I came across this while I was searching for IR and NMR spectroscopy cheat sheets (I found them here [IR] and here [Proton NMR], for those interested!).
It’s well illustrated and well explained. The author, a chemistry PhD, shows how companies like Almay use emulsions and solubility to create cool effects like a cream going from white to skin toned!
By taking advantage of the fact that some things dissolve in water and some in oil, the makeup manufacturers can hide the skin toned pigments inside water tinted white with titanium dioxide!
(Also there’s no “smart” in the smart shading…a cream can’t tell what colour your skin is…yet!)
I’m Charlotte Cho, a K-beauty obsessed esthetician, co-founder of Soko Glam and author of The Little Book of Skin Care: Korean Beauty Secrets for Healthy, Glowing Skin. I’m so pumped about all the love K-beauty has been getting in the states!
I’m happy to chat with you skin care enthusiasts about your K-beauty obsessions, skin care tips/advice, as well as self-starting in the beauty business, for any aspiring entrepreneurs here! I’ll be here from 11am-1pm ET today so ask me anything.
After a new analysis, these researchers concluded that the ratio of bacteria cells to human cells is closer to 1:1 versus the commonly cited 10:1.
An interesting fact from the researchers, the amount is close enough that there’s potentially more human cells than bacteria cells in and on your body after you take a dump.
I had a great meeting today with a chemist and sales rep from a supplier. They brought along a bunch of product demos, which I love! It really gives me a good idea of what can be achieved with the ingredients. I wish more sample formulas came with photos or videos of the final formulation.
I’ve heard that master chefs can imagine the tastes of meals, unfortunately I can’t quite do that with molecules – maybe one day!
These are two samples they brought that really struck my eye
The first you might recognize, as they were very popular in 2013. Clarins released a limited set of these crystal jelly lip balms and they were all over YouTube and beauty blogs.
There are a few different ways to achieve lipid gels, one of the easier methods is to use a starch that has been attached to a fatty acid molecule. This lets them dissolve into the fat and provide structure – as well as clarity.
Sucrose based emulsifiers are another way, but they have a thicker and stickier texture – which isn’t always desired.
This sample was described as having an ice-like texture. When you stir it, it crumbles – kind of like Jell-O. After sitting for a few minutes though it smooths out.
This one uses carbomer and hydrogen bonding with glycerin to create the crunchy texture.
Carbomer does have some environmental concerns as it doesn’t biodegrade easily, but it is very safe and non-irritating to the skin.
It can create a range of beautiful, elegant, and interesting textures – that as of now, natural thickeners can’t.
Another video of the lotion spreading robot, since it’s so popular! I’ve dubbed it Spread Lee, the lotion spreading robot who has secret dreams to become the world’s best kung fu fighter!
