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Webinars highlight skin care ingredients and processing matters
The webinar programme provided by the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (Coschem) to members and non-members alike continues to be a huge success. In this article, we review two of the webinars that took place during September.
Skin needs during and post pandemic
On 9 September Stephanie Gompel-Ratsiane, sales representative of Chemgrit Cosmetics, gave a presentation on skin needs during and post pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a change in our behaviour, mainly our hygiene habits and social lifestyle with an increase in the use of hand sanitisers and disinfectants.
Soaps and sanitisers work by removing microorganisms, dirt, sweat and oil from the surface of the skin, but they also strongly interact with proteins and lipids in the stratum corneum leading to an increase of transepidermal water loss and skin permeation. As a result, consumers are experiencing adverse skin reactions such as dryness, erythema and irritation.
To fight these effects, Gompel-Ratsiane discussed a range of solutions, which include different mechanisms working synergistically. These are identified through immediate lipid replacement, biological repair of the skin barrier and natural soothing.
For immediate lipid replacement, Gompel-Ratsiane suggested a synergistic combination of vegetable oils rich in omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 – essential fatty acids that guarantee smoothness, softness and restoration of the skin barrier.
Anadenanthera colubrina bark extract blend promotes biological skin hydration through a unique mechanism of water distribution and retention in the dermis. For natural soothing, the Physalis angulata extract blend reduces the inflammatory cascade of the skin and restores the cutaneous barrier.
Consumers social lifestyle has also changed. Their interaction with one another via social platforms has increased, leading to an excessive use of electronic devices. Artificial blue light can penetrate deep into the skin and causes a decrease in the amount of collagen and elastin. Chemgrit Cosmetics Physalis angulata extract blend demonstrates excellent stimulant activity of skin’s natural antioxidant defence mechanism and increases the production of the extracellular matrix to protect against blue light.
Staying indoors during the pandemic has also decreased consumers exposure to the sun, resulting in less vitamin D production. The result is thinner and aged skin, imbalance of microbiota and a compromised skin barrier. Gompel-Ratsiane recommended the CO2 supercritical plant-based extract consisting mainly of Bidens pilosa extract. This extract acts similar to synthetic retinoids but without the adverse effects. It also promotes the treatment of ageing skin by stimulating the epidermal growth factor.
An additional solution to counteract the effects of vitamin D deficiency is within consumers reach. A fruit extract blend containing mainly Spondias mombin pulp and Mangifera indica (mango), stimulates gentle biological exfoliation and cell renewal.
Coffea Arabica seed oil blend is an active ingredient that can be used to deal with pandemic weight and boost consumer confidence. It has been developed to improve skin elasticity, firmness and reduce cellulite by improving dermal microcirculation and reducing lipogenesis. Whether consumers are dealing with adverse skin reactions or lifestyle changes during the pandemic – there are solutions available to brands to help consumers overcome these challenges.
An example of an in-line mixer
UPSCALING AND MANUFACTURE OF COSMETIC EMULSIONS
On 22 September, John Knowlton of Cosmetic Solutions, presented a webinar entitled Upscaling & Manufacture of Emulsion Products.
Knowlton opened the webinar by emphasising the need for a properly designed upscaling protocol to ensure that newly-developed cosmetic emulsions find their way into the manufacturing An example of an in-line mixer environment, where they become commercially viable through the Rheological profiling can implementation of provide valuable insights robust and repeatable into how emulsions behave processing techniques. under different processing
The first step in the upscaling process is to characterise the emulsion in question; adherence to the principles of Good Laboratory Practice is an essential part of this. Knowlton specifically referred to constant batch sizes, controlled heating and cooling conditions, minimisation of evaporation and the standardisation of mixing techniques, as integral parts of the process.
Emulsions may be objectively characterised by the use of measurable parameters such as appearance, olfactory profile, pH, viscosity and specific gravity. These are widely used for this purpose in the cosmetic industry globally.
Knowlton explained how each of these parameters may be used in the emulsion characterisation process and made particular reference to two less commonly used techniques of rheological profiling and particle size analysis.
Rheological profiling can provide valuable insights into how emulsions behave under different processing conditions in the factory, whilst particle size analysis provides very useful information about the stability of emulsion products thus manufactured.
After emulsion characterisation, Knowlton explained that the next step in the upscaling process is to examine how each of the determined parameters may, or may not, be affected by processing conditions in the factory. In this context, viscosity, rheological profile and particle size profile are fundamentally affected by the design and operation of the manufacturing equipment used which, in turn, determines the compliance with specifications for the resultant cosmetic emulsions produced.
Virtually moving into the factory, Knowlton explained that the manufacture of cosmetic emulsions can be divided into two distinct steps:
1. low shear mixing of the oil and water phases
2. high shear processing of the emulsion to reduce the disperse phase particle size.
The first step depends upon factors such as vessel design and configuration, in addition to the actual mixing equipment used. Knowlton explained how the use of the Reynold’s Number calculations are immensely useful in determining the equipment to be used.
Knowlton then moved on to step two, explaining the various machines available to achieve high shear processing. Specifically, a comparison was made between ‘batch’ and ‘in-line’ high shear processing techniques and the advantages and disadvantages of each, as an integral part of the overall manufacturing process.
Finally, Knowlton closed his particularly informative webinar by reviewing some of the more frequently encountered problems that are experienced in the commercial manufacture of cosmetic emulsions and he provided some guidance on their swift resolution. •
