When it comes to color, there probably isn’t a more discriminating consumer than a woman who is selecting cosmetics to apply to her face, eyes, lips and nails. Women have an uncanny talent for selecting the best cosmetics that harmonize with scarves, tops, skirts, shoes and other apparel to produce a finished and stunning look

Ever changing consumer demands and constant competitive pressure necessitate the development and rapid commercialization of innovative products for household and personal care. While researchers, formulators and market specialists strive to deliver these products, regulatory bodies around the world enact increasingly stringent legislation on related environmental, health and safety issues. In their efforts to comply with regulatory requirements, support innovation and meet business objectives, researchers within these organizations seek out the most effective analytical instrumentation and methods – a dynamic that in part drives the advancement of laboratory technologies. Of the many techniques utilized in the modern day laboratory, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (MS) are among the most common

This article summarizes the most recent published data (including ours) pertaining to the chemical analysis of commercial and traditional henna samples. Henna is used as a traditional cosmetic and remedy in the Islamic World. The lead levels found in henna were low with concentrations ranging from 1.29 ppm to 65.98 ppm. While the concentrations of paraphenylenediamine (PPD) in commercial henna samples used for either tattooing or hair dying ranged from 0 to 66.500 percent. The very low concentrations of lead measured in these henna samples were reassuring; however, the cumulative effects of prolonged lead exposure may be of concern. Thus, the use of henna containing additives such as lead and PPD especially among children may constitute a public health risk

This study was undertaken in order to determine the chemical composition of potentially lead-toxic traditional eye cosmetics (“kohls”) available in Morocco. A total of 9 kohl samples were obtained in the souks of various towns in Morocco. The techniques of X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and low vacuum scanning electron microscopy (LVSEM) were used to analyse the samples. Overall, it was found that 5 (56 percent) of the samples contained a lead compound (galena, PbS) as the main component; with a further 2 samples having galena present as a minor component. The other (4) main components were found to be either calcite or aragonite (i.e. CaCO3)

More than 9 million natural and synthetic chemicals are available, some easily and some even more easily worldwide. India accounts for one-third of pesticide poisoning cases in the third world and the worst affected are the farm workers. True incidence of household poisons is difficult as many of the cases are not reported to the local Poison Centres. Common household poisons are rodenticides, carbamates, phenyl, detergents, corrosives, air fresheners, nail polish removers and many more. Poisoning with most of these are mostly asymptomatic needing just observation but many of these can also have life threatening complications and even lead to death. The present article evaluates the various possible toxic products available in ones household, their toxicity and its management

The European Regulatory Framework deeply affects everyday life of European citizens and strictly regulates enterprise and industry in the Union. Nevertheless, most people have no or only little insight on how European laws are generated, how they work and how they are implemented. Terms of the jargon communataire like intergovernmental or community method, directive, regulation, decision, recommendation, comitology, co-decision, etc. remain a mystery for most people. To make things worse, the structure and the functioning of the European Union is extremely complex. Depending upon which policy is going to be regulated, different legislative procedures are employed involving different institutions (...)

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) is an independent program that evaluates the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics. With participation of the Personal Care Products Council, the US FDA and the Consumer Federation of America, the program has been operating since 1976. The CIR Expert Panel, composed of medical and scientific experts and non-voting representatives of FDA, consumers and industry, reviews and makes safety determinations in an open, public process, and is supported by the CIR Staff. The recent expansion of the CIR program, summarized in this review article, has enhanced its mission to provide comprehensive, open and scientifically expert reviews of ingredients in an open and unbiased manner

Developing alternative approaches to animal testing and, more in general, updating the instruments toxicologists use to test compounds has become of growing importance. It was 1959 when Russell and Burch set a milestone in the field of toxicology with the publication of their study “The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique”, which introduced the concept of the “three Rs”, reduction, refinement and replacement, for a more ethical animal experimentation. A long road has been made since then, but the revolution in the contents of the toolbox of toxicology is still pending. In fact, several “traditional” animal based testing procedures developed more than half a century ago are still in use in their unaltered original form. In addition, an ever growing number of evidences pose serious doubts on the real predictive value of animal based testing methods (...)

Botulinum toxin A (BoNT/A) is a zinc-dependent endopeptidase composed of a heavy and a light chain connected by a disulfide bond. The toxifying light chain interacts within peripheral nerve endings with a synaptosome-associated protein, SNAP-25, that specifically inhibits the transport of acetylcholine to the cell membrane. BoNT/A temporarily chemically denervates the muscle. In case of hyperactive facial muscles this leads to a smoothing of the facial appearance with a natural friendly and relaxed expression. The detailed knowledge of the active compound and the anatomy are prerequisites of BoNT/A usage in cosmetic medicine. There are classical indications of BoNT/Afor horizontal lines of the forehead, frown lines and Crow’s feet (...)

The ancient Egyptians adorned themselves with wigs and fake beards for ceremonial occasions, while in China women would wear their long hair fastened in a knot at the nape of their neck. Renaissance European women took to plucking their hair to give the effect of a larger then normal forehead. Times have not changed and we are still looking to manipulate our hair for manageability, fashion or individuality. Despite the economic downturn, which has greatly influenced the public’s shopping habits, a recent Mintel report has shown an increase in the value of the hair styling market with predicted future growth

The objective evaluation of some psychophysiological parameters represents a useful tool for the measurement of the efficacy of new beauty and wellness treatments. The focus of the research was to evaluate the correlation between the variation of physiological and psychological parameters before and after a Beauty & Wellness (B&W) treatment, using specific equipments and self-administered questionnaires. In the first phase of the study, published on Household and Personal Care Today, 1, pp. 50-52 (2009), anxiety and self-esteem variation were assessed before and after B&W treatments, according to age. The results of this study, carried out in Italy, showed that B&W treatments induced psychological effects, enhancing self-esteem and decreasing anxiety (...)

In-cosmetics 2010 will be remembered for many reasons. And I am not referring to Eyjafjallajökull, and the many problems it has brought to travellers, including my colleagues and me – it would be far too obvious to mention it. If clouds are what we really want to talk about, then we should refer to the dark clouds of economic crisis which have built up and cast their gloomy shadow through all 2009, marking a unique period in the history of our economies, a turning point intended to mark our time.

After attending its third edition, we can definitely confirm that PCHI has become an irrenounceable event for Personal Care professionals in China and all over the world. It is held at the beginning of the year, before the other major shows take place, thus this event is a sort of indicator to understand the trends of the market worldwide, with companies attending the show coming from all continents. PCHI is becoming an increasingly popular meeting place, the figures show it clearly. It has become an important appointment in everyone’s agenda, a significant event to effectively network and do business. The 2010 edition was held in Shanghai and was attended by about 4,600 visitors, 13 percent more than in 2009, which had already had an excellent level of attendance, given that it was held in the highly industrialized area of Guangzhou

Natural cosmetics is the fastest growing segment of the global cosmetics market. In Germany for instance, sales of natural cosmetics grew by about 5 percent to 675 million Euros in 2009, according to estimates provided by the German Cosmetic, Toiletry, Perfumery and Detergent Association (IKW) (1). And this pattern is set to continue, with British research company Organic Monitor predicting that the European natural personal care market will be worth 1.928 billion Euros by the end of this year – an increase of 27 percent since 2008 (2). This market growth is mainly driven by the LOHAS (lifestyle of health and sustainability) movement. LOHAS consumers are looking for personal care products that offer well-being benefits, at the same time as having minimal impact on the environment. Consumers are becoming more interested in how the products they use are made and which ingredients they contain