Cosmetics science course applies foundation

By Guy Montague-Jones, 04-Nov-2008

The first-ever Canadian cosmetic sciences program has got underway at Durham College in Oshawa with the aim of inspiring future cosmetic scientists and entrepreneurs.

Estee Lauder worked with the Society of Cosmetic Chemists and Durham College to design and implement the program which was launched this September.

Covering a broad range of topics relevant to the creation of cosmetic products, the program aims to equip professionals and aspiring cosmetic chemists with a global perspective on the science lying behind the beauty counter.

The program comprises of six courses including:

• Introduction to cosmetic science
• Color cosmetic formulation
• Skin and hair care formulation
• Product testing and evaluation
• Quality assurance and quality development
• Cosmetic product development

“In-house training can be very specific and geared to a certain work area whereas academic training gives a truly global perspective,” said Dennis Zuccolin, the manager of product safety at Estee Lauder’s newly renovated color innovation center in Ontario.

The industry is also on the lookout for talented cosmetics scientists as demand grows for products that offer real benefits and not just aesthetic appeal.

The Durham College program equips students with a certificate from the university but much of the program is drawn up and taught by scientists at Estee Lauder.

The program is not conceived only as an incubator for the next generation of cosmetic scientists at Estee Lauder but as preparation for people looking to enter the industry generally and as a means of sparking cosmetic entrepreneurs into life.

Zuccolin told CosmeticsDesign.com that by bringing industry and academia together the program may also bring about collaborations that may not have otherwise happened.

Academics from outside Estee Lauder may come to the company to present their latest research and therefore stimulate ideas for new products and technologies, added Zuccolin as an example of the fruit that may be borne from closer contact.

CTPA comments on Which? nanotechnology scare

5 November, 2008

The CTPA has spoken out about a report featured in consumer magazine Which? that casts doubts over the safe use of nanotechnology in cosmetics. “The cosmetics industry takes its legal responsibility to supply only safe products very seriously. We are disappointed that Which? feels that the stringent EU rules surrounding the manufacture and safety assessment of cosmetics are somehow not robust,” the CTPA stated on its website. A spokesperson for the association added: “The implication was that cosmetic products are not safety assessed with nanotechnology in mind – which is untrue. You couldn’t put nanotechnology on the market without assessment.”

The CTPA also stressed the positive benefits of both nano-emulsions, which help disperse product on the surface of the skin without breaking through the skin, and nano-pigments, which deflect UV light more effectively than larger particles when used in sun care formulations.

 

When researching the report, Small Wonder? Nanotechnology and Cosmetics, the publication contacted 67 cosmetics companies regarding their use of nanotechnology. Seventeen firms responded and only eight of these (The Body Shop, Boots, Nivea, Avon, L’Oréal, Unilever, Korres and The Green People) were willing to provide information about their use of nanotechnology. “The report is based on a questionnaire and companies don’t have to respond to a consumer questionnaire,” a CTPA spokesperson explained, adding that many of the companies that responded were the larger ones and that small companies with less staff may not have had the time.