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Debut has created biotech-derived carmine, a vibrant red pigment widely used in cosmetics.

Debut Revolutionizes Beauty with Animal-Free Carmine Breakthrough

"The toughest challenge in replicating carmine was discovering what was poorly understood and the complex chemical events that happen within the beetle, namely several biosynthetic steps which were the biggest mystery."

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Safer Solar Protection Part II, Going Beyond UV Defense

Recent research has focused on nature’s ways of protecting living organisms, from plankton and cyanobacteria to humans, from the sun. With the proper topical delivery systems, some of these biomechanisms may prove beneficial to consumers and marketers.

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Old Meets New: Facial Mapping and TCM to Reach Booming Markets

Several ingredient examples from Traditional Chinese Medicine folklore are now validated by modern science. This article explores their potential for the aspirational Chinese market and considers how techniques such as facial-mapping demonstrate their efficacy.

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Testing Tactics in Skin: A View of Visible Light Protection

Blue light, in particular, may be responsible for most of the adverse skin reactions caused by visible wavelengths. This column reviews methods to screen for materials that protect against blue light but also allow its benefits to shine through.

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How K-Beauty Advances Skin Care Through Next-Generation Delivery Systems and the Continuous Reinvention of Proven Actives

Current advances are driven by three distinct technologies: liposomes, exosomes and spicules.

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Keeping with Tradition: Essential Oil History, Use and Production: A Review

Numerous essential oils are used in cosmetics, and a typical oil will contain more than 100 compounds, each with a different property. Following is a brief review of their history, personal care applications and production processes, for the novice formulator.

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Into the Blue: Novel Test Reveals Blue Light Damage, Protection Strategies

The negative effects of visible or blue light on skin are not fully understood. This article describes a model to test for potential damage and screen for compounds to suppress it. Results confirm blue light induces cutaneous damage, and a 3-D strategy of UV filters, vitamins and plant extracts suppresses it.

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Peptides and Their Potential Within Longevity Skincare

Strategic combinations of peptides can influence multiple anti-aging pathways simultaneously, offering a multifunctional solution for well-aging.

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Hair Damage and Repair Literature: Sweet Potato Sochu and Red Clover

Hair thinning and loss; nourishing and bonding treatments; and scalp, curl and color care are among today's top concerns and trends in hair care. As such, we offer the following brief literature review with a look at recent research related to hair repair and damage.

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Cold Stress Damage, Banished: Daphne odora Extract Improves Skin Moisture and Healing

Cold stress can affect the integrity of the skin. In relation, compounds synthesized by plants under environmental stress have been characterized for their protective effects; although limited data relates to cold stress. This article explores an extract from Daphne odora cell cultures to address cold stress-related damage including dryness, cutaneous micro-lesions and inflammation.

IFSCC 2014 Explores Social, Psychological and Sensorial Aspects of Beauty

As one might expect from an event centered around beauty and staged in Paris, the 28th Congress of the International Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) was nothing less than fabulous. However, the glamour and fanfare was deeply rooted in science.

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Sticking it to Hair Damage: Delivery Duo Protects and Repairs Inside and Out

To adequately protect hair from damage, an efficient solution should offer not only high coverage externally, but also penetrate hair to impart reparative effects internally. The present study explores the ability of a dual technology to provide these benefits, as demonstrated via analytical techniques.

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Attacking Acne: OTC Topical Treatments

Most of the world's population has, at some point, been affected by acne. This, along with the recent "maskne" phenomenon, has heightened demand for OTC acne care. The present feature reviews the formation of acne and various topical treatments to mitigate it; such as salicylic acid, sulfur and benzoyl peroxide.

Bromelain and papain are food enzymes found respectively in pineapple and papaya, and often used as cosmetic ingredients.

Enzymology: Accelerating Success in the Skin Care Market

While the benefits of enzymes have long been known, interest in enzymology for cosmetic and dermatological applications has grown. Advances in the functionality, safety and stability of enzymes are accelerating skin care product development; some are described here.

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Photostability Leads the Way: Formulating Safer Sunscreens

The need to prevent skin from UV damage is well-understood but the most effective way to achieve this is not. Here, a novel photostabilizer is presented in a test pump sunscreen spray formula as part of a total photoprotection strategy.

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Halting Premature Sking Aging by Improving Emotional Resilience: An Innovative Lactobacillus Extract as a Neuro-cosmetic Ingredient

This article introduces an innovative Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG postbiotic as a neuro-cosmetic ingredient designed to counter stress-related premature skin aging by improving emotional resilience and overall well-being.

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The Dirty Truth About Pollution-induced Skin Aging: The AhR Pathway Tells All

Studies have shown that exposure to airborne, traffic-related particulate matter (PM) is associated with increased signs of extrinsic skin aging.1-3 Using model particles as surrogates, these researchers developed an in vitro model to evaluate premature aging induced via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway. They found a new AhR antagonist could inhibit the up-regulation of genes indicative for premature aging.

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Facial Sheet Masks on the Go: Reviving the Face

Facial sheet masks have numerous benefits, such as delivering active materials to the skin and leaving the face feeling moisturized. Innovations in sheet masks are on the rise, and formulators are searching for new materials that are safer, friendlier for the skin and environment, and sensorially pleasing.