Beauty has made considerable progress as regards cosmetics safety of use. Although some people keep pretending that certain ingredients are problematic, while it is not scientifically based on the current knowledge, many substances used in the past for certain purposes were clearly problematic. Here is an update on this issue – if only to measure the progress made.
Sylvie Hampikian takes us on a little tour of the range of what “chemists” had at their disposal before modern times to prepare makeup products. It was not until the second half of the 19th century that the palette of these colouring materials really changed. Today, although there is a strong demand for natural colourants, the colourist palette definitely remains synthetic-oriented.
Veterinary doctor Sylvie Hampikian, who also holds a French CES diploma in Immunology, worked at Institut Pasteur, before becoming an expert in pharmacy and toxicology, as well as a consultant and scientific editor (pharmacy, phytotherapy, dietetics, veterinary medicines…). As soon as her teenage years, she took interest in the “secrets of beauty” and natural cosmetics. She knows this field perfectly well.
Many thanks to her.
Jean Claude LE JOLIFF
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