An information day organized by Premium Beauty News, with the participation of Mulon Conseil, gathered on 6 July more than 50 formulation specialists, brands and suppliers, all concerned with the uncertainties surrounding some ingredients in use in cosmetic products. And in particular, the famous parabens, regarded in 2004 in a suspicious light by some scientists, banned in products for children under 3 years in Denmark in 2010, under sustained criticism in France and threatened of being banned by a bill of law in May this year, but also weakened by this gigantic green wave for organic and natural products. To cope with the increasing level of consumer awareness, brands are striving to find new solutions and the appropriate alternative to these widely used ingredients in cosmetics due to their antimicrobial efficacy andtheir safety in use.
After an overview of the regulatory status of concerned substances,Laurence Mulon listed the solutions already in use: products authorized by some standards on natural and organic products (some preservatives included on a positive list) but also new approaches and alternatives, such as sterilization, airless or single-dose packagings, self-protection of the formula (with ingredients imparted with microbiological properties, without being however considered preservatives), regulation of the pH in emulsions, reduction of the water activity, addition of alcohol, etc.
André Jean Brin (AJ Brin Consulting), with its expertise in this area, shared some thoughts on the pitfalls and options. Be very knowledgeable in raw materials, in their composition, in their microbial properties but also in water properties, "because the risks are increased when there is a important water content in a formula." Prefer the use of raw material with bacteriostatic or bactericidal properties, such as ylang-ylang, or of "preservative-like" actives such as sorbic acid, while validating their total safety and approval for use in some markets. Prefer prevention to emergency, think about side risks, study the stability over time, "try to maybe find the right combination, but will it feature the appropriate cosmetic properties? The consumer will provide the answers!" A consumer that urgently needs to be educated on its own role regarding the contamination of cosmetics products!
A change of posture
Régine Frick, an engineer in formulation chemistry and an expert in innovation, has plunged us into the science of language with its constraints and evolution. A profession that requires expertise, process, and some responsiveness to budgetary and regulatory contingencies but also to market trends. Hence, the minimalistic approach, bordering quintessence in today’s formulas, to only retain the essential and the safest. Not to speak of Formulation Raisonnée, an exciting experimental approach developed in the 1920s, which consists in "deconstructing the formula’s skeleton taking into account the ingredients physical and chemical properties and performances, to better combine them together, focusing on the more functional ones and avoiding redundancies."
A revolution that requires, thorough reflection, to observe raw materials differently, and to use a program like Nimrod to streamline the testing phases and assess the maximum impact of an ingredient versus a desired result. A tool that helps solve problems, simplify formulas, reduce deadlines and costs, but also open new avenues for innovation and creativity, and why not, anticipate a future trend". "A strategy where maximum data is collected with the help of minimum tests."
Confronted to this methodological opportunity Ngub Nding (Ephyla) has rightly addressed the human side of the issue. "Let’s take this opportunity of having to formulate differently to develop our ability for change, formulate like if it was the first time, but more importantly, get started right now." And never forget the creative dimension of chemistry, which enables to enhance some ingredients with new biological properties. As Ephyla recently did with clay, by increasing and enriching its inter layers.
Think outside the box too, by imagining that alginates, clay, lipophilic solvents, but also dry steam, abrasives, probiotics and enzymes can replace surfactants in a washing product. But avoid alcohol, and a hygienist approach... All this requires to totally change one’s beliefs so to give free rein to imagination and rationality, investigate galenic innovation, take an interest in biomimetic strategies.
