Hair care

AAK announces sustainability improvements in latest report

22-Oct-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Ingredients supplier AAK has made improvements in its efficiency which is seeing it reduce enrgey consumption and CO2 emissions, whilst it still maintains that palm oil commitments remain high on its agenda.

ISO maintains tabled guidelines aim for consistent framework and to encourage innovation

22-Oct-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

With no harmonised technical data on natural and organic cosmetics in place, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) tabled draft guidelines (16128) which it maintains will create a consistent framework and encourage a wider choice of...

Will neuro-cosmetics be the next big trend?

15-Oct-2015 By Simon Pitman

Tapping into the big trend for wellbeing and sensory enhancement, a number of cosmetic ingredients targeting neurological stimulation could be the start of something new.

Croda claims split ends breakthrough for Crodabond CSA

14-Oct-2015 By Simon Pitman

Dominant cosmetics ingredient player Croda says its development team has come up with new data for the Crodabond CSA technology that underlines its ability to repair and seal split ends.

Danish EPA finds most preservatives used in cosmetics are safe

13-Oct-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has completed its latest assessment of preservatives in cosmetics products and found that most are safe for use in their current permitted concentrations.

Henkel scientists develop novel method to assess hair condition

13-Oct-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

A team of scientists from Henkel, in collaboration with the University of Manchester, have developed a novel method to study various types of hair damage related to different chemical treatments, based on the movement pattern of hair tresses.

BASF expands production capacity for emollients and waxes in China

13-Oct-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

In an effort to strengthen its presence in China, BASF has invested in an additional production facility to ramp up its production of wax esters, emulsifiers and primary surfactants in Jinshan.

Earthoil launches organic, fair trade ethanol to meet demand

09-Oct-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Earthoil is launching its organic, fair trade, sugar cane-derived alternative to petro-ethanol as it looks to meet the increased global demand for sustainably-sourced ingredients, while fulfilling the need to use the ingredient as a neutral base in cosmetics...

P&G caught out for ‘misleadingly exaggerating’ hair dye capability

08-Oct-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Procter & Gamble has been told to discontinue adverts for its Nicen’ Easy hair dye which feature the actress Christina Hendricks after complaints led the Advertising Standards Authority to deem that they ‘misleadingly exaggerated the capability of...

Givaudan inaugurates cosmetics actives range for Soliance

06-Oct-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Givaudan has inaugurated its new active cosmetic ingredients industrial line for Soliance products in Pomacle, France, as it looks to enhance and expand its position in the ingredients market once more.

Croda opens new facility as it furthers skin and hair care investment in Africa

06-Oct-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Croda has officially opened its new Centre of Excellence for Africa near Johannesburg as it looks to invest further in the region and develop solutions for both skin and hair care.

Clariant continues flurry of investment in Asia with Vivimed Labs acquisition

06-Oct-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

It's been a busy year of expansion for chemicals supplier, Clariant who now intends to acquire a part of Vivimed Labs personal care portfolio to strengthen its Industrial & Consumer Specialties (ICS) business unit in Asia.

L’Oréal Research explores the potential of silanes to repair damaged hair

02-Oct-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

L’Oréal Research has built on its years of hair studies and has explored the potential application of silanes in hair products, leading to the development of Aminosilane which it says will repair damaged hair.

Clariant seeks out new personal care talent pool in Singapore

01-Oct-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

Companies in Asia are already working with educational institutions to offer internships and attract fresh graduates to the cosmetics industry. Clariant is among those on the lookout for fresh talent..

Researcher assesses alternative methods to sensory profiling for cosmetics

30-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

The sensory qualities of a cosmetic product are essential nowadays and consequently sensory analysis methods are being used more to support projects more efficiently, according to a new paper.

BASF expects strategy to grow despite challenging environment

30-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Chemicals company BASF says that it expects its 'We create chemistry' strategy to grow and make the company more profitable, despite a challenging environment, according to its chairman of the Board of Executive Directors.

EC opens public consultations on restriction and ban of 2 cosmetics ingredients

30-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

The European Commission has opened two consultations on proposals to restrict cosmetics use of zinc oxide (ZnO) as a colourant, and to band chloroacetamide in cosmetic products.

Symrise opens multi-million euro expanded cosmetic ingredients production plant

29-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Symrise has opened its new multi-million euro expanded cosmetic ingredients production site in Holzminden, Germany, as it looks to strengthen its market position, both in its home market and globally.

AkzoNobel furthers South East Asia investment in Vietnam

29-Sep-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

AkzoNobel is investing in its performance coatings business in Vietnam, aiming to increase its workforce by 20 per cent to cater to customers in Southeast Asia, India, Australia and New Zealand.

L’Oréal withdraws hair wax to maintain trust with Danish consumers

25-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

L’Oréal has withdrawn its Kerastase K Short Mania hair wax line from the market after a new test from The Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals claimed that it contains polyaminopropyl biguanide (PHMB), which is prohibited in cosmetics.

Lonza forms partnership in South America with ingredients player Lamberti

24-Sep-2015 By Simon Pitman

The Lonza Consumer Care Business has signed a long-term commercial collaboration with Lamberti as a means of extending its reach in the personal and home care ingredients market in South America.

Henkel launches new Schwarzkopf men’s hair range targeting ‘important market’

23-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

German consumer products maker Henkel has launched its new MEN hair care range under its global Schwarzkopf brand in Germany Russia and China, as it looks to strengthen what it sees as an ‘important market.’

Barentz moves into China beauty supplements arena with New Skyport acquisition

23-Sep-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

Barentz International is moving into the beauty supplements arena with the acquisition of New Skyport, a distributor of specialty ingredients for the nutrition industry in China.

Scientists assess hair damage in straightening and colouring chemical treatments

16-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Scientists in Brazil assessed the hair damage caused by chemical treatments for straightening and colouring and found that when application of both types of products is desired, ammonium thioglycolate or guanidine hydroxide should be chosen for the straightening...

L’Oréal continues its hairdressing commitment with Professional Business Forum

15-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Beauty behemoth L’Oréal has continued its commitment to the professional hair care industry with its latest business forum which it says aims to develop the hairdressing industry and present the newest innovations.

Gattefossé's investment in a new Mumbai facility represents Asia success

15-Sep-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

The center, officially inaugurated on September 11th, features a 'state-of-the-art' personal care laboratory which the France-based active ingredients supplier says reinforces the activity of its affiliate, Gattefossé India.

P&G research team finds chelant use in shampoo improves hair health

08-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

P&G scientists have found that the use of chelants in shampoos and conditioners will reduce copper levels in hair and ultimately lead to improved hair health, particularly when exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

Solvay teams up with L'Oréal to promote sustainable practices in India

08-Sep-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

Solvay has teamed up with L'Oréal to teach sustainable agricultural practices to guar bean farmers in India - derivatives of which are used in various hair and skin conditioning products.

Researchers design easy-to-clean hairbrush with sustainability hopes

03-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Styling products, skin cells, hair, and oils can all clog up hairbrushes leading to the plastic products often finding their way to landfills, so researchers have designed a hairbrush that's easy to clean as the body of the brush flexes.

DSM to make organisational changes to adapt to global market

02-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Royal DSM announces that it is making adjustments to its organisational and operating model as it looks to create a more focused and cost efficient organisation, with a clearer market focus on a global scale; but this will mean job losses.

Givaudan acquires Induchem as Cosmetics Actives strategy continues

01-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Swiss ingredients player Givaudan has continued its efforts to build its science-based active cosmetics ingredients business with the acquisition of Induchem.

Study points to plastic particles found in cosmetics as damaging

01-Sep-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Face scrubs, cosmetics and cleaning products that contain microbeads could be harming the environment and in particular marine life, according to a new study by Plymouth University.

From waste prawn shells to shampoo - scientists develop new polymer

28-Aug-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

So you have made a lovely prawn cocktail, but what to do with the waste? Well, scientists have looked into producing shampoo using polymers found in seafood shells in a bit to make the whole process more environmentally friendly.

Bill proposed to phase out animal testing of cosmetics in Russia

25-Aug-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Russian MPs have prepared a new cross-party bill, the first of its kind in the country, which aims to phase out all animal testing for cosmetics and their ingredients by 2020.

New database helps formulators quantify long-term ingredient exposure

24-Aug-2015 By Deanna Utroske

Just how much personal care and cosmetics product are loyal consumers in contact with? That’s what a team of researchers from the US and Europe – including two pros from P&G – set out to discover.   

Researchers develop PDMS elastomers that could have cosmetics application

19-Aug-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

A team of polymer physicists and chemists has developed a way to create an ultra–soft yet dry silicone rubber that although is intended for medical use, could also be of interest to the cosmetics industry.

L’Oréal research points to continuous hair care regimen to limit damage in curly hair

19-Aug-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

L’Oréal research has found that damage from grooming and environmental factors can lead to unpredictable breakage in African-American hair and that to combat this it recommends a continuous hair care regimen that reduces these impacts.

What the new Brazilian biodiversity regulation means to cosmetics companies

17-Aug-2015 By Simon Pitman

With a new Brazilian regulation aiming to generate more research and cultivation of indigenous plant species, cosmetics companies look set to benefit but will also be expected to foot the bill.

Henkel utilises consumer experience program to test new Schwarzkopf products

12-Aug-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Henkel has taken a novel approach to consumer testing its Schwarzkopf hair products by launching its new VIP Tester program and offering selected internet users the possibility to exclusively test its latest styling, hair care, and colour products.

Public consultation on MI in leave-on cosmetics announced

11-Aug-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

The European Commission announces a public consultation on Methylisothiazolinone (MI) used in cosmetic products with a decision expected in October.

EC bans eyebrow enhancer in Bulgaria labelling benzalkonium chloride levels as ‘serious risk’

11-Aug-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

The European Commission has banned an eyebrow enhancer from being sold in Bulgaria after finding that it does not comply with the Cosmetic Products Regulation as it contains high levels of the cationic surfactant benzalkonium chloride.

Safety First! How consumers read beauty and personal care labels

11-Aug-2015 By Deanna Utroske

A newly released Harris Poll shows that well over half of women shopping for beauty and personal care products read the label before making a selection and that many are looking for formulations that exclude particular ingredients.

Evonik expands global cosmetics R&D focus

05-Aug-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Evonik has made moves to globalise its research and development venture for the cosmetic industry with the opening of new facilities in South Africa, Singapore, and Brazil.

Mechanical engineers rethink how heat affects the natural curl structure of hair

04-Aug-2015 By Deanna Utroske

Rather than studying hair according to ethnicity, researchers from Purdue University are categorizing hair by curl patterns and investigating the threshold at which each can tolerate heat styling. 

Nordic natural market boosted by consumer spending based on environmental concerns

04-Aug-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Nordic consumers take ethical and environmental concerns very seriously when it comes to cosmetics and personal care products and this is helping to drive the market forward.

Discovery of hair structure ‘critical’ for cosmetics industry’s understanding

30-Jul-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

A new discovery about the structure of human hair will change the way scientists and researchers, as well as the cosmetics industry, view and explore it in the future, according to the scientists who carried out the research.

EU Commission amends Annex III restricting hair dye and eyelash ingredients

30-Jul-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

The EU Commission has announced it will amend Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products, in a move that sees a number of hair dye ingredients and one eyelash ingredient added to the list...

Microalgae-derived betaine surfactant hits the market

29-Jul-2015 By Deanna Utroske

BASF has commercialized algal betaine as a personal care ingredient made with Solazyme’s AlgaPūr microalgae oils that’s intended for use in skin care and hair care formulations.

European Commission rules hair dye ingredient to be safe

29-Jul-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed the hair dye ingredient 1-hexyl 4,5-diamine pyrazole sulfate safe for use in products at their current levels after a lengthy investigation

Evonik opens new US facility

27-Jul-2015 By Deanna Utroske

The specialty chemicals company cut the ribbon on its Richmond Business and Innovation Center last week, setting the stage for further growth in North America and a new innovations strategy across the Evonik business.