As we move into 2020, CosmeticsDesign-Europe rounds up the most read stories of 2019 that won the interest of our beauty and personal care industry readers.
Unsurprisingly there was sharp engagement in regulatory stories - think CBD, free from and REACH bans - along with thousands of clicks on some of the year's biggest business advances - think L'Oréal paper tubes, Henkel sustainable packaging and the Nestlé Skin Health sale.
Sustainable packaging advances
News of L’Oréal and Albéa’s paper packaging launch gained huge interest last year. The international beauty major teamed up with the global packaging firm to co-develop paper-based cosmetic tubes, announcing a market launch for skin care in 2020.
The partnership formed part of wider sustainable commitments made by the two firms and aligned with the Ellen McArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, of which both are signatories.
News of German beauty major Henkel integrating 100% recycled plastic into two special edition shampoo and shower gel variants also stole the spotlight. Within the initiative, 50% of the plastic was classified ‘social’ under a programme with Plastic Bank to fight ocean plastic while reducing poverty.
Regulatory reviews
Overall, regulatory coverage gained significant interest last year, including an in-depth guest article looking at how laws on animal testing differed across the globe.
While the European Union has had a ban on all animal testing for cosmetics products and cosmetic ingredients since 2013 under the Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009, other non-EU countries followed suit soon after, including Turkey, India, Taiwan and South Korea.
Plenty of discussion and research focus remained on finding viable alternatives and getting these methods validated.
Coverage on the recent guidance document issued by the European Union on ‘free from’ also sparked interest. Our two-part analysis addressed confusion on the topic, pointing out the difference between regulation and guidance.
Analysis of global sunscreen regulations and the European regulations of cannabidiol (CBD) also made our most-read list – delving into the complexities and market differences facing industry – along with a look at upcoming REACH restrictions on microplastics, permanent make-up and cyclic siloxanes.
Big business and analysis
The €9.35bn sale of Nestlé Skin Health to an investment consortium in October last year captured significant interest in the cosmetics world. Importantly, the move saw the consortium of renowned institutional investors, including Swedish equity firm EQT, Canadian pension fund managers PSP Investments and wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) Luxinva, rebrand the entire unit Galderma and shift into pure play dermatology.
Galderma will keep its Switzerland headquarters and work to increase its presence in the US and China under the new ownership.
Our interview with medical doctor Professor Dr. Torsten Zuberbier from Berlin’s Charité university hospital on fragrance-free was also a top-read story last year. Zuberbier said that whilst allergies had to be taken seriously, the cosmetics industry should avoid going fragrance-free because even allergy sufferers deserved product enjoyment and contact reactions rarely occurred.
We also reported on L’Oréal’s collection of scientific reviews analysing the safety data of four often-questioned cosmetic substances – mineral oils and waxes; phenoxyethanol; octocrylene; and titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Published in a special issue of Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology (JEADV), the editor-in-chief said these reviews provided “important information” for patient-healthcare discussions.
