How To Avoid Burnout
From my own journey, grounded in over 15 years of experience as a chemist before venturing into the specialized w...
04
Aug
Blog
13
Mar
Lamellar Liquid Crystal Emulsifiers
We’ve spoken before about emulsifiers. These are the cosmetic additives which help to combine oil and water into a stable lotion or cream. Today, I want to take a deeper dive into a specific class of emulsifiers, because they offer enhanced effects beyond simple stability of the product. These emulsifiers are known to form “Lamellar Liquid Crystals”, or LLC
01
Mar
Exploring Bisabolol: A Soothing Skincare Superstar
When I first began studying chemistry, I was immediately drawn to the allure of plant-based materials. I was fas...
13
Jul
The Pros and Cons of Essential Oils
Essential oils. Just the name suggests exotic fragrances and potential health benefits. Let’s define ...
11
Jul
How To Formulate Natural Products – Reviewing Present Realities in The US
Consumers are often attracted to natural products. Formulating natural products requires extra work on the part ...
05
Jul
What the heck is a Cosmetic Peptide
An example I give to my students is that building molecules is like assembling LEGO blocks. LEGOs come in a wide...
26
Jun
An Introduction to Clean Beauty
One of the currently trending phrases in cosmetics is “clean beauty”. Customers are drawn to the idea of so...
19
Jun
How to Select the Right Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic Acid: What Is Molecular Weight and Why Does It Matter?
H...
14
Jun
Natural Extracts in Cosmetics – Do They Work?
For centuries, people have turned to botanical extracts to treat a wide variety of ailments and to provide benefi...
05
Jun
The Role of pH in Formulation Compatibility
Cosmetic Formulation is beautiful, pure, CHEMISTRY! You aren't just adding raw materials together: you are creati...
31
May
The Pros and Cons of Plant-based Cosmetic Additives
As a chemist, I’ve always felt very strongly that we should save our petroleum reserves for chemicals that we can...
29
May
Plant Stem Cells in Cosmetics – Are they Worth the Hype?
Plant Stem Cells: What Are They, and Are They Worth the Hype?
Some ...
23
May
Should you Patent You Cosmetic Formula? A Costly Proposition
The cosmetics world is constantly innovating. I’m not sure how many cosmetic formulas flood the market ever...
20
May
How to Formulate Pre/pro/post-Biotics Skincare Products
An important and relatively new area of cosmetic products is the use of microbes (bacteria in particular) to brin...
17
May
Cupuacu Butter vs. Mango Butter – Which is Better?
As a cosmetics formulator, I place special value on natural ingredients. Not only does it have marketing appeal ...
14
May
Shea Butter has a Cousin! The Pros & Cons of Nilotica Shea Butter
You are probably already familiar with shea butter. Its moisturizing and soothing qualities make it a favorite i...
07
May
How to Make Gelled Oils: Ointments for Hydration
I’m often called upon to help someone with balm formulations. Balms (thickened mixtures of oils) can be very sim...
24
Apr
Conscious Beauty with Upcycled Ingredients
The beauty industry has a huge environmental impact as it highly contributes to air, land, and ocean pollution. A...