Tag Archives: ingredients

Fomblin – Have You Fombled?

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Colin

Almost no idea is so far fetched that somebody somewhere hasn’t proposed using it as the basis of a new cosmetic.  This came to mind the other day when the element fluorine was mentioned in a conversation I was having. … Continue reading →

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Formulating Lipstick Is Not Easy

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Colin

Timea Sulenta – an Austrian cosmetic formulator has written a very informative article in the latest edition of the Personal Care magazine about the difficulties of formulating lipsticks.  Because formulating lipstick is not easy. For something so every day they … Continue reading →

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Cosmetic Safety Assessments

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Colin

Since the nineties the European Union’s cosmetic legislation has required that all cosmetic and personal care products placed on the market should be assessed for safety by a suitably qualified person.  I am not sure what the exact thinking behind … Continue reading →

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Pigments In Paintings And Cosmetics

Posted on January 2, 2015 by Colin

I was glad I made the time last summer to visit the National Gallery’s exhibition of the pigments artists have used over the years.  It was a fascinating business, and it is a bit sobering to remember just how much … Continue reading →

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Butterfly Wing Cosmetic Colours

Posted on December 30, 2014 by Colin

One of the highlights of 2014 for me was a talk by Peter Vukusic of Exeter University at the Society of Cosmetic Scientist’s meeting on May Day near Oxford.  It was about alternative ways of creating colours for cosmetics.

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Rosin

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Colin

Rosin is a resin derived mainly from pine. It is a bit like one of those odd job men you run into who can do all sorts of odd things.  It is used to coat violin bows so they run … Continue reading →

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A Natural Way Of Preserving Products Using Oregano

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Colin

Regular readers will know that any aqueous cosmetic product needs a preservative to stop it going mouldy.  Preservatives tend to get a bad press, and given that most of them are inevitably toxic they are probably going to carry on … Continue reading →

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Why Does Clinique Smart Custom Serum Smell Of Bacon?

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Colin

Here’s a funny thing.  I was asked on my Facebook page why Clinique Smart Custom Serum smells of bacon.   I should first point out that I am a bit of social media dinosaur and although I have had a Facebook … Continue reading →

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Do We Need A Low Allergy Standard For Cosmetics?

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Colin

The biggest cause of complaints to cosmetic companies from consumers are allergic reactions.  Anyone can develop an allergic reaction to anything at any time, so this is only to be expected.  There are some ingredients that are more inclined to … Continue reading →

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Gene Therapy In Skincare

Posted on November 30, 2014 by Colin

The excitable chaps who cover beauty over at the Daily Mail have gone even more  effervescent than usual over the latest expensive skin serum.  And when I say expensive I mean expensive – a four week course costs £600  (€750, … Continue reading →

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