by theglamscientist | | air spun powder, cosmetics, Coty Inc, makeup, perfume bottles, perfumery |
Coty was never a household name for me until I began my hunt for the perfect cosmetic company to work for. Now that I am developing my own company, I wanted to know what led to the success of Coty, Inc. Coty, Inc was founded in 1904 (wow! talk about timeless treasure!) by a Corsican by the name of Francois Spoturno– the name a spin off from his mother’s maiden name Coti. A company of humble beginnings, Spoturno built his first makeshift laboratory in his flat. After just four years of marketing his first fragrance, he was profitable enough to open a factory. With the new factory also came a new face powder. Coty, Inc catered to the most wealthy patrons, but also offered smaller sizes of his products at prices a young Parisian girl could afford.
Coty, Inc continued to introduce new products, and was the first to manufacture a series of products in the same scent (great idea, its still widely used). The company proved to be ahead of rhe pack not only in product development but in the containers and packaging it used as well. Over the years the company has changed hands several times due to death and retirement, but it is still a fierce competitor in the industry. Coty, Inc is now a subsidiary of Joh. A. Benckiser GmbH. Notable brands include
: Lady Stetson, Rimmel and Calgon.
To read more on the history of Coty, Inc follow the link in my References section.
by theglamscientist | | black and white fashion, cosmetics, high fashion, perfume bottles, perfumery |
My inspiration for my cosmetic line comes from just about everything; jewelry, fashion, furniture, nature, colors— you get the picture. Today I’m focused on a timeless fashion staple… black and white. I’ve had a thing for this color scheme for about 7 years now… I’m so fortunate that it never goes out of style! At any rate, I’m in search of some interesting perfume and/or apothecary bottles and I thought “how classy would a black and white bottle be?!” So armed with inspiration from two very fashionable dresses, I began my hunt for some haute fragrance bottles. TaDaaaaa!!!!
I think the best way to compliment such a straight forward look is to soften it with feminine makeup (no lipstick, just gloss or stain) and a light fragrance– something floral or citrus. Let’s face it, when wearing the most contrasting color scheme you’re commanding enough attention!!!
by theglamscientist | | chemicals, chemistry, cosmetics, hair care, skin care |
This is the very first Um, What?! Wednesday! Every Wednesday I’m going to break down one ingredient commonly found in personal care products; giving you the good, the bad and the ugly. Today its all about EDTA, my absolute favorite chemical (don’t ask me why, I’m a nerd!). Here are the facts:
EDTA and its salts– anything listed that has EDTA somewhere in the name– is found in just about all skin care treatments including lotions, creams, body wash, soap, shampoos and conditioners. Its official chemical name is (insert deep breath here) ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. Its defining quality is the ability to bind metal ions. Popular applications in your personal care products are preservative and foaming/lather agent. As a preservative it prevents deterioration of the product, protects the fragrance, and prevents rancidity (common in products whose ingredients include water). It combines with metals such as calcium, magnesium and iron to achieve foam or lather. EDTA also keeps metals from being deposited on your hair, skin and scalp (cleanliness is of utmost importance right?).
Not only is this chemical known for getting the job done, its also been deemed safe by the FDA for food and cosmetic applications. That’s right, its safe enough to eat!!!! In reference to cosmetic and personal care applications, it is not a skin irritant or sensitizer, nor is it a carcinogen (won’t cause cancer). It results in very little skin penetration, so if found in your blood stream, its only in trace amounts.
I absolutely love this chemical!!!! See you next Wednesday!
by theglamscientist | | chemicals, chemistry, cosmetics, eco, environment, green, science |
I stumbled upon an article in an issue of Cosmetiscope– a journal for cosmetic scientists– detailing what ‘green’ means in the cosmetic industry. What I once thought to be no more than an eco-fad has quickly become quite important to a great majority internationally. Here’s what I learned…
In order to be considered green the cosmetic manufacturer must make an effort to prevent waste. Generally chemical waste is detrimental to the environment so you can see why this would be important. A few other requirements are linked to preventing or reducing waste, so I’ll discuss them now. Any substance that is used for the sole purpose of making a reaction work has to be renewable. It cannot be ‘used up’ in the process and it cannot be inactive when the process is complete. Similarly, green processes minimize the creation of side products that cannot be used in other applications. In addition, green processes make use of what I would call personal assistants which speed up the reaction and minimize the amount of starting material needed.
Next on the chopping block– unnecessary chemicals. All the ingredients tossed into the mixing bowl have to be needed for effective application of the product. In other words, all those 15-35 letter ingredients that fascinate me so much (nerdy I know!) have to be in there for a darn good reason! Additionally, a fantastically green product serves its purpose and then calls it quits leaving no chemical scars on our blessed environment. And just for good measure, a real-time pollution prevention tool should be in place. Toxicity and risk of chemical disaster– like explosions, fires, gas leaks (no big deal, right?) are kept to a minimum.
And with all the talk about energy conservation locally and on capital hill, its no mystery why the cosmetic industry would strive to be particular about the energy use in their chemical processes.
Stay tuned to see how well your cosmetic company of choice is doing with the transition!
