After visiting the fascinating, wonderful exhibition on hair and hairs entitled Des Cheveux et des Poils at the Paris Musée des Arts décoratifs, it was only logical for me to write about this …
Thermogène or skin that heats up
I am reacting to an article on Thermogène© published by Retronews to briefly discuss a particular sensation which is not often highlighted, although it has its raison d'être in cosmetology: skin that …
In the footsteps of DIY.
As I reviewed this text published in our newsletter, I thought it should be part of our main articles, because it illustrates practices regularly discussed. Do-it-yourself, or DIY, continues to …
The Deodorant story
This product category is one of the oldest in modern cosmetics. It emerged mainly due to the development of hygienism in the late 19th century. Let’s take a look back at the history of a modern …
The “aging odor” or nonenal effect
Non-2-enal is an unsaturated aldehyde. It is a colorless liquid largely responsible for the flavor of aged beer and buckwheat. The characterization of this substance in the skin of elderly people will …
50 years ago: Morhange!
In August 1972, an odd rumour put the spotlight on a cosmetic product: Morhange’s talc. Then, things turned out to be serious. This incident, later called the Morhange talc case, was a consequence of …
Marie Earle, an instrumental beauty pioneer.
It is always interesting to discover brands’ histories, although sometimes, it can be as tricky to work on as a police case. Indeed, many brands have disappeared without leaving a trace, and Marie …
Continue Reading about Marie Earle, an instrumental beauty pioneer. →
Cold in beauty
There had been the frigidarium of the Roman baths, but closer to us, aesthetic centers offered treatments based on cold. Many devices have existed, ranging from the simplest to the most complicated …
Epigenetic’s and cosmetics
New concepts emergence in cosmetics is not always a guarantee of sustainability. Many ideas, based more or less on scientific advances, are regularly proposed. Some of them impose themselves as new …
Nitrosamine
Some of you may have heard about the Rapex procedure. The RAPEX System is a European system designed to quickly exchange information about the hazards resulting from the use of consumer goods. Every …
Meta-sensoriality!
The role of La Cosmétothèque does not consist in making forecasts. But we can put forward the emergence of new facts or trends that might make history and to which we might make reference later, …
Chanel still N°1
The legendary fashion house has just introduced a new line of beauty products. Baptized Chanel N ° 1. The brand reconnects with its history in the beauty world. Indeed, when the brand returned to …
The shaving art
You all know the term “hipster”. Until recently, it was used to refer to not-so-new a practice – now it corresponds to a particular trend. Plus, it often described the young bearded men that brought …
Liquid cerates
Just like for many other things, we tend to like and forget certain formulation technologies. Let’s focus on the example of cerates. This term comes from the Latin word ceratus: according to …
Rosy cheeks
This question is central in the beauty world, including both skincare and make-up products. This is quite possibly the oldest beauty practices. And yet, very few people are interested or have been …
La Peaulogie 6
Artificial skins: will technology have human skin? It is in these terms that number 6 of the review La Peaulogie rises the question. This new issue of the journal tries to show how things are …
Volatile oils 2: will or opportunity?
In a recent article, we were mentioned about the interest that a particular ingredient has in relation to its properties: isododecane. Isododecane is a low molecular weight isoparraffin (170) which …
Continue Reading about Volatile oils 2: will or opportunity? →
Beauty secrets made in Japan.
The confinement did not allow us to fully appreciate the remarkable exhibition which was held until July 10 at the Maison de la Culture Japonaise in Paris. It was devoted to the Make Up art in …
Depollution and bioremediation.
Tackling the effects of pollution is nothing new. Classically, this approach will very often involve what is called "anti-pollution". The idea will preferably be to "fight" against the effects of …
Muscular beauty part 4 : the Botox like or Cosmetic Botox.
We have seen in the previous episode that Botox had become a basic gesture of beauty and aesthetics in general. But that its use was complicated, even impossible in cosmetics. However, the cosmetics …
Continue Reading about Muscular beauty part 4 : the Botox like or Cosmetic Botox. →
Muscular beauty Part 3 : Botox effect.
In this dossier dealing with beauty in relation to muscles, a substance occupies a prominent place. Its effect to revolutionize aesthetic medicine, and by way of consequences beauty. Cosmetics …
Continue Reading about Muscular beauty Part 3 : Botox effect. →
Muscular beauty part 2 : Tissue oils and massage
If you have a closer look at how beauty product ranges were developed in the late 19th century, and especially in the first part of the 20th century, you will be surprised to see that many ranges …
Continue Reading about Muscular beauty part 2 : Tissue oils and massage →
Muscular beauty : Introduction
Can face beauty be actually related to muscle functions? The two are much more closely interdependent than one can imagine. It has even become one of the essential approaches in the world of …
Arcancil
Arcancil is a legendary makeup brand, specializing in eye contour makeup. It happens that I modestly accompanied this brand for a while. Quick return on this adventure. Founded in 1935, Arcancil …
Instrumental beauty
Sometimes called Beauty Toys, beauty devices have been around for a while now. In the late 19th century, a few cartoonists already offered their own forward-looking interpretations. And there are …
Nourishing Creams
As a professional, like me, you must have met people who talked to you about “nourishing creams”. It is quite a common, even ordinary term. But every time you need to describe what it refers to, maybe …
Radioactive beauty
Driven by scientific progress, the cosmetic industry, as in many other fields, has always rushed to use the progress to design new products. The radioactivity has not escaped. Back on this period and …
Les Cosmétolégumes®
As what we call “cosmetofood” is back in the spotlight, most of you must have never heard this rather odd term: “Cosmetolégumes” (“cosmetoveggies”). And yet, it refers to an interesting project which …
“Volatile” oils in cosmetic formulas
The term “volatile oil” may sound a little odd, but it is probably the one that best designates a particular type of ingredients in formulation. Why odd? Because the notion of oil is rarely associated …
Continue Reading about “Volatile” oils in cosmetic formulas →
Linseed: the great forgotten oil
Rather curiously, if you leaf through cosmetics formularies – even old ones – linseed oil rarely appears. It even seems to be very little or never used. On the contrary, flax is widely grown: its …
Up cycling.
This term refers to an approach which has recently gained much ground in our trades. Lavoisier told us that “nothing is lost, nothing is created; everything is transformed”! This aphorism is …
History of Squalane, vegetable or not!
The so-called vegetable squalane is regularly presented as a major advance. What is the origin of this ingredient? François Laserson tells us the story of squalane. François has an extensive …
Continue Reading about History of Squalane, vegetable or not! →
Nylon, not only for stockings!
The news recently focused on microplastics and their environmental impact. This triggered an awareness campaign about what these substances could be used for in cosmetics and about their effects on …
PEAUrigami
Our skin is our own paper ! Origami is the art of folding paper. The Skin and Origami share many common points. Corinne Dechelette had the good idea to create a work of art mixing the skin and …
The Barbara Gould’s saga
Have you known Barbara Gould? The brand still exists, but it lost quite a lot of its prestige, after enjoying a prominent status in the cosmetics world in the 1950s-80s. Now, if its name sounds …
Emotion through skin
Cosmetic products can give as much pleasure as a caress. This notion emerged a few years ago, but, interestingly, it reappeared as a topical issue at the In-Cosmetics 2019 show. It is an issue that …
Skin like you’ve never seen before
The skin is a multiple, complex and fascinating organ. Its exploration by microscopy makes it possible to study its structure and to elucidate its functioning. But this also leads to the production of …
A precious cosmetic
After gemmology, let’s take another look at “gemmology”, or rather “lithotherapy”!! Indeed, if these two terms are identical, they do describe very different approaches. They are derived from a Latin …
Making new skin : the cosmetic peeling.
Cosmetic peeling is a famous mechanism of action intended for improving the quality of the skin surface. It relies on a well-known skin feature: the continuous renewal of the epidermis and its …
Continue Reading about Making new skin : the cosmetic peeling. →
Liposomes and Cosmetics
Just like in other fields, innovation in cosmetics is usually associated with advances derived from scientific and technical progress. But, at the end of the day, few major technological innovations …
Cannabis in Cosmetics
If the aim of the Cosmétothèque is to revisit forgotten concepts, and / or striking facts, it is also its vocation to mark the appearance of new ideas and new concepts. Without judging the …
The talc saga
Talc is out of time. This ingredient basically dates back to the creation of the Earth’s crust and is used in all kinds of ancient preparations, in particular in the field of beauty and hygiene. …
From gemmotherapy to gemmocosmetics
Yet a new term that seems to have been invented for marketing purposes. Well, actually it was not, and there is an original R&D story behind it. Gemmotherapy: Gemmotherapy is a branch of …
Continue Reading about From gemmotherapy to gemmocosmetics →
Roller skin ? Part 3
Beauty accessories have always occupied a special place in beauty routines. And today, as cosmetics are getting increasingly more accessorized, people are more than ever interested in them. Some of …
Plant placental
This name has often made cosmetics experts – and others – laugh, if not more, given the extent to which the notion of placenta is associated to the animal kingdom, and certainly not to plants. And …
Rolling skin: part 2
Beauty accessories have always occupied a special place in beauty routines. And today, as cosmetics are getting increasingly more accessorized, people are more than ever interested in them. Some of …
Rolling skin : Part 1
Beauty accessories have always occupied a special place in beauty routines. And today, as cosmetics are getting increasingly more accessorized, people are more than ever interested in them. Some of …
The Avant-Garde Lady
There is an outstanding exhibition going on at the Paris Museum of Jewish Art and History about Madam Helena Rubinstein. I am inviting you to go see it – or go back – which I did. It is full of …
The protection of the skin against the waves: what?
The effects of electromagnetic waves remain a widely debated issue. This does not mean that the debate dates from yesterday. Today, we have the IoT – as we say to refer to the “Internet of Things” …
Continue Reading about The protection of the skin against the waves: what? →
Age indices
Every day God gives goes with their own “digital” advances in our trades. All fields are concerned, but skin diagnosis or characterization is at the forefront. This phenomenon is not new: it started a …
Aromacosmetics
What hides behind this term? It actually refers to an original approach to cosmetic product perfuming. After a period when perfumes were widely disparaged, which led to the development of …
The Sensitive Skin
The birth of the Sensitive Skin concept in the 90s. The notion of sensitive skin has always been a tricky issue for the cosmetics industry. Long mistaken for skin irritation or allergic skins, …
When scents get active!
This year, again, the news is much focused on the In-Cosmetics show: a few remarkable, interesting items are derived from it, like the “Best Ingredient” of the year, which revives an approach whose …
Urea
This substance, which eventually gave its name to a well-known ailment, has a poor reputation worldwide. And yet, it is an ingredient of key interest in cosmetology. Indeed, it has been widely used …
Tensor as active ingredient
Tensors are a group of substances commonly used in cosmetics and representing a class of their own. The term ‘tensor’ comes from a Latin word. It was introduced in 1846 by William Rowan Hamilton to …
Space and beauty.
Has space research enabled beauty to progress? Yes and see how. As we can more and more often hear about a new space conquest, with travels to Mars lasting several months, or even a few years, it …
The licorice
In a recent publication in their blog, our friends from Nantes offer an interesting point on a substance a little ubiquitous and in addition to that "epicene", a French word describing word which can …
Master Chefs are back
If the "masters" formulators were the way of the future? When I talk to different people, it seems obvious to me that our trades are in a slump. The two fields in which something might actually be …
Water, still water
Water, so many water! And again, Monsieur le Marechal, you only see the top. It’s with these words that the Marechal de Mac Mahon, 3rd President of the French Republic, noted the terrible damage …
The printed skin, an astonishing mirror effect.
As I was casually surfing on a watch website, I came across news that struck me: some people apparently use human skin to bind books! After a short investigation, I discovered this practice does …
Continue Reading about The printed skin, an astonishing mirror effect. →
Edible… perfumes !
CERNUSCHI Museum, Paris, March 9-August 26, 2018: a most beautiful exhibition dedicated to ‘Perfumes of China, the culture of incense in imperial times’ This exhibition takes visitors on a journey …
