TAGS: in-cosmetics
in-cosmetics formulation summit, held from 19-20 November, London, hosted more than 160 R&D professionals (75 percent international) who were looking to formulate sustainable, clean beauty products for the conscious consumer.
Trends Discussed at the Summit
Clean Beauty on Rise
At the formulation summit, Andrew McDougall, associate director of beauty and personal care at Mintel, predicted that the 3 Ps trend – Pre, Pro and Postbiotics – will continue to grow. Clean lifestyle is growing across all categories, he highlighted research that shows almost half (49 percent) of US adults (aged 18-24) are now looking for clean beauty products and 51 percent would pay more for a product from a socially responsible company.
Mr McDougall discussed the impact of beauty brands on mental wellbeing. He went on to explain the need for brands to be ‘good for the planet’, focusing on how synthetic biology is making active ingredients faster and greener, and why manufacturers are looking closely at agroforestry to combat climate change.
Mr McDougall claimed that the beauty industry needs more transparency and must talk about how it can help make people happy and relive stress, but it’s also important to be good for the planet.
“We are seeing consumers increasingly seeking out cosmetics that have less ingredients and avoiding products made with ingredients such as palm oil, that are associated with damage to the environment,” commented Dr Barbara Brockway of Applied DNA Sciences.
Green Preservation Techniques in Formulations
One of the most anticipated sessions was conducted by Andrea Mitarotonda, who has worked for both manufacturers of specialty ingredients and finished cosmetic goods, including Oriflame R&D and Neal's Yard Natural Remedies. He focused on the need for new preservation strategies and explained how cosmetic chemists can use green and alternative preservation techniques in formulations.
With sales of natural and organic products growing, the ability to make green claims presents a huge commercial opportunity. Dr Mitarotonda highlighted that 82 percent of companies launching products in the last year have made green claims, and that since 2005 there has been a steady increase in the number of products stating to be ‘paraben-free’.
Concluding his presentation, Dr Mitarotonda presented studies that showed natural alternative preservatives can produce as good results as conventional preservatives but warned chemists to look for research data in order to make informed decisions.
Waterless Cosmetics
Tijana Janjanin, operations manager at The Organic Pharmacy, talked about waterless cosmetics and gave a clear demonstration of why it is important to minimize the use of water in product development, by 2025 two-thirds of people will experience water scarcity, according to Mintel.
Water-free cosmetics have been used for years in Korea, because of their potency and effectiveness. And Ms Janjanin explained that there are a whole host of benefits, including the fact that no preservatives and stabilizers are needed, as well as a reduction in manufacturing costs and smaller product sizes.
She used
Clariant’s ReMagine and
Ashland’s Crème by Me as two successful waterless examples but reaffirmed that many different products can be developed without using water.
Focus on Neurocosmetics
John Jiminez, a senior exploration scientist at Belcorp, conducted a live study on the audience to demonstrate the impact music has on skin. It was a precursor for one of the most significant topics of the day – neurocosmetics.
Neurocosmetics have been around for some time but are now becoming increasingly important and influential to the conscious consumer. According to Kinetik Tech, Neurocosmetics are non-toxic, bio-active topical products which contain special ingredients designed to work on a neurological level.
Karl Lintner, the president of KAL'IDEES, who was responsible for developing the first neurocosmetic peptide, said “beauty is the promise of happiness.” Renowned for being one of the industry’s leading lights, he explained how cosmetics is about enhancing emotions and highlighted how brands can better measure their impact on wellbeing, in particular stress. Ending his session, he reminded cosmetic chemists of the importance of making claims about the emotional effect their products have on an end user.
Network and Source the Ingredients
The Formulation Summit also provided cosmetic chemists an opportunity to meet new people in the industry and learn more about some of the most innovative ingredients. The summit presented an opportunity for R&D teams to meet five suppliers in between sessions – amitahc,
Kuraray,
Incospharm,
CLR Berlin and
Vytrus Biotech, while a networking drinks reception took place on the evening of day one.
“There is a clear increase in demand for products that don’t harm the environment yet provide great quality results. Whether its skincare, hair care, fragrance or make-up, brands need to deliver,” commented Roziani Zulkifli, event director of the in-cosmetics Formulation Summit.
“What’s clear, from the packed room at the summit this year and the questions asked, is that manufacturers recognize the challenges posed by clean beauty, but that there is a real drive to innovate in this area. We’re proud to have delivered another highly successful event that provides the beauty industry with all the tools required to capitalize on this mega-trend.”
Source: in-cosmetics