than reacting fluorine with hydrocarbon. As a result, PFCs have been adapted for a number of industries including traumatic brain injury, sickle cell crisis pain, trauma, wound care, decompression sickness, acute respiratory distress syndrome, stroke, myocardial infarction, surgery, diabetes and cosmetics.

Tooth Whitening Without Sensitization

Teeth whiteners are available as OTC strips and gels, but consumers seeking more immediate and dramatic effects often visit the dentist for an in-office procedure or take-home solution. In any case, many of these treatments increase tooth sensitivity and damage the gums, according to Raymond Frye, DMD, a cosmetic dentist and owner of Bling Dental. Therefore, he developed a whitening solution based on a combination of carbamide peroxide with a desensitizer.

Fighting Cellulite with Cosmetotextiles

Mirroring cosmetic chemists’ work, the garment industry has approached the same battle with textiles that constrict “troubled areas,” such as the buttocks and thighs, to make them appear smaller. Only recently, however, did the cosmetics and garment industries join forces to target cellulite on both fronts—enter Lytess, a France-based shape-wear company.

Nature's Answer to Insect Repellent

Researchers have sourced fragrance ingredients that could provide a natural alternative to N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET), one of the most frequently used actives in insect repellents.

Psychodermatology: Believing is Seeing

Psychodermatology is the study of how the mind and body interact in relation to the onset and progression of various skin disorders. It also examines psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)—the way one’s mental state affects the immune system and hormones, in turn affecting the skin.

Engineering Super Ingredients

Although some debate exists regarding the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMO), there is no doubt that genetic modification has allowed a number of industries to design crops and other resources with new features or added benefits.

Fishing for Answers to Alopecia

Men seeking treatment for pattern baldness, a form of androgenic alopecia, often are confronted with both topical preparations and oral supplements. Murphy believes his company’s oral food supplement addresses hair loss both naturally and effectively-via fish.