Functionals

Sustainability is the catchphrase par excellence when you ask about current trends and demands regarding cosmetic products. Consumers themselves can change a lot with their behaviour – for example when showering. With an improved formulation, brands can support them in this while strengthening their sustainable reputation.

Few trends have remained a constant in the way ‘clean beauty’ has, with consumers continuing to opt for products that feature natural ingredients. Similarly, the category of clinically proven skincare products has emerged as a big parallel trend. Current studies show how both trends can be united.

Sunscreens add a significant value to society in protecting skin and human health. Nevertheless, recent concerns refer to the effect some UV-filters may have on human and/or environment safety. Specifically, this affects octocrylene (OCR) and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC) discredited for different reasons, resulting in a sharp demand towards replacing UV-filter systems of past decades.

For the sun protection factor in the finished product to work reliably, a dependable formulation is essential. But not all active ingredients are photostable. Dr Shaher Duchi and Dr Danny Goldstein show how microencapsulation technology improves the performance of avobenzone.

Eye patches | Among the solution to fight tired eye contour, hydrogel eyepatch has been favoured by consumers for years. From an ecological point of view, however, they have so far been able to score only few points. Alix Bellanné knows the latest advances here.

Active ingredient | The topic of upcycling is currently on everyone’s lips, but it is not as new as some might think. Avocado oil, which was a by-product of pharmaceutical activity, was already being used for cosmetic purposes over 30 years ago. Inès Duvillier explains how the polyphenols derived from it can be used in eye care.

Everything started in 2006 when we decided to take on a student to write a thesis on “Developing a cellular culture of Jania Rubens”. This macroalgae has incredible properties, but it is slow-growing and there is a significant risk of overexploiting it. So the company considered a simple question: “how can we grow the algae without having a negative impact on nature?” 

New developments | The continuing trend to use natural or nature-based ingredients in cosmetics and body care ensures that more and more new ingredients enrich the market. Natural butylene glycol has even more advantages over its petro-based counterpart.

Not all peptides are the same. That is why it is important to know what peptides are, how they work and what they do. In addition, Dr Larissa Legewie explains the small but subtle differences between these biomimetic messengers.

The trend towards natural ingredients in cosmetics and also towards the use of vegetable oils continues to strengthen. Due to their composition, these harbour problems in terms of stability during the product’s shelf life. Arielle Springer and Dr Sandra Kiese present a process to increase the stability of the products.

Ingredients derived from hemp and cannabis are becoming increasingly popular. As with many natural ingredients, there are weak points in the production process. The production of cannabinoids through fermentation processes in the laboratory makes it possible to ensure consistent quality in a sustainable way without the need for the cannabis sativa plant.

 Essential oils are organic compounds which are naturally produced by plants and their properties largely depend on their plant of origin. Their direct use in cosmetic products is limited because they are highly volatile ingredients. Dr Danny Goldstein and Dr Shaher Duchi explain the advantages of the encapsulation.