Testing Clean Label Personal Care & Cosmetic Products

It started with food. Now the “clean label” movement is influencing the development of personal care and cosmetic formulations. There is a lot of confusion of what exactly constitutes a “clean label” product. However, it is generally accepted that “clean label” means using as few ingredients as possible and using only ingredients that consumers recognise.

What’s behind the trend? Consumers are demanding products that they perceive are better for their bodies, families, and the environment. Market research shows consumers now rank natural ingredients and environmental impact ahead of brand

Texture Analysis in Research: Testing Skin

The study of the mechanical properties of soft tissues is valuable to evaluate the progress of diseases such as tumours and treatment effects, to simulate medical surgeries, to understand the aging process and to evaluate the efficacy of cosmetic products. Yet again, the Texture Analyser has proven to be an invaluable tool in the measurement of such samples.

Recently researchers from the National University of Colombia have investigated the influence of indentation test factors on the mechanical response of skin. 

Texture Analysis in Research: Cosmetic Applications

Throughout the world Stable Micro Systems Texture Analysers are being used in universities, institutes and research and development departments as a tool to measure the texture and physical properties of new products and to assist in the progression of research.

Here are several recent examples of the use of Texture Analysis in cosmetic research and product development...

Viscoelasticity in the Pharmaceutical and Cosmetics Industries

Many pharmaceutical and cosmetic products have viscoelastic properties that can be measured using a Texture Analyser.

Pharmaceutical tablets show viscoelastic stress-strain behaviour when the powder compact is being loaded and unloaded, and this behaviour continues once the load has been fully removed. This can cause problems for tablet manufacturers such as capping, when either the upper or lower part of the tablet separates from the main body when ejected from the press or during the handling process. 

Viscoelastic properties are functions of the compression conditions as well as the formulation. It is important to investigate every instance of capping to ensure the problem is not repeated (which is very costly) and to measure the viscoelastic properties of new formulations before they reach the mass manufacturing stage. 

Texture Analysis in Action 2: Nail Polish Adhesion Rig

The Nail Polish Adhesion Rig and method have been developed by Stable Micro Systems to provide the solution to this assessment requirement. 

During the polish drying time test, a channel 20cm long is filled with polish to a depth of 0.5 mm and wiped level using a glass rod. 

At this point a timer within the Exponent software test sequence is started. This depth is representative of a typical coat of polish on a fingernail; a depth of 0.5mm dries to approximately 0.2mm. This channel is seated on top of the Adhesive Indexing System that has ten detents and so ten test sites are available by simply sliding the platform along. 

Substantiate your product claims with the aid of texture analysis

Customers are wary of manufacturers using taglines to tempt them into buying their product – a conditioner that states “hair three times suppler after first use” will not sell well if customers start using it and find no difference to their tresses. 
 
News travels fast these days with thousands of cosmetics review sites and online shops, and products that fail to live up to their claims will be given poor marks. The manufacturers could have performed a simple bend test on hair specimens treated with their conditioner and would have found their mistake before it was too late. 

The development of methods to measure the effect of cosmetics is driven by increasing pressure on cosmetic companies to provide solid evidence to support product claims.

Measuring Indulgent Cosmetic Textures

If you have ever bought a cosmetic product from a make-up stand in a department store, you will have experienced a sales pitch from someone trying to tempt you into buying the product. 
 
You may have noticed that colour and fragrance are mentioned, but these are secondary to texture (and of course efficacy) – “this lipstick is creamy and feels moisturising all day”, “this face cream is thick and velvety”, “this lipgloss won’t make your lips feel sticky”, “this face wash gives you a luxurious lather”. 

You will not see this written on the side of cheap cosmetics, whose manufacturers think of texture as a last resort as they do not have the time or funding to carry out the required research.

Physical Analysis: Putting Cosmetics Packaging to the Test

The development of cosmetics for release into a competitive market is a high cost endeavour, so it would be inefficient for these high stakes products to be shipped in low quality packaging, or for the container to degrade during its shelf life.

Packaging is the first thing the customer sees in the shop so from this point of view the graphics and physical design are important to make it stand out amongst other similar products; the appearance of packages can directly affect marketing. However, the main purpose of packaging is to ensure the product arrives in a customer’s hands in perfect condition and to prevent any losses caused by shipping, handling or storage.

The Importance of Texture Analysis in Cosmetic Stability Testing

Cosmetics companies! Can you say with confidence that a product your customer buys in bulk today will have the same excellent qualities they expect from your brand when they open it in six months’ time?

If not, you need to start stability testing, pronto.

Stability testing is simply the assessment of the lasting power of a cosmetic, during which samples of it are put under different environmental conditions for a set time period, and its properties analysed. These conditions vary in light, temperature, pressure and humidity levels and are designed to imitate what the product may be subjected to during its lifetime.

Physical Analysis: Putting Cosmetics to the Test

A customer walks into a pharmacy looking for a new cream to keep their hands soft. They don’t have much to go by other than packaging and price, so they choose the same brand they use on their face. 

They get outside and squeeze some out of the tube with their normal pressure, and their palm fills up with too much thin, watery cream that seems to do nothing to remove the dryness. A disappointed customer, and the very reason the cosmetics company should have used physical analysis on their cream before they released it for sale.

Texture Analysis in the Nailcare Industry: 5: Tensile properties of nail wraps

Self-adhesive nail wraps can be tricky to fit to the nail. To avoid ripples in the surface, the film must be flexible enough to be smoothed into small corners but also taut across the surface of the nail. 

The wrap must also be tough enough to avoid tearing during application and have a reasonable strength. All these properties can be assessed using a tensile test. 

Texture Analysis in the Nailcare Industry: 4: Adhesive properties of nail wraps

Nail wraps are flexible adhesive films that are smoothed onto the nail’s surface and trimmed. 

They provide an opportunity for intricate designs that can be printed by the manufacturer that would otherwise be difficult to paint by hand. 

The design will be consistent across all nails and removes the difficulty of using the non-dominant hand to paint.

Texture Analysis in the Nailcare Industry: 3: Mechanical properties of dry polish

A manicure is subject to a lot of abuse as the wearer goes about their daily life (opening jars, cooking, typing on a keyboard). 

For repeat purchase of a nail polish, it must be able to stand up to this type of use. As well as the adhesion properties mentioned above, the stiffness and toughness of a polish are all extremely important. 

An overly stiff, brittle polish would be undesirable as it would break when a nail is bent when opening a soda can, for example. The low stiffness is important for the polish to follow the nail as it bends. A high strain to failure is also crucial, or the polish film would break under the slightest deformation.

Texture Analysis in the Nailcare Industry: 2: Nail polish drying time

Nail polish has been developed to have a faster drying time with brands claiming “dry in 60 seconds” or “quickdry”. 

However, smudging a manicure is still a common complaint. There are also difficulties accelerating the drying time of more natural polishes containing fewer volatile solvents. New products must be tested for this in a consistent way.

Texture Analysis in the Nailcare Industry: 1: Introduction

The way we look and feel is more important than ever in the age of constant selfie-taking and the abundance of cameras at every social gathering.

This is not to mention the impossible beauty standards set by photoshopped billboards and magazine shoots that ordinary people feel they have to live up to. 

It is no surprise that cosmetics are more popular than ever, with the global cosmetic market estimated to reach US$675 billion by 2020. 

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.

Cosmetic and Skincare Product Texture Measurement and Analysis

The global beauty industry was valued at $465bn in 2014, up 23bn which came in equal proportions from premium and mass brands. 

Skincare and haircare dominated the global market and is where future potential lies, especially in facial moisturisers, anti-agers and face masks.

Before paint was ever splashed onto canvas or cave walls, it was daubed on faces and bodies, not only for symbolic purposes but for decoration too. Today, a plethora of beauty products are seen lined up in the display windows and shelves of shops and stores everywhere.

Texture Analysis in Action: the Hair Combing Rig

The HAIR COMBING RIG (A/HCR) has been developed to assist manufacturers in the development of more effective conditioning agents.

It is well known that conditioning shampoos and hair conditioners are used to provide a variety of benefits to hair: they reduce the combing force, enhance the gloss, confer smoothness and antistatic properties and they improve the manageability of the hair.

Texture Analysis in Action: the Eye Shadow Test

The EYE SHADOW TEST uses standard Cylinder Probes P/2 – P/6 to perform a puncture test on the pressed tablet form of eyeshadow, which is today probably the most popular form of this product.

An essential purpose of binders, and other raw ingredients, is to provide stability to the tablet to prevent it from crumbling, flaking and dusting both during shipment and use. This property is judged by measuring the hardness or ‘cake strength’ of the tablet by penetration tests.

Texture Analysis in Action: the Eye Pencil Rig

The EYE PENCIL RIG (A/EP) provides a method of carrying out a vital test on eye pencil samples.

The rigidity of an eye pencil core must allow the tip to be sharpened to a point to provide a ‘defined line’ application without scratching the eye of the user.

The product developer must tackle the challenge of creating a product which achieves this but is not so soft to cause smudging around the eye or have the tendency to become crumbly or brittle after prolonged or low-temperature storage.