Texture in Cosmetics – Texturity™?

In view of the growing cosmetic product offering, consumers risk being overwhelmed, leaving brands having to do even more to stand out and engage them. 

While there has been a lot of focus over the decades on aroma there has been far less concentration on touch, textures and sounds; and while textures and touch are crucial to the user experience, they don’t feature as prominently.

However, at In-Cosmetics this year, texture and the sensorial experience were top of the list for many and the US-based ingredient supplier Ashland presented its latest offerings based on this trend. Their ‘sensory bar’ represented a new ‘try-out’ area to test innovative textures and sensations. Signature texture solutions were created to demonstrate the possibilities for skin product manufacturers to appeal to the senses of consumers. A multitude of special polymeric combinations that gave unique sensorial attributes were presented; quick-breaking, moisture-replenishing, cooling, mattifying and moisturising, to name but a few.

Whilst the whole world is yet to switch onto the complete sensory experience, advertising in Japan and South Korea show consumers enjoying foams, bubbles, the texture on skin, skin absorbency, how non-sticky a sample might be and the playfulness of creams between the fingers, hair, body….

Trend agency The Future Laboratory says that “one of the key insights about the new luxury consumer is that experience is not part of the luxury package – it is the luxury package.” This reaffirms the importance of appealing to more of our senses to create a bigger experience.

Changing the texture of your product changes the experience. Once you’ve created the winning formulation you’ll need to quantify it with respect to its textural properties.  

Whether it’s a thick/thin consistency in your cream, a sticky/non-sticky feel for your hair care products or a smooth and flexible lipstick, you’ll need to measure your end-product so that once committed to manufacture you can guarantee future batch control. Products that are inconsistent in their qualities risk being left behind.

Here are just a few examples of how the consumer might experience a product and how a Texture Analyser can be employed to measure and quantify it.

Follow the trend and the sensory experiences that Ashland have created – by using Texture Analysis as your new laboratory tool.

For a summary of effective texture analysis testing for this important market using a TA.XTplus Texture Analyser, watch this video...

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We can design and manufacture probes or fixtures for the TA.XTplus texture analyser that are bespoke to your sample and its specific measurement.

Once your measurement is performed, our expertise in its graphical interpretation is unparalleled. Not only can we develop the most suitable and accurate method for the testing of your sample, but we can also prepare analysis procedures that obtain the desired parameters from your curve and drop them into a spreadsheet or report designed around your requirements.

For more information on how to measure texture, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.

The TA.XTplus texture analyser is part of a family of texture analysis instruments and equipment from Stable Micro Systems. An extensive portfolio of specialist attachments is available to measure and analyse the textural properties of a huge range of food products. Our technical experts can also custom design instrument fixtures according to individual specifications.

No-one understands texture analysis like we do!

To discuss your specific test requirements click here...