Breaking News on Cosmetics Formulation & Packaging - Europe US edition

NaTrue extends its reach to Italy with alliance

Naturals certification body has extended its reach into Italy by entering a strategic alliance with research and quality consortium RTC Milano.

Worlee Cosmetics launches film former with unique formulation

Germany based company Worlée Cosmetics has launched a film former that claims to be its most advanced formula yet and builds upon the company’s existing portfolio for use in decorative cosmetics.

L’Oreal results point to sales recovery in Q2

L’Oreal says that robust sales in emerging markets helped to boost preliminary results for the company in its most recent quarter.

Allergy specialists suggest warning symbol for foods, non-foods

Use of a common symbol to indicate the presence of individual allergens in food and personal care products could help allergy sufferers identify products to avoid – especially in multi-lingual communities, say specialists from Imperial College.

Study shows advantages of visualising cosmetics efficacy

A new study suggests that demonstrating a cosmetic’s performance using high technology visual means rather than statistics can increase the success rate of advertising.

Self cleaning barcode system cuts costs and downtime, says company

A unique self-cleaning method that ensures low cost of ownership, minimal downtime and high quality printing of barcodes onto outer case packaging are the benefits claimed by the manufacturers of the system.

Restructuring costs hit Avon second quarter profits

Avon has announced a 65 percent drop in profits as charges for its tough restructuring program bites into the company’s bottom line.

Restructuring charges hit Revlon results

Color cosmetics maker Revlon said restructuring charges led to the company bearly breaking even in the second quarter.

Extremolytes form basis for new anti-ageing ingredient

Jan Dekker has launched an anti-ageing ingredient based on extremolytes that targets a range of skin care and sun care formulations.

Lush launches campaign to highlight destruction caused by palm oil

A campaign launched by progressive cosmetics firm Lush to underline the destruction caused by some palm oil producers is gathering attention.

News in brief

Restructuring and strong sales boost Nu Skin

Direct sales player Nu Skin sales strong skin care sales and restructuring have both helped to boost second quarter results.

Frutarom eyes nutricosmetics market with topical and oral use line

Frutarom is launching a line of new ingredients that aims to tap into growth in the market for formulas that provide cosmetics and supplements as combination products.

Trend for natural and organic cosmetics set to rocket, according to new report

A new report released by consumer research body, Packaged Facts, declares that the recent boom in organic and natural personal care products is set to grow even more, based on strong consumer demand for natural ingredients.

Personal care helps Croda battle recession

A strong performance from the company’s consumer care division helped the specialty chemicals player battle through tough conditions in its first six months.

Rexam considers rights issue, market remains weak

Beauty packaging specialist Rexam is considering issuing new equity to service its burdensome debt pile, after market conditions failed to improve in the last quarter.

News in brief

Alcan wins beauty packaging award

Alcan has won the award for Best Laminate Tube 2009 from the European Tube Manufacturers Association.

Alberto Culver profits increase on cost cutting

Global hair care leader Alberto Culver has announced a big rise in profits on account of significant cost cutting measures.

Aloe vera gets thumbs up as natural oral care ingredient

US dental researchers say work they have been conducting into aloe vera suggests that it is an excellent ingredient as a tooth and gum cleaner.

Kimberly-Clark sales down but outlook up on lower costs

Personal care giant Kimberly-Clark says net sales fell 6 per cent during its second quarter but says cost savings should boost full year results.

Scientists discover seaweed-based hair dyes

Scientists in the UK have discovered a seaweed growing off that Shetland Island that could be used to create natural-based hair dyes.

Work begins on Marchesini’s €6.5m logistics unit

Italian production machine specialist Marchesini has begun work on a €6.5m ($9.2m) extension of its facility in Pianoro, Bologna.

Avon’s second quarter will be hit by large restructuring costs

Avon’s second quarter results will be impacted by approximately $90m in costs related to job losses and plant closures.

Aramis re-launches classic gentleman’s fragrances

Estee Lauder brand Aramis is re-launching eight fragrances called the Gentleman’s Collection by Aramis as part of a brand makeover.

Consumers back nanotech benefits, but remain wary

A new study has found European consumers think the benefits of nanotechnology outweigh the potential risks, but are concerned about current risk assessment procedures.

Patent for natural hair dye given to Advanced Cosmetic Technologies

American cosmetics company, Advanced Cosmetic Technologies, has been awarded a patent in the US for a range of natural hair dyes which are PPD, resorcinol and ammonia free.

Tupperware’s beauty sales struggle especially in developed markets

Sales for the beauty segment of the direct seller Tupperware dropped in the second quarter, although emerging regions stood up better than developed markets.

Sederma claims ingredient fights against sagging skin

Fighting against sagging skin is the latest aim of France-based ingredients supplier Sederma with Idealift.

P&G close to finding buyer for its pharma unit

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is close to finding a buyer for its pharmaceutical division for around $3bn according to various media reports.

Plastic companies hit by credit insurance woes - survey

Almost 80 per cent of UK plastic companies are struggling to get credit insurance as any green shoots of recovery fail to appear, according to a survey by the British Plastics Federation (BPF).

Fragrance allergen levels in baby bathwater of ‘special concern’, say scientists

The levels of fragrance allergens in baby bathwater are of ‘special concern’ according to Spanish researchers who have developed a method to test the presence of the compounds.

Bare Escentuals accused of inflating share prices in lawsuit

Color cosmetics company Bare Escentuals is being accused of artificially inflating the company’s share prices by providing misleading information to the public.

Future of suncare lies in convenience and multifunctional products, says Mintel

Sunscreens need to be convenient, multifunctional and protect against UV in order to compete with UV filter-containing skincare, according to Mintel.

Dow Chemical Company targets developing markets with UV filter

Dow Chemical Company is reaching out to developing markets with a zinc-based UV filter from Australian company Antaria.

Loders Croklaan to expand product range next year

Loders Croklaan is building a new refinery and storage capacity in Rotterdam that will enable it to expand its product range with lauric products and mixtures and use greener production processes.

MWV boosts folding carton business to fit companies' needs in downturn

Packaging supplier MeadWestvaco (MWV) is strengthening its beauty and cosmetics folding carton business with additional products and a new sales director.

Social media campaigns can help small players enter competitive markets

Aloe Vera skin care company Lexli has launched a marketing campaign including social and digital media that is designed to help it succeed in an industry dominated by big players.

Cosmetics industry accused of using child labor to source ingredients

Mica, used as a shiny pigment in some color cosmetics, is often sourced with the help of child labor, according to a recent Sunday Times report.

News in brief

M&H launches character HDPE bottles for children

M&H Plastics has launched a new range of HDPE personal care bottles moulded into the shape of favourite children's characters and animals.

UK health and beauty market set for growth in 2009

The UK health and beauty market is set to grow by 2.7 per cent in 2009, despite the fact that the there has been a slight decline in the overall retail segment.

Nano labelling is problematic without universal definition, industry experts

Without a clear definition, insisting on transparency for nano-containing cosmetics is unhelpful, according to industry insiders.

Report examines branding potential of social networking

Facebook is by far the most popular social media network amongst US consumers, although the value of such networks for brand promotion has not yet been maximized, suggests a new survey.

Chinese flower holds potential as skin lightening ingredient

An extract from the Asian plant Osmanthus fragrans may be a possible skin lightening ingredient, according to Taiwanese scientists.

Beauty foods not as big as expected, according to market analyst

Despite being hailed as the next big thing to hit the cosmetics industry, beauty foods are receiving only ‘casual interest’ from British consumers, according to market research company Datamonitor.

UK hair care market suffers as consumer spend shrinks

As the economic downturn continues to bite, UK consumers are spending less on both shampoo and conditioners, a new market study shows.

News in brief

Ethical trade body calls for feedback on standard

The Union for Ethical Biotrade, which aims to support the ethical trade of biodiversity based products, is calling for stakeholder and industry feedback to help it redesign its standard.

Natura share offering set to raise big money for next round of investment

Brazilian cosmetics player Natura said that its recently announced share offering is likely to raise in excess of $800m as Brazilian and US investors clamor for shares.

Yves Rocher hopes franchises will increase footprint in Canada

Yves Rocher is offering up franchise store opportunities in Canada in an attempt to cover greater ground in the more remote provinces.

Importance of innovation in economic downturn is focus of industry event

Beyond Beauty Paris believes its Creative event in September will show how the industry can fight back from the current downturn.

News in brief

Hot weather helps boost UK personal care sales for June

Good summer weather helped boost toiletries and personal care sales in the UK for the month of June, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

Gerresheimer cuts forecast on weak cosmetic packaging sales

Gerresheimer has cut its forecast for 2009 after a poor second quarter that saw gains made in drug packaging pegged back by falling demand from the cosmetics industry.

Brazil cosmetics market exceeds predicted growth rates

The growth rate for cosmetics, toiletries and fragrance in Brazil has exceeded predictions made at the beginning of the year, which means the value of the market in 2009 is likely to be 11 per cent higher than 2008.

News in brief

Evonik targets Southeastern US with new distribution agreement

Ingredients supplier Evonik Goldschmidt has entered into a distribution agreement with Glenn Corporation to target a number of Southeastern sates in the US.

Analyst tips P&G for major acquisition

A leading analyst has released a note to investors suggesting that Procter & Gamble may be scouting around for a major acquisition in an attempt to boost sales.

Johnson and Johnson sales hit by tough retail environment

Leading pharmaceutical and personal care player Johnson & Johnson has been hit hard during its second quarter by the global economic recession.

Parlux turnover down although department store sales look strong

Weak international sales drag down a respectable domestic performance for fragrance manufacturer Parlux in the quarter ending June 30.

Natural snail serum developed to treat acne scarring

Andes Natural Skin Care says it has come up with a topical treatment based on a secretion from a snail to simultaneously treat acne and clear up disfiguring acne scars.

Galaxy Surfactants purchases majority stake of Tri-K

Mumbai-based Galaxy Surfactants has purchased a majority stake in US-based ingredients supplier Tri-K in order to expand on its personal care portfolio and consolidate its global presence.

Natural sunscreen formulators may suffer under new European UVA regulation

New European regulations on sunscreens may make it harder for natural formulators to provide high SPF protection products, according to natural brand Lavera.

News in brief

Austrian firm opens beauty care packaging plant in North Carolina

Plastic packaging supplier Alpla is opening a $7.2m (€5.2m) facility in North Carolina to produce plastic bottles for shampoo, conditioners and body wash products.

Amazon.fr cashes in on growing internet retail sales for beauty products

Amazon’s French site now offers beauty and fragrance products in the hope of attracting consumers looking for good value in hard times.

Croda closes UK factory due to loss of raw material supply

Croda is closing a production plant in Wilton, UK, as its main raw material supplier Dow has stopped production at the site.

Coty announces opening of new Russian subsidiary

Global fragrance company Coty, announced the opening of a new subsidiary in Russia as part of a strategic initiative to establish direct in-house marketing control of the Coty products in Russia.

Sabic launches two eco-friendly compounds for packaging materials

Global thermoplastics provider Sabic Innovative has launched two eco-friendly compounds that can be used in plastics for a range of personal care and cosmetic packaging.

Cellulite advertising must break through scepticism, Beiersdorf

Advertising must breakthrough scepticism in the cellulite sector, according to Beiersdorf which has just received an award for its Nivea Good Bye Cellulite product line.

Mary Kay cosmetics sues Yahoo for allegedly advertising unauthorized sellers

Direct seller Mary Kay has sued Yahoo for allegedly placing links to unauthorized product sellers in promotional e mails sent to Mary Kay customers.

Review questions evidence that muscle rub ingredient is effective

A new scientific review suggests that there is not enough evidence to prove that rubefacients are effective at relieving muscle pain.

CPL Aromas rewards young talent from the London College of Fashion

International fragrance company CPL Aromas has announced the winners of its annual competition for the London College of Fashion, in which winning images from photography students are selected to be used in advertising and packaging for the company.

Banned fragrance found by IFRA in consumer product

A fragrance substance banned by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) has been found in a consumer product during the association’s third random testing session.

News in brief

GSK launch ‘love your mouth’ campaign to support oral care brands

GlaxoSmithKline is launching a mouth care campaign telling consumers to ‘love your mouth’ supporting its oral care brands.

Nova Chemicals bought out by Saudi petrochemical company

Global packaging and chemicals player Nova Chemicals has been acquired by Saudi Arabian firm International Petroleum Investment Company.

Environmental watchdog makes an exception for nanoparticles in sunscreens

The environmental and public health interest group the EWG has decided the benefits of nanoparticles in sunscreens outweigh the risks.

News in brief

New products added to US classic brand after successful relaunch

After being acquired by a brand licensing company late last year, American classic Lander brands is experiencing a renaissance with the addition of new products.

Arkema and Chemeq to co-manufacture antimicrobial polymer

Arkema and Australian chemicals supplier Chemeq have signed a manufacturing agreement that will see Arkema supply a new antimicrobial polymer.

BASF cuts jobs and closes factories to integrate Ciba into business

BASF will be cutting 3,700 jobs and closing over 20 production facilities as part of the integration of Ciba into the business.

Celebrity hair colourist’s product range gains carbon neutral accreditation

Celebrity hairdresser, Louise Galvin, has received carbon neutral accreditation from The Carbon Neutral Company for her hair care line Galvin Sacred Locks.

L’Oreal gives awards for ‘ethical excellence’

Tapping into the increasing awareness and importance of ethical business practices, L’Oreal has launched an award scheme for business ethics.

Fish derived collagen could help relieve sensitive skin, study

An oligosaccharide and a fish derived collagen could provide relief for sufferers of sensitive skin, according to scientists from Rome, Italy.

News in brief

Alcan Packaging develops new rotating applicator for lip gloss

Beauty company Alcan Packaging has developed a lip gloss applicator called SpinArt, which uses a new rotating system to give longer-lasting effects.

Weekly comment

Are consumer watchdog product tests thorough enough?

A recent spate of disputed consumer watchdog studies on personal care products has raised the question of whether such testing is always thorough enough.

Cosmos organic standard lacks clarity, says rival NaTrue

The recently published Cosmos standard for organic and natural cosmetics has attracted criticism from rival NaTrue which claims it contains inaccuracies and contradictions.

M&H plastics use recyclable packaging for Naked Bodycare

M&H Plastics has provided recyclable, Post Consumer Regrind packaging for natural toiletries brand Naked Bodycare on the launch of its new hair styling range.

News in brief

Supermodel Twiggy returns to P&G’s Olay after 25 years

UK born model Lesley Hornby, better known as Twiggy, was the face of P&G’s Oil of Ulay brand back in 1985.

China personal care market still offers investment potential

There is still significant business potential in the China personal care market as growth in the sector steams ahead, despite the economic downturn.

News in brief

Naturex chosen as one of the top sustainable businesses

France-based naturals company Naturex has been selected as one of the 20 most sustainable businesses by green investment newsletter Progressive Investor.

Procter and Gamble ads for instant wrinkle filler ‘unsubstantiated’

Procter and Gamble (P&G) joins L’Oreal and Estee Lauder in the ranks of cosmetics giants rapped over unsubstantiated advertising claims for anti-ageing products.

Geka Brush joins forces with Ancorotti Cosmetics

Germany-based brush manufacturer Geka Brush has partnered with Italian Ancorotti Cosmetics to collaborate in the packaging, application and formulation of eye make-up.

His and her eyeliner packaging wins top prize

The Swedish Packaging Impact Design Awards has given this year’s top prize to the Mr. & Mrs Eyeliner pens and mirror.

His and her eyeliner packaging wins top prize

The Swedish Packaging Impact Design Awards has given this year’s top prize to the Mr. & Mrs Eyeliner pens and mirror.

Teeth whitening safer than orange juice, says study

Concentrations of hydrogen peroxide used in professional and over the counter teeth whitening processes don’t cause significant changes to tooth enamel, according to US researchers.

Crabtree & Evelyn files for bankruptcy in the US

Specialty soaps and skin care provider Crabtree & Evelyn has filed for bankruptcy in the US, becoming the latest personal care player to fall victim to the economic crisis.