Posts by Irena James
A Year in Review: Lessons From 2014
This year has been an exciting one for the skin care industry. Trends, such as multifunctionality, age-defying, barrier-repairing, and hydrating, as well as nature-inspired ingredients that dominated skin care launched... Read More →
Published in IngredientsPreservatives: Why we need them and why we should not have products without them
There is nothing that causes more grief and dismay to a cosmetic chemist or a formulator than being told which specific preservative to use or being asked to create a... Read More →
Published in IngredientsThe Many Faces of Silicones
Over 50 percent of all new cosmetics introduced globally in the last 10 years contain at least one silicone. Slowly, but surely, silicones are becoming one the most valued ingredient... Read More →
Published in IngredientsIngredient Trends to Watch: Energizers, Water-channels and Retinol Alternatives
Skin care ingredient trends have behaved much like fashion trends, with each decade giving rise to particular leanings and inclinations. The 1980s saw an obsession with collagen masks and creams.... Read More →
Published in IngredientsSurfactants and Emulsifiers
Most chemists openly express their concern over how little time is spent studying surfactants in college given their considerable importance in so many industries, especially the skin care industry. According... Read More →
Published in IngredientsSunscreens: Myths, Controversy and Photo Protection Beyond UV
Global sun care is heading toward a record high in sales, totaling approximately $1.3 billion by the end of 2014. We should all feel very proud of ourselves. Our endless... Read More →
Published in IngredientsEmploying Antioxidants in Your Skin Care Strategy
Over the last couple of decades, antioxidants have risen from humble beginnings to being a part of some of the most sophisticated applications in cellular protection. Well established as the... Read More →
Published in IngredientsSpeaking the Legal Lingo
If you have ever sold an anti-aging product or a product for acne-prone skin, chances are that, at some point, you have broken the law. Not because you sold these... Read More →
Published in IngredientsTesting Our Ability to Read the Results
The good ol’ days provided simpler times when it was enough to tell your client that their product contained hydrating honey, soothing aloe, cooling cucumber, and revitalizing carrot extract. Relying... Read More →
Published in IngredientsBasic Product Concepts
We have come a long way since the first vanishing creams promised to protect the skin from the elements such as chapping winds and sooty breezes. Today’s consumer expectations of... Read More →
Published in Ingredients
