5 big issues when formulating colour

Belinda Carli, 02/03/2021

Since the age of Cleopatra, women have used make up to fix flaws, highlight beautiful features and gain confidence every day. Today there are products for hair, skin, nails; to even the complexion and create beauty; to tan the skin…the list goes on. Colour cosmetics have special formulating requirements and need to comply within the country they will be sold. They also need to perform well considering there is so much competition in the marketplace!

This report looks at 5 Big Issues when formulating colour and how to fix them; so you can get back to creating truly beautiful, and beautifying, colour cosmetics!

 

 

Big Issue #1: Ingredient compliance

The cosmetic products you are making must contain ingredients, particularly colourants, that are approved for use in the country in which they will be sold.

For example, did you know that some colourants allowed in Australia and EU are not permitted in certain types of colour cosmetic products in the USA without restrictions on use and/or prior certification or may be not at all? Did you know that if a colourant is not listed on the AICIS database, it cannot be imported or used in an imported product to Australia in any quantity? Did you know there are restrictions on the use of some colourants in Australia and the EU that limit inputs or use in some commonly used cosmetic products in these regions?

If you are not familiar with various country requirements whether you are selling locally or internationally, become familiar with country requirements BEFORE selling, BEFORE exporting and BEFORE formulating if possible, to help ensure you have a compliant (and/or multi-country compliant) product. Make sure you know where to search for ingredient compliance, particularly of colourants, before using any in your formulas. 

 

Big issue #2: Colour matching

Metamerism is where two colours appear the same under one light source, but different under different light sources. This occurs where a product has not been properly colour matched – for example, blending red and green will create a brown colour, but so will blending purple and yellow.

You don’t need fancy (or expensive) machines to be able to colour match properly – you need good training and a careful eye. If a colour looks the same on skin but different on white paper, or different on skin under different light sources, then it is not the same.

Learn to colour match properly to get the same colour under different light sources using colour matching skills – not machines – and get a perfect match.

 

Big issue #3: Colour pay-off

Pay-off is the way colour is transferred to the skin (or hair) on application. Each colour cosmetic has its own formulating challenges when it comes to pay-off – for example, lipsticks need to be solid but transfer colour to the lips evenly and readily. Foundations need to have colour apply evenly and have suitable ‘coverage’ for the wearer to hide skin imperfections and even out the complexion.

Good formulation principles, the use of suitable ‘wetting’ agents and ensuring even application are some key ways to ensure colour pay-off is as it is required.

It is also important to test your finished product on suitable consumer groups to make sure they are happy with the way the product performs and pay-off provided. It is not enough that you like your product; a significant portion of others in your target market must like your product too to ensure repeat purchases and a growth in sales.

 

Big issue #4: Inadequate scale up procedures

Scale up is the process of taking a formulation from the lab bench to production equipment and checking it at various sizes of production to ensure its suitability for larger scale equipment. The accuracy of colour measurements will be much greater (and different) in a 100kg batch compared to a 200g lab sample. If a formula yields a different colour on larger equipment, it is usually a manufacturing problem, not a formulation problem – so prevent the problem by performing appropriate scale up.

It is foolish to think that a sample produced in a lab in a 200g or even 1kg sample will turn out the same if you go straight to producing 100kg. Instead, 10 – 20x increments of scale up is the MOST that should be used at a time to limit or potentially prevent things from going wrong. For example, this means:

  • preparing a 1 – 4kg ‘lab batch’ after a 200g lab sample/formula has been approved – in many cases, you can use this larger lab batch to start your stability study, so it is never wasted
  • preparing a 10 – 20kg ‘pilot batch’ using similar equipment to that which will be used to produce the full production batch to confirm its suitability when scaling up from the lab into production equipment – this batch can normally be sold albeit will cost more per kg than the full production batch
  • proceeding to the full 100 – 200kg production batch once the pilot has passed quality checks and been signed off as suitable
  • scaling up again if 1000kg or more is required

Not performing appropriate scale up and getting a different end colour result is one of the biggest issues of colour manufacture - don’t fall victim to a failed batch simply because you tried to save time and money by skipping good scale up procedures!

 

Big issue #5: Insufficient stability testing

Colour cosmetics look fantastic – when they are stable. When they become unstable, however, they can quickly change colour, odour and usability. If an expiry date is required (e.g. for EU) then a stability protocol to support that shelf life is essential. Even if an expiry date is not required, you should still have stability data so that you know what the shelf life is like on your product.

The ONLY way you can confirm the true shelf life of a product is to store it at the temperature stated on the pack for the duration of the shelf life e.g. 30 months at 25°C. But you don’t want to have to wait 30 months before you start selling product, so accelerated programs provide relative confidence as to the product achieving the required shelf life.

An effective stability program should include:

  • preliminary accelerated testing of at least 3 - 6 months on large lab batches before proceeding to pilot (these results can also be extended to 9-12 months accelerated and 30-36 months real time and be used to support full scale production batch shelf life)
  • full accelerated and real time stability on the first full production batch

Brands releasing personal care and cosmetic products all too often think PET is the same as stability testing or that a 2 week indication of how a product performs under different temperature conditions is sufficient to proceed to full scale production… but it’s not! If that product separates, develops off notes over time or otherwise becomes unsuitable to sell due to aesthetics or safety reasons, a recall will be necessary. There is only one way to be sure your product is suitable to sell over a 1, 2 or 3 year period and comply with EU requirements. Remove the risk, comply with the requirements, and know what to expect by conducting appropriate stability testing or have experts do it for you. Do you have a stability program in place to confirm the shelf life of your products? It is a small investment compared to a product recall – if you don’t have one in place today it is time to think about getting one!

 

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: 

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Our Certificate in Colour Cosmetics Formulation course has been developed to provide the skills and knowledge to enable learners to confidently formulate colour cosmetic products in response to this increased demand.

Students must ensure they can formulate to at least an Intermediate level first. This can be achieved by first completing our Certificate in Advanced Cosmetic Science, or to a higher level, by completing the Diploma of Personal Care Formulation. If you have a similar level of qualification you can also enrol directly in this program.

Don’t need the qualification but still want to learn on a professional level? Our courses are all available as “study only”, where you can study independently.

  • All distance (on-line) study
  • 1-on-1 tutorial support via skype or phone with our trainers
  • Flexible study options – study full time, part time or very part time.

 

Want to learn Colour Formulation through a Workshop? Purchase our “How to make makeup” and learn how to make mineral foundation, bronzer, eyeshadow (in 2 colours) and vegan friendly lipstick. Learn more and watch the start of the first video for FREE - HERE.

Want help with your brand or formulas? When you are a full course student and graduate, you get access to our exclusive group of professional formulators, graduates and students PLUS attend monthly live webinars with our Director, Belinda Carli, and she’ll answer your questions direct. 

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Not sure which course is right for you? Visit our online selector or contact us: [email protected]

 

Just starting out and want to learn the fundamentals? Get started making your own natural and organic skincare products with our FREE Cosmetic Formulation Fundamentals Masterclass

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