Film forming properties are very important in the cosmetics and personal care industry. Products must contain film formers in order to perform as described and advertised. Film formers provide water resistance and longevity to products that need to have long wear such as sunscreens. They also provide various properties that lengthen, curl, build, separate as in the case of mascaras. But what exactly are film formers and how are they used in cosmetics to create unique products that can outperform the competition?The most common film formers used in cosmetics come in the form of polymers. Polymers are long chain molecules comprised if many “links”. These links are usually repeat units of a basic molecule. The repeating units vary with the molecular weight of the polymer. Another type of film former is a Colloid. Technically, a colloid is a group of tiny particles that are caught up with in liquid or solid matrix. These particles can be natural (mineral based) or synthetic and can also vary in molecular weight depending on the film property requirements. The next type of film formers are called resins. Resins are clear to translucent yellow or brown, solid or semisolid, viscous substances of plant origin, but they can also be synthetic...