Knowledge Base
Cosmetic formulation refers to the process of creating a specific combination of ingredients to develop a cosmetic product, such as skincare, makeup, haircare, or personal care items. This process involves selecting and blending various raw materials, including chemicals, natural extracts, oils, and additives, to create a final product with the desired appearance, texture, scent, and functional benefits.
Extrusion Blow Moulding is the process of manufacturing plastic bottles by melting plastic resin and extruding a tube which is them clamped inside two halves of a water-cooled mould.
This tube of plastic is then inflated using pressurized air to the shape of the cavity. While inside, the plastic will freeze off to the shape as it is forced against the inside. The mould will then open, releasing the bottle so that the process can be repeated.
One of the many benefits of the extrusion blow moulding process is the flexibility to change the necks without having to change the entire mould. This customizable solution enables customers to use differing neck fitments on the same bottle mould, eliminating the need for a completely new mould each time, which can prove more cost effective.
What are the advantages of this process?
Extrusion blow moulding is a highly versatile process that can provide unique shapes, sizes and neck types, using a variety of plastics. This versatility gives an overwhelming advantage over the bottle manufacturing processes.
One of the most common resins used in blow moulding is HDPE (high density polyethylene). Although opaque in its natural state, a high gloss feel and appearance can be achieved too.
For a squeezable feel, MDPE (medium density polyethylene) can be used for products such as creams and lotions.
Key advantages:
- Offers good resistance to alcohol, acids and alkalis
- Produces bottles with high stiffness
- Allows forn interchangeable neck moulds
- Easily recycled
- Can be moulded to produce complex shapes and sharp contours
FDA stands for US Food and Drug Administration. Cosmetics are regulated under FDA. The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of cosmetics.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Has Broad Authority to Regulate Cosmetics and Personal Care Products
Strong federal safety requirements govern cosmetics and personal care products sold in the U.S. It is a crime to market unsafe cosmetics products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U. S. Attorney General (AG) can take action against any company that markets an unsafe cosmetics product. The law provides severe penalties, including seizures, recalls, fines and bans, for cosmetics and personal care products manufacturers that do not meet these strict requirements.
DID YOU KNOW: All cosmetics and personal care products manufacturers are required by federal law to substantiate the safety of their finished products and ingredients.
The FDA has wide-ranging regulatory authority that helps to ensure the safety of cosmetics and personal care products. In the past, the FDA has infrequently had to exercise this power to limit or prohibit ingredients that it considered to be unsafe. Cosmetics and personal care products companies are committed to upholding strict FDA regulations.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) of 1938 and the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA) of 2022 requires that every cosmetics product and its individual ingredients be substantiated for safety and that product labeling be truthful and not misleading. Cosmetics manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that products comply with the law before they are marketed. This process includes analyzing a cosmetic ingredient’s testing and safety data. If the manufacturer is unable to substantiate the safety of a product, the law requires the product to carry a conspicuous warning stating that its safety has not been substantiated.
The law provides severe penalties for products that do not meet these standards. Specifically, the law gives the FDA authority to:
- Ban or restrict cosmetics ingredients for safety reasons
- Mandate warning labels
- Inspect manufacturing facilities and records
- Issue warning letters
- Seize unsafe or misbranded products
- Prohibit unlawful activities
- Prosecute and jail violators
- Mandate product recalls
- Collect samples for examination and analysis as part of cosmetics plant inspections, import inspections and follow up to complaints of adverse reactions
- Conduct research on cosmetics and personal care products and ingredients to address safety concerns
- In addition to the FD&C Act and MoCRA, the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act authorizes the FDA to require ingredient labeling of cosmetics and personal care products sold to consumers. Detailed FDA regulations govern where and how ingredients must be listed on the package.
Cosmetics’ continued safety is ensured by the FDA’s regulatory program, as well as additional safety measures undertaken by the cosmetics and personal care products industry and the decades of safe use by consumers who trust and enjoy them every day.
Source: https://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/
The simplest treatment of dry skin conditions is with fixed vegetable oils. Many of these vegetable, nut, seed, and kernel oils are simple blends of fatty acids with varying
carbon chain lengths. Coconut, sunflower, safflower, rapeseed, corn, or sesame seed oil will give perfectly acceptable skin coverage and are most often used as carrier oils for essential oils. These oils will coat the skin to occlude and protect it by slowing down transepidermal water loss and so increasing hydration within the stratum corneum and top layers of the dermis. They will also “glue down” dry and desquamatous skin cells to make the skin look less rough and scaly. Some oils such as castor seed oil (Ricinus communis) are renowned not only for their very high gloss (and so a frequent component in lipsticks and lip salves), but also for their high degree of occlusiveness which makes them ideal for skin protection, for example, diaper or nappy rash creams, where the most traditional and best-known example would be zinc and castor oil cream.
Other oils such as evening primrose oil (Oenothera biennis), borage (starflower) seed oil (Borago officinalis), and blackcurrant seed oil (Ribes nigrum) are particularly useful because of their high γ-linolenic acid content. Evening primrose used to hold a pharmaceutical license for use on atopic dermatitis, but subsequently lost this status on the publication of further clinical trial data. It is still widely taken orally for mastitis (breast pain).
A new oil, made commercially available in 2006, is inchi oil (Plukentia volubilis), which also has the name Aztec peanut - although it is totally unrelated to the peanut (Arachis hypogaea). This oil is abundant in omega-3, omega-6, and omega-12 fatty acids, and could well show huge promise in skin care. Another plant that is rich in γ-linolenic acid is a particular species of rose hip seed oil (Rosa aff. rubiginosa) that is collected in the foothills of the Chilean Andes and often called Rosa moschata.
This oil is reputed to contain vitamin A according to some references. A large body of evidence (mainly anecdotal clinical) suggests that this oil has exceptional cicatrizing properties and is an excellent oil for restoring skin elasticity especially for postsurgical conditions where tightness has become a problem for the patient. It was also shown to be effective for treating the hyperpigmentation of certain scar tissues.
Source: Dermatologic, Cosmeceutic and Cosmeticdevelopment - Kenneth A. Walters, Michael S. Roberts
Skin scrub agents or body polishers are solid materials from natural origin (fine powder of seeds or shells of different vegetables), or are obtained by chemical synthesis (tiny beads of styrene or polyethylene). When the scrub agent–containing body-cleansing product is rubbed or massaged onto the skin, fine solid particles remove superficial skin horny layer by mechanical abrasion, leaving behind a fresh, smooth skin surface.
They are the easiest additives for the consumer to perceive. Scrubbing particles can be suspended in liquid body cleanser thanks to structuring polymers like xanthan gum or carrageenan, which build a viscoelastic network in the surfactant matrix. The scrubbing agent must be carefully selected when formulating facial cleansers. The skin on the face is more sensitive or delicate than that of the rest of the body. For facial application, the formulator should orientate his choices towards, e.g., soft clays or melting jojoba beads.
Source: Handbook of Cosmetic Science and Technology - André O. Barel, Marc Paye, Howard I. Maibach
The antibacterial activity of Eucalyptus globulus leaf extract was determined for 56 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 25 isolates of Streptococcus pyogenes, 12 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae and seven isolates of Haemophilus influence obtained from 200 clinical specimens of patients with respiratory tract disorders. Leaves contain 70-80% eucalyptol (cineol). Also includes terpineol, sesquiterpene alcohols, aliphatic aldehydes, isoamyl alcohol, ethanol, terpenes. Tannin is not so copious in the leaves as of many other Eucalyptus species. The kino, containing 28,7% kino tannin and 47,9% catechin contains the very antibiotic citriodourol. Fresh leaves contain caffeic and gallic acids, dry leaves, ferulic and gentisic, and quercetol, quercitrine, rutin, and a mixture of quercetol hyperoside and glaucoside. N-titriacontan-16, 18-dione was identified as the compound responsible for antioxidant activity in the leaf wax.
(CAS: 84625-32-1/EINECS: 283-406-2)
Esters are the product of the reaction of any acid (usually organic) and alcohol. Common fatty acids are caprylic, capric, lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and behenic acids, and dicarboxilic acids such as adipic acid. Common alcohols are isopropyl, n-butyl, ethylhexyl, myristyl or oleyl alcohol, as well as polyvalent alcohols such as ethylene glycol, polyglycerol, propylene glycol and glycerol. A wide range of combinations can be used to produce the large range of synthetic esters available to the cosmetic industry.
Source: Cosmetic Formulation Principles and Practice - Heather A.E. Benson, Michael S. Roberts, Vânia Rodrigues Leite-Silva, Kenneth A. Walters
Candelilla wax is a secretion of wild Euphorbia cerifera, which is native to the northern Mexican desert. The wax is obtained from the above ground parts of the plant. The plant is dried, boiled in water and the wax is then skimmed off by decanting. Crude candelilla wax is dark brown and then refined to a pale yellow wax. Candelilla wax is remarkably hard but exhibits low crystallinity and a degree of tackiness at higher temperatures. Its melting point of about 72°C lies between that of beeswax and carnauba wax. The resin and sitosterol it contains combine with esters to give candelilla wax its excellent capacity for binding ester oils. It provides high surface gloss when applied in lipsticks and exhibits satisfactory contraction properties – important for demolding lipsticks.
Source: Cosmetic Formulation Principles and Practice - Heather A.E. Benson, Michael S. Roberts, Vânia Rodrigues Leite-Silva, Kenneth A. Walters
Açai is a 15 to 25 m tall palm of the Amazon rainforest. Açai fruit is one of the most important export products of the Brazilian food industry. The global trade of açai fruit began flourishing around 2000, although it has been used traditionally for centuries in diet, medicine and cosmetics.
Botanical characteristics: leaves pinnate, up to 3 m long; inflorescence dense, racemose, flowers brown or red, pentamerous; fruits botanically termed drupes, round, up to 2 cm in diameter, in bunches of 700 to 900, exocarp thin, dark red or dark blue to almost black, mesocarp fleshy, thin (approximately 1 mm), endocarp hard, 1 cm in diameter, with 1 seed.
Açai pericarp contains 25 to 50% oil. Approximately 50% of fatty acids in triglycerides are represented by oleic acid followed by palmitic and linoleic acids in descending order. The content of palmitic acid is high for a vegetable oil. Characteristic is the presence of palmitoleic acid, which is only rarely found in vegetable oils. Açai oil is also rich in phenols, particularly phenol acids (i.e. ferulic, p-hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic, syringic and vanillic acids) and procyanidin dimers and trimers, which increase the oil’s oxidative stability. It is therefore considered stable against oxidation. Açai oil has a dark-green colour, a distinctive sweetish odour reminiscent of the fruit pulp and is slightly more viscous than a typical vegetable oil.
In terms of its chemical composition, açai oil is considered a unique vegetable oil, and no suitable substitute among other vegetable oils exists. Given its content of palmitoleic acid, açai oil belongs to a special group of vegetable oils, together with avocado, Chilean hazel, macadamia and sea buckthorn oils.
Mechanism of action and use
Açai oil is usually found in cosmetic products for the care of mature skin, as it is supposed to have antioxidative, regenerative and anti-ageing properties expressed by phenols, phytosterols and linoleic acid. Due to its high content of palmitic acid, it is considered a substitute for vegetable butters, however, it gives a more pleasant, lighter, non-oily feeling on the skin. In vitro studies have proven its antioxidative activity to be higher than the antioxidative activity of olive oil. The amount of açai oil in a cosmetic product must be carefully planned, as it may leave a strong colouration. In addition, some caution is advised in terms of the long-term daily use due to the high
content of oleic acid in açai oil, which may negatively affect the skin’s barrier function.
Source: Modern Cosmetics - Dr. Damjan Janeš and Dr. Nina Kočevar Glavač
European List of Notified Chemical Substances, that is, the list of substances marketed as of 18 September 1981 and notified under Directive 67/548/EEC. The latest edition of the ELINCS List can be consulted from https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/
c33bef79-ce30-43ab-accd-d596341cddff.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
Ectoin is a skin conditioner and also functions as a stabiliser. The skin is exposed to numerous stress factors. The better the cells can cope with the stress, the more intensive is the protection of the skin. Ectoin is a natural, active substance with very good membrane and cell protection properties and these are reasons why it is used widely in the cosmetics industry today. It has been shown to some extent that ectoin helps protect skin from UVA damage.
(CAS: 96702-03-3/EINECS:not found)
An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. The word "emulsion" comes from the Latin word emulgere, which means "to milk out". This is because milk is an emulsion of fat and water.
Emulsions are often used in cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals. In cosmetics, emulsions are used in a variety of products, such as lotions, creams, and sunscreens. They are also used in food, such as mayonnaise and salad dressing. In pharmaceuticals, emulsions are used to deliver drugs to the body.
Emulsions are dispersions of liquid droplets in a liquid or semi-solid matrix. If the droplets consist of oil dispersed in an aqueous liquid, they are called oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions, while water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions are water disperse in an oil matrix. Elegant emulsion-based cosmetic formulations can be prepared by incorporating oils using a balanced surfactant system based on non-ionic surfactants, such as polyglycerol esters, fatty alcohol ethoxylates, monoglycerides, sucrose and sorbitan esters, polymers or combinations of emulsifiers and stabilisers. The surfactant system associates primarily with either the oil or aqueous phase but has sufficiently balanced polarity to reside at the interface between the two phases. Thus the surfactant system stabilises the interface and allows two phases to exist as a stable emulsion. This is achieved by stabilising the aqueous (hydrophilic) and oil (lipophilic) components together as an emulsion formulation using the hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) system.
Source: Cosmetic Formulation Principles and Practice - Heather A.E. Benson, Michael S. Roberts, Vânia Rodrigues Leite-Silva, Kenneth A. Walters
European Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances. An official inventory published on 15 June, 1990, that enumerates and describes the chemicals on the market of the European Union between January 1, 1971 and September 18, 1981 and identifies the chemicals being exempted of the mandatory 'precommercialisation' notification. The EINECS Inventory can be searched from different online sources including from the Publication Office of the European Commission.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/
Dextrin. White dextrins are prepared by heating dry starch in the presence of an acid at a temperature generally below 150°C. The statement "ADI not specified" means that, on the basis of the available data (toxicological, biochemical, and other), the total daily intake of the substance, arising from its use or uses at the levels necessary to achieve the desired effect and from its acceptable background in food, does not, in the opinion of the Committee, represent a hazard to health. For this reason, and for the reasons stated in individual evaluations, the establishment of an acceptable daily intake (ADI) in mg/kg bw is not deemed necessary.
Source: Dweck, Anthony. Handbook of Natural Ingredients (Dweck Books 4) . Dweck Data.
Dead Sea Mud. The thermal baths of the Dead Sea are contemporary to Great King Solomon. Their reputation of efficacy spread throughout the Antique world. Cleopatra imported salts from the Dead Sea for her beauty care. The Dead Sea is situated 400 meters below sea level. The water of the rivers that flow into it cannot flow out. It concentrates, evaporates, then progressively deposits treasures such as mineral salts and organic sediments eroded from the Judean Mounts. The salinity of the Dead Sea is thus 10 times higher than that of any other sea. Today, many countries encourage their citizens suffering from psoriasis or arthritis to make a stay at the thermal baths of the Dead Sea as the mud and salts bring relief from these distressing conditions. The much sought-after salts and mud are also quite famous for their remineralizing and purifying properties. The mud is highly recommended for seborrheic skin or skin suffering from acne, and Dead Sea mud is very efficient for skin care, to deep cleanse and also to be used to relieve painful joints. The black mud, rich in minerals, is composed of layers of clay sediments constituted as millennia passed. The concentration in minerals is high. The mud contains natural exfoliating agents with an action that purifies and tones the skin. As a result, the skin is more supple and smoother. In a mask, the mud can be used to balance and smooth the skin. The skin is cleaned in depth and as a result ends up nourished and better hydrated. In scrubs, it provides a light lifting to leave the skin fresh and revitalized. On the hair, in a mask or in a shampoo, it is used to clean the hair, get rid of excess sebum and rebalance the scalp. In products designed for body, it is said to favor cellular exchanges and slimming and helps to improve the elasticity of the skin. As the figure gets thinner, the skin breathes. Ideal for anti-stress cures or after birth, around the joints and to relieve pains. The salts of the Dead Sea bring a calming and relaxing effect. In a bath, they enable the body to feel well and are an ideal solution for body tiredness, muscular or nervous tension. In cosmetics, the salts purify, cleanse and remineralize the skin for a progressive come back to a healthy and supple aspect. Their beneficial aspect is furthermore improved when associated with warm applications of Dead Sea mud.
Source: Dweck, Anthony. Handbook of Natural Ingredients (Dweck Books 4)
It is a curious fact, but there are no legal definitions of natural and this provides much subject for debate and litigation as law enforcement agencies argue interpretation with marketers of products placed onto the market.
We would define natural as any material that is harvested, mined, or collected, and which may have subsequently been washed, decolorized, distilled, fractionated, ground, milled, separated, or concentrated to leave a chemical or chemicals that would be available and detectable in the original source material. It is also the modification of natural material by the action of microorganisms, enzymes, or yeasts to modify or increase the yield of material by this process.
Naturally derived materials are defined by the use of a natural raw material as the starting point in a chemical process to produce a newchemical or chemicals that in themselves may not be available in nature or in the starting material.
Nature identical material is a substance that has been produced synthetically, not usually from a natural starting material, to produce a material that is identical to that naturally occurring in nature.
The concept of 'natural' is complex and lacks a universal definition. However, an ISO standard for natural ingredients has been established.
ISO 16128-2:2017 describes approaches to calculate natural, natural origin, organic and organic origin indexes that apply to the ingredient categories defined in ISO 16128‑1. This document also offers a framework to determine the natural, natural origin, organic and organic origin content of products based on the ingredient characterization.
ISO 16128 provides guidelines on definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. These guidelines are specific to the cosmetics sector, taking into account that most existing approaches written for the agricultural and food sector are not directly transferrable to cosmetics. They apply scientific judgment and offer principles towards a consistent logical framework for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products incorporating common approaches employed in existing references. The purpose of these guidelines is to encourage a wider choice of natural and organic ingredients in the formulation of a diverse variety of cosmetic products to encourage innovation.
Source: The internal and external use of medicinal plants - Anthony C. Dweck, FLS, FRSC, FRSH and iso.org
Diazolidinyl urea is primarily an antibacterial preservative, with activity against moulds but fairly weak anti-yeast activity. It has been widely used in many markets since its introduction in the 1980s. It is classified as a formaldehyde donor.
Diazolidinyl urea is highly water-soluble and should be added to the product at temperatures below 40°C to avoid decomposition. It retains its activity over a broad pH range, from pH 3 to 9. Typical use concentrations are 0.1–0.3%. Diazolidinyl urea is permitted in many territories, with restrictions.
Source: Cosmetic Formulation Principles and Practice - Heather A.E. Benson, Michael S. Roberts, Vânia Rodrigues Leite-Silva, Kenneth A. Walters
Cucumis Sativus Seed Oil is the fixed oil expressed from the seeds of the cucumber, Cucumis sativus L., Cucurbitaceae. Sp.gr.: 0.922. Saponification value: 185. Iodine value: 125. Average carbon number: 17.9. Average molecular weight: 278.3. C14:0 0.1%; C16:0 11%; C16:1 0.5%;C17:0 0.05%; C18:0 7.5%; C18:1 17.0%; C18:2 64.0%;C18:3 0.5%; C20:1 0.05%; C22:2 0.1%. It also contains tocopherols 600-700ppm and phytosterols 4000-5000ppm. The seeds are rich in oil with a nutty flavour that is said to resemble olive oil and so is used in salad dressings and French cooking. The high levels of phytosterols should make it a useful ingredient in skin care products. It has been shown that phytosterols help the skin strengthen its lipid barrier and restores the moisture balance, smoothing the skin’s surface and improving skin elasticity. Phytosterols are also known to stimulate skin cells and encourage the regeneration of healthy skin cells. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes cucumber among the 20 most frequently consumed raw vegetables. Botanical and botanically derived ingredients used in the formulation of cosmetics are generally mild and safe. Prior to marketing the finished cosmetic product, the safety of each ingredient must be substantiated in accordance with 21 CFR 740.10. Safety substantiation of cosmetic ingredients may include tests for ocular and skin irritation as well as allergenicity, phototoxicity, photoallergenicity and mutagenicity, depending on the application or intended use. There is a considerable body of information about the safety of botanical ingredients and a well established history of use. These resources are consulted to ensure the safety of these materials as they are used in cosmetics.
Source: Dweck, Anthony. Handbook of Natural Ingredients (Dweck Books 4) . Dweck Data.
Creatine. Glycine, N-(Aminoiminomethyl)-N-Methyl-. Creatine is naturally produced in the human body from amino acids primarily in the kidney and liver. It is transported in the blood for use by muscles. Approximately 95% of the human body's total creatine is located in skeletal muscle. Beiersdorf scientists show creatine benefits in anti-ageing and skin care products. A group of scientists from Beiersdorf Research and Development have completed research that states that the nitrogenous organic acid creatine could represent a beneficial active ingredient for topical use in the prevention and treatment of human skin ageing. Cutaneous aging is characterized by a decline in cellular energy metabolism, which is mainly caused by detrimental changes in mitochondrial function. The processes involved seem to be predominantly mediated by free radicals known to be generated by exogenous noxes, e.g., solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Basically, skin cells try to compensate any loss of mitochondrial energetic capacity by extra-mitochondrial pathways such as glycolysis or the creatine kinase (CK) system. Recent studies reported the presence of cytosolic and mitochondrial isoenzymes of CK, as well as a creatine transporter in human skin. In this study, we analyzed the cutaneous CK system, focusing on those cellular stressors known to play an important role in the process of skin aging. According to results, a stress-induced decline in mitochondrial energy supply in human epidermal cells correlated with a decrease in mitochondrial CK activity. In addition, the effects of creatine supplementation on human epidermal cells as a potential mechanism to reinforce the endogenous energy supply in skin. Exogenous creatine was taken up by keratinocytes and increased CK activity, mitochondrial function and protected against free oxygen radical stress. New data clearly indicate that human skin cells that are energetically recharged with the naturally occurring energy precursor, creatine, are markedly protected against a variety of cellular stress conditions, like oxidative and UV damage in vitro and in vivo. This may have further implications in modulating processes, which are involved in premature skin aging and skin damage.
Source: Dweck, Anthony. Handbook of Cosmetic Ingredients: - their use, safety and toxicology (Dweck Books 5)
Carrot seed oil extracted from daucus carota of the Apiaceae family and it is also known as wild carrot and Queen Anne’s lace. This is the essential oil extracted from the seeds and should not be confused with macerated oil made. A source of beta-carotene and provitamin A. Natural colour and skin nutrient. Often used in sun care products. It accelerates the formation of tissue and contributes to an irreproachable skin epithelium. Preparations containing carrot oil are also suited to the care of ageing skin with its tendency to cornification (and incipient wrinkling). In the case of dry and scaly skin, carrot oil stimulates the production of sebum, but not to excess. The skin becomes soft and supple as a result. Carrot oil clears the complexion, it gradually dissolves the hardened (cornified) cores of blackheads. The carrot oil contains a-pinene, carotol, daucol, limonene, b-bisabolene, b-elemene, cs-b-bergamotene, geraniol, geranyl acetate, caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, asarone, alpha-terpineol, terpinen 4-ol, gamma-decanolactone, coumarin and béta-selinene among others.
(CAS: 8015-88-1/EINECS: not found)
Cucurbita Pepo Seed OIl is the oil expressed from the seeds of the pumpkin, Pumpkin seed oil is a highly nourishing and lubricating oil, and is useful for all skin types where it is traditionally used to combat fine lines, superficial dryness. And to prevent moisture loss.
Traditional use: restores skin tissue, supports healing of skin wounds and sores, protects skin from UV damage and absorbs quickly into skin.
(CAS: 8016-49-7/EINECS: 289-741-0)
It has been popular for its cooling, soothing properties since Cleopatra was a girl, and it is still contained in a wide variety of anti-inflammatory, calming, hydrating and refreshing products. These include aftersuns, body lotions, eye pads, skin fresheners and moisturisers as well as treatments for oily skin and tightening agents for sagging or stressed skin. Among many of the virtues are that it is cooling to delicate and inflamed skin, soothing, smoothing and refreshing.In China, the name for this plant is HUa Gua, where it is also known as “Grandmother’s Younger Face Slave”.
(CAS: 89998-01-6/EINECS: 289-738-4)
Abyssinian kale is a herbaceous annual plant that grows 1 to 1.5 m in height. It is native to the Mediterranean. From there it has spread through Southwest Asia and Western Europe. It grows today in many parts of the world.
Botanical characteristics: stem branched with approximately 30 side stems; inflorescence racemose, flowers numerous, small, white, tetramerous; fruits small, with 1 seed; seeds round, greenish white, 1 to 3 mm in diameter.
Abyssinian kale seeds contain approximately 30% oil. The fatty acid composition of triglycerides is defined by a high content of long-chain C20-24 fatty acids, i.e. gondoic, behenic, erucic and nervonic acids. Abyssinian kale oil is stable against oxidation. The oil has a light-yellow colour and a weak nutty odour.
Given its fatty acid composition, there is no suitable substitute for Abyssinian kale oil among other vegetable oils. It is classified into a special group of vegetable oils defined by long-chain fatty acids, together with broccoli, meadowfoam and rapeseed oils.
Long-chain fatty acids give Abyssinian kale oil its good slip and spreadability, which makes it a suitable cosmetic ingredient for the cleansing and care of the hair, which in turn should become shiny, easy to comb and manageable. Abyssinian kale oil has good potential for use in decorative cosmetics, particularly in lip products, where slip and spreadability properties are also desired. The oil may also be incorporated into skin care products for its emollient function.
Source: Modern Cosmetics - Dr. Damjan Janeš and Dr. Nina Kočevar Glavač
The cosmetic products notification portal (CPNP) is a free of charge online notification system created for the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products. When a product has been notified in the CPNP, there is no need for any further notification at national level within the EU.
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009EN(Article 13) requires that the responsible persons and, under certain circumstances, the distributors of cosmetic products submit some information about the products they place or make available on the European market through the CPNP.
The CPNP is making this information available electronically to competent authorities (for the purposes of market surveillance, market analysis, evaluation and consumer information) poison centres or similar bodies established by EU countries (for the purposes of medical treatment)
The CPNP is accessible to
- Competent authorities
- European poison centres
- Cosmetic products responsible persons
- Distributors of cosmetic products
Products containing nanomaterials
The CPNP also contains a separate module (Article 16) for cosmetic products containing nanomaterials. This notification has to be done in addition to the notification under Article 13. If the European Commission has concerns regarding the safety of a nanomaterial, it may request the scientific committee on consumer safety to perform a risk assessment.
Cosing stands for Cosmetic ingredient database.
CosIng is the European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients contained in the
- Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009EN of the European Parliament and of the Council
- Cosmetics Directive 76/768/EECEN (cosmetics directive), as amended
- Glossary of common ingredient names for the purpose of labelling cosmetic products placed on the market (as established by Decision (EU) 2019/701EN of 5 April 2019)
- Opinions on cosmetic ingredients of the Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety (list of SCCS opinions)
CAS, ELINCS or EINECS numbers can be searched for in CosIng.
The database includes all data since the adoption of the Cosmetics Directive in 1976. Current data is listed as 'active', while historical data is listed as 'not active'.
Please note that ingredient assigned with an INCI name that appears in the inventory section of CosIng does not mean it is to be used in cosmetic products nor approved for such use.
Concerning ingredients used in cosmetic products as colorants, preservatives and UV filters, only those authorised in Annexes IV, V, respectively VI to Cosmetic Regulation No 1223/2009 are listed in CosIng
CosIng may also list ingredients known to be used in medicinal products.
If, due to such ingredients, a product restores, corrects, or modifies physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action, the product shall be qualified as a medicinal product. However, products that, while having an effect on the human body, do not significantly affect the metabolism and thus do not strictly modify the way in which it functions, may be qualified as cosmetic products.
The qualification of a product is to be decided by the national competent authorities, under the supervision of the courts, on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all the characteristics of the product.
In addition, the use of any ingredient in cosmetic products must be supported by a safety assessment of the product.
Reference data:
- Regulations: List of European regulations amending the Cosmetics Regulation.
- Annexes: List of annexes to the Cosmetics Regulation.
- Functions: List and definitions of possible functions of ingredients used in cosmetic products as
provided in the inventory. - Abbreviations: List of standard abbreviations used in the INCI names.