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. In the 1990s, we fell in love with glycolic acids, which were then replaced with the organic and natural trend of the 2000s. Over the last decade, an astounding number of ingredients have come in…

Human stem cell science is frequently in the news with stories about how these amazing cells hold promise to treat disease, slow aging and even extend life. There are also stories about how stem cells can be useful in skin rejuvenation, adding an aesthetic benefit to their promise of improving health. Unfortunately, unscrupulous operators have exploited the mystique of stem cells by creating skin products…

Compared to generations before, today’s consumer takes a far more active interest in understanding the ingredients that comprise the products they buy and the manufacturing practices utilized to create them. Beyond the food industry, nowhere do we see more evidence of this practice than in the personal care industry. Recognizing that cosmetic and skin care ingredient lists can be overwhelming to the average consumer, various…

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 to Perry Romanowski, coauthor of the acclaimed textbook, Beginning Cosmetic Chemistry, “surfactants are the workhorses of the cosmetic industry and all cosmetic chemists would benefit learning the basic principles of surfactant chemistry.” 1 Most often,…