Skin care

New business model emerging at H20 Plus

06-Jan-2016 By Deanna Utroske

The personal care company is prepping for a brand relaunch this spring; in the meantime H20 Plus has shuttered another store and is halting operation at its Chicago area manufacturing facility. 

bareMinerals new formulations and global marketing strategy in line with longevity trend

06-Jan-2016 By Deanna Utroske

The Shiseido makeup and skin care brand’s new products and advertising campaign are poised to meet the needs of consumers who are living better lives longer and are not so invested in anti-aging regimens.

Mary Kay innovation pipeline underlined by record number of patents

05-Jan-2016 By Simon Pitman

Mary Kay has been focusing on innovation as a means of staying ahead of competition in the fast-paced US and global cosmetic markets, and 130 patent awards in 2015 bear testimony to this focus.

Impact Colors and Sandream Enterprises announce merger

05-Jan-2016 By Deanna Utroske

The effect pigment companies joined forces at the start of the year and are making plans to bring more products and services to cosmetics and personal care customers globally.

Artificial Intelligence is fuelling disruptive innovation in the personal care industry

04-Jan-2016 By Deanna Utroske

In what’s being billed as the ‘first beauty contest judged by robots’ Beauty.AI and its partners are crowdsourcing facial imaging data that will be used to set a new course for anti-aging and skin care.

Maxey Cosmetics signs coral harvesting agreement with Cayman Islands

04-Jan-2016 By Deanna Utroske

The company is leveraging its long history with the territory to source black sea rod oil, one of Maxey’s signature ingredients, in waters where taking coral is commonly forbidden.

ICMAD and ACI collaborate on regulatory forum

04-Jan-2016 By Simon Pitman

The third Annual Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Forum on Cosmetics and Personal Care Products is set to spotlight the latest regulatory developments in New York.

The best strategies for turning beauty apps into consumer spend

04-Jan-2016 By Simon Pitman

Beauty apps are not new, but as a wave of updated designs and technologies comes into play, the time to for cosmetic companies to invest in the technology seems to be now.

Trends in 2015 and looking ahead to 2016

Top-hitting trend articles in 2015 and looking ahead to 2016

23-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

In our final post of 2015 the Cosmetics Design team is bringing you a selection of the biggest trends that we have covered over the course of the year, as well as trend projections for 2016.

Top Trends for 2016

Top ten cosmetic industry trends to look out for in 2016

23-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

The Cosmetics Design USA team has put together a list of the top ten trends to look out for in 2016 and here they all are in this latest edition of CD Buzz.

Coty appoints new role: senior vice president of corporate affairs

21-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

Coty executives have made the decision to create a new senior executive position putting Andraea Dawson-Shepard in the role of senior vice president, corporate affairs.

US Senate passes microbead ban

21-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced the bill—which would definitively ban the use of microbeads in beauty products and personal care formulations—that was unanimously passed last Friday and now is in the hands of President Obama.

US regulators question Walgreen Boots Alliance merger

21-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

Federal antitrust regulators have requested further information from Walgreens and Boots Alliance on their plans to merge two drugstore chains to create a $17 billion business.

Avon North America will be a privately held company in 2016

17-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

This morning, Avon announced its acceptance of a $605m equity investment from Cerberus Capital Management that will help the direct-sales beauty company develop further internationally, deliver value to shareholders, and (for now) let the North American...

New testing procedures for effective nail care product development

17-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

At this year’s annual SCC meeting in New York City, Yelena Loginova of Coty presented a multidimensional approach to evaluating nail product efficacy that could help formulators back resulting product claims with quantitative data.

L’Oréal finds new method to evaluate efficacy of dispensing systems to avoid contamination

17-Dec-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

L’Oréal research, carried out with Ghent University in Belgium, has identified a new protocol for evaluating the efficacy of some dispensing systems in the microbial protection of water-based preservative-free cosmetic products.

P&G sustainability report focuses on renewables

16-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

Procter & Gamble has published its 17th annual sustainability report, sending out a clear message that renewable energy and materials are an integral part of its goals, moving towards 2020.

Could advances in morphogenesis lead to the next big thing in cosmetics formulation?

16-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

A group of researchers say that a new method of morphogenesis could take the development of many oil-in-water cosmetic and personal care formulations to the next level.

Beauty of Giving luncheon opens a door to corporate social responsibility

16-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

The annual CEW charity auction supports Cancer + Careers, a non-profit that empowers people with cancer to thrive at work, and stands as a commendable opportunity for the industry to join together and benefit society in a meaningful way.  

Nanolive 3D Cell Explorer microscope comes to market this month

15-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

Yesterday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cell Biology, the living cell tomography company debuted its new microscope, which lets researchers work with cells like never before.

WorldStar Packaging Awards for health and beauty announced

15-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

The WorldStar Awards for health and beauty have been announced, ahead of specialized award winners which will be revealed in January, and it seems The Americas have been left behind by stiff competition in Europe and Asia.

L’Oréal CEO bags WWD Visionary of the Year Beauty Inc Award

14-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

Paul Agon, who heads up the world’s biggest cosmetic company,  L’Oréal, has received WWD’s Beauty Inc 2015 Vision of the Year award for 2015.

DuPont and Dow merger set to form mega chemical company

14-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

DuPont and Dow are to merge with the intention of forming three divisions that will include a material science business as the focus for cosmetics and personal care ingredients, that will eventually be spun off into three separate companies.

Olay brand seizes the opportunity provided by ageless beauty

10-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

Procter & Gamble has taken the decision to market its Olay skin care brand on the strength of the fast growing ageless beauty concept.

Dow and DuPont on the brink of a merger

10-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

The consolidation of these US chemical corporations will be a game changer for the personal care and cosmetics industries and have staggering economic implications on a regional, national, and global scale.

Procter & Gamble restructures its media buying business to cut costs

10-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

P&G is one of the world’s biggest advertisers, so when the company announces major changes to its media buying strategy, heads turn.

GOJO announces 2020 sustainability objectives

09-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

The company’s five-year plan takes social, environmental, and economic issues into account and is a case in point of how one personal care company is setting goals to make sustainability happen.

Avon share prices yoyo on further investor speculation

09-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

The past week has seen Avon Products’ share price fluctuate significantly as hoax news that Oprah Winfrey was about to invest in the company gives way to talk of trying to prevent a potential ‘fire sale’.

Asia in Focus

Natural cosmetics have never been so hot in Asia, says trend expert

09-Dec-2015 By Michelle Yeomans

Rising concerns around 'chemical pollution' coupled with an ancestral interest in traditional medicine has seen demand for holistic based or natural cosmetics - a segment that continues to go from strength to strength this year in Asia.

Federal government makes headway on microbead ban

08-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

Monday, the House of Representatives voted on a bill to impose a national ban against using the plastic ingredient in cosmetics and personal care product formulations. The Senate has yet to formally weigh in on microbeads.

The top fastest growing US indie cosmetic brands

08-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

Indie brands are the ones to watch right now, as innovative products and sleek marketing translate into breakneck market growth. And here we highlight the top drivers in the category.

4 US Cosmetics & Chemicals companies make Thomson Reuters 2015 innovators list

08-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

The global list includes 100 organizations that meet the firm’s criteria, and those companies have for five consecutive years also been more profitable than companies that don’t make the cut.

Anti-aging pill to undergo more testing in US

07-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

In laboratory testing, an FDA-approved diabetes drug has been shown to extend life and prevent wrinkles; upcoming clinical trials will look explicitly at the pill’s potential to stave off the effects of aging in humans.

CD Buzz: This is what independent beauty will look like in 2016

04-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

Indie beauty insiders Jillian Wright, Jessica Richards, and Nader Naeymi-Rad weigh in on the future of this dynamic category with predictions for 2016, commentary on the response from big beauty, and the evolution of the Indie Beauty Expo event. 

FDA creates guidelines for small and homemade cosmetics businesses

03-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

The FDA has created a webpage outlining its guidelines for smaller and homemade cosmetic players in an effort to regulate this niche but fast growing area.

Hoax! Oprah is not about to invest in Avon

03-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

Avon stock prices soared by as much as 17% yesterday as rumors circulated that Oprah Winfrey wanted to invest in the cosmetics giant – a story that has proved to be a hoax.

‘Free-from claims are based on fears and should stop’

03-Dec-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Cosmetics and personal care products should avoid using ‘free-from’ claims on their packs when referring to certain chemicals, as they just trade off fear, according to an industry panel who were speaking about reformulation at the in-cosmetics summit...

Scaling Down: Reconfiguring automated filling systems for beauty startups

02-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

As artisanal, local, and small-batch beauty brands take over an ever larger share of the personal care and cosmetics business, suppliers and other industry partners are pivoting to support these ventures.

How indie brands are reinventing the US cosmetics market

02-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

Independent cosmetic brands are serving to shake up the cosmetics world, with the larger multinationals carefully observing all the moves, and often buying them up.

5 micro-wellness trends to boost beauty sales in 2016

01-Dec-2015 By Deanna Utroske

Cosmetics Design caught up with Laureen Schroeder, the global director for Health, Beauty and Baby at brand development firm Daymon Worldwide to discuss how wellness continues to motivate personal care.

Beauty apps ‘underutilized’ as a tool to promote cosmetics

01-Dec-2015 By Simon Pitman

As the market for online cosmetics continues to return healthy growth rates, beauty marketers could still be extending their digital reach further by tapping into apps to promote brands, new research says.

Ashland invests in true-to-life global personal care testing capabilities

30-Nov-2015 By Simon Pitman

Ashland says that continued investment in its personal care testing capabilities has now bought it closer to true-to-life consumer and clinical evaluations for personal care formulation on a global basis.

Clariant and Beraca complete strategic alliance in Personal Care

27-Nov-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Ingredient suppliers Clariant and Beraca announce that the strategic partnership deal which sees the former acquire 30% of shares in the Brazilian firm’s Health & Personal Care Division, has been completed.

Is a turnaround finally in sight for troubled Avon?

25-Nov-2015 By Simon Pitman

After several years of steep decline for one of the biggest cosmetic players in the world, a positive rating from Citibank has sent stock prices surging amidst renewed hopes of improvements.

L’Oréal opens its first branded content production studio in Montreal, Canada

25-Nov-2015 By Deanna Utroske

At the company’s worldwide Content Factory employees will create original digital assets to share brand stories, education and inspiration with consumers.

Beauty without Boundaries: How ‘multicultural’ product lines are reshaping the entire industry

25-Nov-2015 By Deanna Utroske

At this week’s CEW Beauty Insider event in New York City, a panel of multicultural beauty market leaders discussed the transition to a psychographic and needs-based cosmetics and personal care business.

Cosmetics and personal care industries have room for more women leaders

24-Nov-2015 By Deanna Utroske

This month, the Women’s Forum of New York held its third biennial event honoring companies striving to achieve gender balance on their corporate boards and just over 10 beauty companies and suppliers made the cut.

Brazilian cosmetics labeler Prakolar acquired

24-Nov-2015 By Deanna Utroske

This weekend, Japan’s SATO, a global auto-ID supplier with solutions for supply chain management, tracking, labels, RFID and more, announced its purchase of the São Paulo–based company. 

More research needed into stretch mark causes before any treatment can be effective

24-Nov-2015 By Andrew MCDOUGALL

A new study has urged caution when it comes to purchasing skin creams and lotions designed to prevent and reduce stretch marks, having investigated the causes, and stating that there I still a lot of learning to be done in this field.

New consumer app ranks brands according to ethical practices

23-Nov-2015 By Deanna Utroske

Good On You is set to be a global cross-industry resource for conscientious shoppers. It’s grading fashion brands now and will rate cosmetics and personal care companies in 2016.