How to fast track your cosmetic formulations!
Belinda Carli, 23/03/2022
The standard cosmetic formulation (R&D) process is at least 12 months to allow for innovation and evaluations, yet consumers are increasingly expecting product launches and innovations in reduced time frames. How can companies keep up without risking safety, stability and efficacy? This blog looks at ways to fast track your formulations to get to market sooner with the latest and greatest personal care products!
Fast Track Tip #1: Be clear on the Brief
Undoubtedly one of the biggest delays happens when the formulator has to go back to the Concept Developer on certain aspects of the brief and/or the Concept Developer ‘changes their mind’ part way through development.
The number 1 way to ensure formulations are developed as fast as possible, and just the way you want them, is to make sure your brief is clear and confirmed as early and as promptly as possible. If you are a Concept Developer, make sure you have:
• thoroughly researched your target market needs and wants
• compiled all essential ‘must have’ and ‘must avoid’ ingredients
• productive discussions with the Formulator on any changes required and confirm required changes in writing promptly
• an innovative Formulator to work with – sometimes Formulators need encouraging to think outside the square; and sometimes what you ask for is just plain impossible – but choose a Formulator that is willing to work with you on stretching the science if it can be done!
Formulators need to capture your concepts in a bottle… the better they have this information relayed to them the better they can create what you are looking for!
Fast Track Tip #2: Prepare Simultaneous Performance/Stability Based Samples
There is nothing that can extend the formulation development process more than preparing one sample at a time and waiting for feedback between each sample submission. Instead, make it a ‘round’ of sample submissions with multiple samples submitted to get faster feedback and approvals. Formulators can prepare multiple variants of a formula, manipulating just the stability enhancing ingredients (e.g. Version 1 with more emulsifier, Version 2 with less of the same emulsifiers, Version 3 with the same emulsifiers as Version 1 but more polymer etc) and/or vary the input or amounts of the active materials in a similar way.
Concept Developers can then evaluate the different versions to select the preferred performance while the Formulator conducts accelerated stability testing to see which version they prefer from a shelf life perspective. Then it’s a matter of combining the best performance with the best base in the next round of samples (which will be another round of samples to refine/finalise the sensory aspects… refer to Fast Track Tip #3!).
Fast Track Tip #3: Prepare Multiple Sensory Variants
Consumers are becoming more particular with the way a product feels. Formulators have literally hundreds of different sensory materials to select from when creating a product, even when the brief is clear and a
benchmark sample has been provided! Once you’ve got the performance and stability sorted (refer to Fast Track Tip #2!), the next best way to fast track formulations is for the Formulator to prepare ‘multiple’ samples varying in sensory components that best emulate the benchmark product and submit these at the same time.
If you are submitting 3-5 samples of varying sensory textures and/or aromas, then:
• best case scenario: one of them will be signed off
• worst case scenario: your Concept Developer will be able to compare between 2-3 of the samples you submitted and guide you, very specifically, as to what they did/did not like so you can get it right in the next round of samples
You may get feedback such as, ‘V2 spread better on the skin but with the aroma of V3’ – which is great – the next round of samples would combine the key elements the Concept Developer preferred, but in one final version. Remember, it’s not what the Formulator likes, or even the Concept Developer… but what the target market wants/needs that should be approved!
Fast Track Tip #4: Utilise Disruptive Formulations
To really fast track your formulations, you can utilise ‘Disruptive Formulations’. A Disruptive Formulation (DF) base is one that uses certain functional ingredients with a proven stability profile and then manipulates a few aspects to make a ‘tailor made’ version of the DF base. To do this, the Formulator needs to create a DF base that can accommodate various sensory and active inputs and manipulations without being too disrupted – but once done, DF bases can enable a Formulator to create multiple performance and sensory variants in a reasonably predictable stable base to get sample submissions out fast with a relatively high confidence in its prolonged shelf life. It can mean cutting up to 6 months off the normal development process but should be only be attempted when the DF base has been tested appropriately to ensure suitable confidence… ask your Formulator for more information.
WANT TO LEARN HOW TO TO GET IT RIGHT?
Don’t need the qualification but still want to learn on a professional level? Get started faster and save 50% off full course fees with our Study Only option:
Study with the Institute of Personal Care Science – we have a range of Formulating, Brand Managment, and Regulatory Diplomas, Certificates, short courses and workshops that can see you comprehensively trained and/or rapidly up-skilled in key areas, all from the convenience of a time and place that suits you with:
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