Cosmetics & Personal Care
in cosmetics Global Virtual Conference Review 6th April 2020
By Editorial Team
Last week we attended in-cosmetics Global Virtual Conference. This online event delivered great digital content. Below is a brief
Last week we attended in-cosmetics Global Virtual Conference. This online event delivered great digital content. Below is a brief summary of the latest trends, scientific advances and new product launches from exhibitors that participated in this online event.
The sessions will remain available on-demand. You can register here: https://www.in-cosmetics.com/global/
Ashland rises to ‘clean sleep’ challenge
With so much turbulence and uncertainty around us, a good night’s rest is currently proving elusive for millions of people. However, speciality chemicals company Ashland believes it has the answer.
The firm’s global marketing manager of biofunctionals, Justine Cotton, gave a detailed account of the effect of sleep deprivation on human skin at this year’s in-cosmetic event, and presented a new product designed to mitigate these hazards.
The speaker, who has a background in biology as well as marketing, pointed to studies which show that only one in five people gets a good night’s sleep almost every night, and 5% say they never do so. These studies reflect a wealth of previous research; to take just one example, studies in the UK showed that the average British adult gets only six-and-a-half hours’ sleep per night, and one in 10 feels generally rejuvenated when they wake up.
Cotton added that the problem is largely attributable to modern lifestyles, which prevent us from destressing at night and so deny the body’s skin time to complete its natural cleansing and resetting cycles. What’s more, the near-constant use of digital screens stunts the body’s organic development of melatonin, which both induces drowsiness and triggers a number of crucial dermatological repair processes.
In the hope of addressing these problems, Ashland has developed Nightessence, a biofunctional Cotton described as “night gold.” Nightessence harnesses a natural lavender extract sourced from the Alps of Provence, and is predicated on a proprietary technology using Plant Small Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) molecules, which have been found to help plants adapt to their environment.
Cotton was quick to emphasise the product’s ethical credentials, citing the fact that is sourced locally and is fully biodegradable. Because the product was harvested just 140 kilometres from Ashland’s biofunctional facility, transport costs were kept a minimum.
By releasing the new biofunctional, Cotton said that Ashland hopes to capitalise on the growing popularity of ‘clean sleep’, the pursuit of a stable and uninterrupted night’s sleep through a variety of healthy habits and behaviours.
In a release to accompany the launch, Joel Mantelin, Ashland’s vice president marketing and business development, said: “Based on scientific research, Ashland has defined the biology of the skin at night as noctology, which describes the needs of skin through essential nocturnal processes and molecules for night repair of daily damage.
“Ashland’s Nightessence biofunctional enhances skin’s naturally occurring nocturnal process, dysregulated by hectic lifestyles, visible light and sun, and helps skin boost essential nighttime molecules such as timezyme and melatonin.”
Innospec maps out plastics commitment
The cosmetics industry may be forging ahead with sustainable products, but their packaging still remains rooted in wasteful antiquity. It is estimated that the industry generates 120 billion packaging units every year, and 70% of its plastic waste isn’t recycled[1].
At this year’s in-cosmetics summit, Innospec signaled its intention to curb this trend. Plastics reduction was a headline feature of the company’s webinar, which also gave a broader overview of the company’s long-standing sustainability program including its effort to reduce its environmwntal footprint.
Lucy Rotherham, marketing services and events manager of Innospec’s personal care unit, told her audience that the journey to less plastic is now an inexorable trend across all industries. As evidence she pointed to research from Mintel, which shows that 47% consumers are concerned about plastic pollution.
Rotherham went on to define Innospec’s own approach, whereby the company offers a number of concentrated ingredients that enable their customer to produce a variety of ‘pakaging free’ personal and home care products, and “provide support and inspiration for packaging” in the wider world.
Wider debatePlastics is just part of the wider debate around sustainability in the cosmetics industry, which reached a new pitch last month when the Personal Care Products Council launched its first-ever report on the subject[2].
Rotherham provided readers a glimpse of Innospec’s approach to this crucial issue, explaning the company defines clean beauty as “safe, effective formulation that uses only ingredients that have a skin or hair benefit, without using irritating or harmful ingredients.”
The speaker also discussed her company’s ongoing efforts to increase the transparency in their palm supply chain to refinery, mill and plantation level, and its membership and commitment to the Action for Sustainable Derivatives (ADS) initiative[3], which sims to develop harmonie approach to supply chain transparency, risk monitoring and evaluation.
[3] https://www.bsr.org/en/collaboration/groups/action-for-sustainable-derivatives
Perhaps the one of most inspiring aspects of the presentation was the company’s global charitable giving and volunteering program, Innospec Cares. Now in its fourth year, Innospec Cares has helped employees raise money, which the company will not only match fund but double, and donate their time for a wide range of charities and good causes. Rotherham explained as a global company, we take pride in our local approach, supporting the communities where we work and live. Our employees participate in a huge amount of community and fundraising activities throughout the year and Innospec is proud to support them.
Last year, National Geographic published a damning report about the cosmetics industry’s use of plastics. The researchers noted that the industry was a key contributor to the explosion in plastic packaging over the last 60 years (volumes have increased 120 times in the United States alone). Innospec’s efforts are providing their customers with innovative solutions to help them to produce plastic free packaged personal and home care products.
Givaudan wants us to wake up to sleep deficiency
Getting more sleep is the number 1. Wellness resolution of 2020, yet millions of people are falling short of this goal.
That was one of the headline takeaways from Givaudan’s webinar at this year’s in-cosmetics event, in which the Swiss fragrance manufacturer also laid out a bold new vision to help us address our shut-eye shortage.
As Mathias Fleury, Givaudan’s category manager for Biotech Active Ingredients explained, our sleep problem is two-fold: firstly we’re struggling to nod off, and then we’re finding it difficult to stay asleep during the night. In fact over two-thirds of US consumers say they struggle to maintain their sleep, while 50% of British people are failing to get seven hours a night.
One of the key issues, Fleury continued, is digital fatigue, the relentless exposure to the mobile and TV screens which dominate our daily lives. The average adult now spends 11 hours a day glued to their screen[1], and this is having a corrosive effect when we want to switch off for the night.
Specifically, the harsh glare of digital screens is disrupting our body clock and preventing the emission of melatonin, which is released naturally in the lead-up to sleep time. As Fleury explained, this leaves us locked in a “vicious circle of premature ageing”; on one hand our skin is not allowed to regenerate, and on the other, the natural anti-oxidant properties of melatonin, which help to energise our skin during the night, are being thwarted.
Striking results
To open the loop on this damaging cycle, Givaudan has identified two molecules from the triterpenoid family, crocin and crocetin, for their propensity to protect against blue light and UV rays. These molecules can be found in Gardenia fruits, cultivated in the Guangxi province of China, so Givaudan set up an extraction operation there.
The early results are striking. Givaudan has found that its solution protected the mitochondrial network, one of the main vulnerabilities to blue light, by 51%.
Yet perhaps the most impressive results came from double-blind tests on 40 women, which found a 21% reduction of crows’ feet wrinkles and improved sleep quality for 97% of participants. The number of awakenings during the night was also dramatically reduced.
As the world lurches and stumbles through the Coronavirus crisis, it seems there’s plenty more stress and panic in store over the next few months – and much of it will be funnelled through our TV and mobile screens. Thanks to Givaudan, though, we’ll at least improve our chances of disconnecting from it all at the end of the day.
BASF breaks new ground in ‘clean mica’ sourcing
On the surface, Mica is all glitter and sparkle. The cosmetics industry uses it to add shimmering pizzazz, to enliven products with a blitz of colour.
But underneath, in the mines where Mica is chiselled out, things are altogether murkier. Mica-sourcing has long been tarnished by accusations of flagrant labour violations, specifically the use of children in conditions akin to slavery.
So it was refreshing to hear Genevieve Lee, marketing manager for Cosmetic Effect Pigments at BASF Colors & Effects, outline a bold new vision for Mica at this year’s in-cosmetics event. Lee unveiled BASF’s new product, Cloisonné Vibrant Raspberry, and challenged her audience to “make conscious living a bold statement.”
As Lee said, “consumers are becoming informed experts themselves, driving the shift for cleaner, more natural products.” One only needs look at Mintel’s latest forecasts, predicting meteoric growth in the clean beauty space, to see that her view is widely shared across the industry[1].
Traceable and efficient
Cloisonné Vibrant Raspberry is designed with this in mind. The product is created using mica flakes sourced from BASF’s own mines in Hartwell, Georgia, guaranteeing a traceable supply chain with minimal shipping costs.
The mica is harvested with a zero-waste mindset, with any unused product returned to the earth and exhausted mines regenerated to provide habitat for local wildlife. Any water is completely recycled back into the lakes.
The product itself is designed with what Lee describes as a patent-pending technology, free of organic or animal-derived colourants, which offers enhanced light stability and non-fading properties. The colour scheme ranges from dark blue/black hues to bright red/orange, depending on the pigments it is combined with – so product designers can continue adapting to the fads and fripperies of the cosmetics industry.
As the world wipes away mica’s glittering veneer and sees the murky reality below, more and more firms are likely to move towards a more ethical footing. For now, though, BASF is happy to be forging ahead.
Evonik restates Ceramides commitment
Ceramides have long been the talk of the cosmetics industry, creating a booming market all of their own. Research released last month suggested this market is now worth $700 million, and a throng of companies are now jostling for position in a bid to claim supremacy.
But few companies have invested quite as much time and money in these wonder molecules as Evonik, and the German giant laid down a fresh marker to its competitors at this year’s in-cosmetic event.
The company’s marketing manager, Christin Ihrig, used her webinar to take viewers inside the human body and demonstrate the manifold benefits of Ceramides, echoing the recent hype which has led to them being labelled a “hero” product.
At the same time, the speaker teased a couple of new products, designed to extend the success of its existing offering and gain an edge over its many competitors.
As Ihrig told her audience, Ceramides occur naturally in the body and provide the ‘glue’ that binds skin cells together, enabling the skin to provide a natural barrier to pathogens and a gatekeeper for the ingress and egress of molecules.
Evonik’s current product range, the speaker explained, offers a range of benefits from skin nourishment to age-defiance – but the company is now working on new additions to its range.
One of the new products, Ihrig explained, will be derived from olive oil – a concept which has already been driven by companies such as Aston Chemicals. More and moe cosmetics companies are moving towards natural sources and it appears that Evonik is intent on following this direction of travel.
Little information was given about the other product, although Ihrig did say it would offer a more efficient way to generate Ceramide III, which supports the replenishment of the skin’s natural protective layer and combat dry and sensitive skin. Ceramide III is already a big part of Evonik’s investment in this area, so it’ll be fascinating to discover the new innovation when it’s finally unveiled.
Ihrig’s speech may not have been as detailed as some of the webinars at this year’s event, the message was clear: Evonik is determined to remain top of the Ceramides tree, no matter how many other companies try and muscle in.
DSM presents sunny outlook with series of product launches
The world may have spent several weeks trapped indoors, but cosmetics manufacturers jostling are still jostling to corner the lucrative market for bronzing and tanning products. None of them is more determined than DSM, and the Dutch giant used this year’s in-cosmetics event to reaffirm its commitment to claiming top spot.
As well as unveiling a new peptide designed to “reveal your summer glow”, DSM revealed a series of new sun protection factor (SPF) minerals and demonstrated its latest research in the field of UV filters, an area in which it has become a clear market leader.
In addition, the cosmetics ingredient specialist unveiled a new commercial innovation for one of its flagship anti-wrinkle products and a volume-boosting hair treatment, showcasing the range of its market offering.
Natural look
DSM’s global marketing lead for skincare bioactives, Lana Vinogradova, kicked off the presentation with the dual product launch: Syn-glow, a glow-boosting solution designed to work with the user’s natural complexion, and a new edition of Syn-ake, designed to remove wrinkles in women of all ages.
Vinogradova told the audience that Synglow is intended to offer a natural look, and a stronger solution than “quick-fixes, like make-up or self-tanners.” She added that the peptide was selected from a library of over 100 alternatives for its efficacy.
Syn-ake, meanwhile, is already familiar to the market, having established a legion of celebrity fans with its synthetic peptide formula, which famously mimics the venom of the Temple Viper. However, as Vinogradova explained, the market is growing; Millennials are beginning anti-ageing treatments at just 26 years old, half the age of their mothers, and ‘preventive botox’ is a fast-rising trend.
To capture this growing audience, the new installment of Syn-ake is designed with dual-purpose functionality: as well as smoothing wrinkles that have already appeared, it is also engineered to stop them forming altogether.
The main part of the webinar was conducted by Michele Marchini, DSM’s global marketing lead for photoprotection, who laid out the advances his company is making in the UV realm.
As Marchini explained, much of the information available on UV filters is misleading and contradictory, leading to scepticism among consumers. To address this problem, DSM has created its own UV taskforce, with a brief to review currently available products and analyse a plethora of environmental issues.
This research has culminated in an upgraded version of DSM’s sunscreen optimiser, which enables side-by-side comparisons of different formulations with a forensic analysis of factors such as cost, sensory implications and eco-impact in the creation of each product.
Marchini also took time to reveal a series of SPF formulations under the ‘Sun Stars’ umbrella, including foundation and concealer products which provide a hybrid of makeup and SPF protection. As the market continues to move away from single products towards multi-functional hybrids[1], this foray appears well-timed.
Big hair plus care
The presentation was concluded by Melanie Waenckel, global marketing manager for technical and performance ingredients, who unveiled the new version of Tilamar Boost 150, a high-volume hyperbranched polymer designed “for 24-hour big hair plus care” and capitalise on the deficiencies of current volume shampoo products.
As Waenckel explained, the product is now equipped with Coacervate technology to ensure polymers reach the hair fibres during washing and rinsing, and a structural tweak creates space between the hair fibres during drying. A flurry of instrumental and hairdresser tests, Waenckel said, have proven that Tilamar 150 delivers a volume boost of up to 50% after 24 hours on Caucasian hair and 20% on Asian hair.
The cosmetics market may be blighted by uncertainty and introspection at present, but DSM has shown that it has all the bases covered if, and when, the world emerges from isolation.
