Science in the service of beauty

Cosmetic products for cleansing, beautifying, perfuming, or ritual purposes have been in use since the beginning of the civilisation. The 20th century brought progress in the diversification of these products and their functions, as well as in safety and protection for the consumer. In the USA, before 1938, cosmetic products were not regulated, as was the case with drugs. Cosmetology was regarded as a dream selling industry. It was only in 1976 that the bills were adopted to regulate cosmetic products among EU member states. Everything has changed in the cosmetology since then. Chemistry has developed faster than biology, so new raw materials were identified and developed to improve the effectiveness of cosmetic products. The safety of products has become the top priority of cosmetic companies that had to adjust their approach and consider all available information to ensure the safe use of products without any risks for consumers. Market competitiveness still motivates manufacturers to develop even more efficient products.

 The development of raw materials is not enough to make them fully efficient. The foundation is essential for achieving the right effects, and the formulator’s role is to combine the proper ingredients with the appropriate foundation. Cosmetology is a specific science now.  Cosmetologists are scientists who work on the interactions of products and substances to target the particular places to achieve the projected effects.

Cosmetology today combines the knowledge from various areas of expertise. They include physics, chemistry, biology, bioengineering, dermatology, microbiology, toxicology, statistics, and many other sciences (1). 

Hedera Vita Ltd. has a team of experts from various fields that closely monitor the changes in the area of cosmetic ingredients and cosmetic products on the world market, and especially on the European market where we belong. We cooperate with big and world-famous raw material producers that are known for their quality, and a scientific approach in examining the effects of raw materials and their safety for customers.

The choice of quality, tested materials, good knowledge of their properties, and possible effects are the first step to the development of new formulation or improvement of an old one. The second step is choosing the foundation that will enable the raw material or the combination of raw materials to be fully efficient.

In many ways, the foundation determines the characteristics of the products regarding sensory properties and what customers expect when first touching the product. It should be easy to apply, feel good on the skin, with the right colour, scent, and texture. 
Our formulators with extraordinary, various, long-time hands-on experience and knowledge of innovative formulations, as well as the application of new approaches, make magical combinations of ingredients and foundation in the laboratory with one aim only. They make sure that customers are satisfied with the high- quality, safe product.

In every segment of formulation development, whether it is choosing ingredients, their concentration, choice of foundation or type of packaging, we have numerous consultations with safety assessor for raw material and product safety. The product safety is the key to its acceptance by consumers and long existence on the market. 

Development formulation or re-formulation of the existing product is preceded by a series of tests to prove the stability, efficiency, and sensory properties of the product. Only the products that pass all the tests can reach the next stage – making products in large, necessary and planned quantity. Then our team of technologists with great expertise and experience in manufacturing processes step in to ensure smooth production in accord with all ISO 22716:2007 standard regulations for good manufacturing practices of cosmetic products.   (Good Manufacturing Practices – GMP).

There is one more series of demanding tests for the finished cosmetic product. Once again, we aim to prove the overall quality of the product. Regulatory affairs team gathers all the dossiers and documents into the unique Product Information File – PIF. Finally, we reach another essential step – product marketing to customers. This segment involves experienced experts with knowledge of consumer psychology who examine the market and monitor customers’ needs and their reactions to products. We use the collected information at the beginning of the process for creating a new product. These facts are also useful when we present the product to customers, thus marking the end of the cycle. 

For us, the best advertising is a satisfied customer, who smilingly confirms that our product has met all their expectations.