It is common for those who work in the cosmetic industry for large or medium-sized companies to specialize in one type of cosmetic product. They’re restricted to hair and skin-care products, and there’s very little overlap between the two industries’ offerings. Even if they work for a contract manufacturer or a consulting firm, formulators have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of cosmetic products. If you want to be a well-rounded cosmetic chemist who can work in a variety of industries, you should familiarize yourself with all of the different types of cosmetics and the basic principles of formulating them. To get started, familiarize yourself with the products that fall under each of the various categories.
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Different categories of cosmetic products
Numerous products in the cosmetics industry can be broken down into the following distinct categories:
Cosmetics for the skin (skincare)
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These are skin care items that are meant to enhance the look and feel of the skin. About 30% of the total cosmetics market is made up of skin care products, making it the largest share in the industry. Depending on how they work and what they do, skin care products can be categorized into different categories.
To begin with, there are the products that remain on the skin after cleansing. These include products that are designed to improve the appearance and feel of the skin, such as moisturizers. Products that promise to remove the signs of aging skin are also available (e.g., wrinkles). Skin can be tanned without sun exposure by using sunless tanners. You can buy medications without a prescription that reduce wrinkles and treat a variety of skin conditions.
Skin care products that are intended to remove substances from the skin fall into a different category. Cleaning products such as shampoo, bubble bath, and hand soap all fall under this category. Exfoliation products, masks, and scrubs are also included in the collection. Also included in this category are depilatories and shaving creams, which remove hair from the skin.
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Shampoos, conditioners, and other hair-care products.
Hair care products are the second most popular cosmetics category, accounting for about 25% of total sales. Similarly to skin care, hair care products can be further subdivided into subcategories based on how they function and what they accomplish.
Hair impurities remover
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Shampoos and conditioners geared toward removing impurities from the hair are among the most popular hair care products. While liquid shampoos are the most common, powdered shampoos and aerosol shampoos are also available. Their methods include shampooing and blow-drying to remove excess dirt and oil from the hair. Specialty shampoos, such as anti-dandruff shampoos, anti-lice shampoos, and hair restoration shampoos, can be purchased over the counter.
Hair appearance enhancers
Hair conditioners are another example of a rinse-off product that also contains ingredients to enhance the appearance and feel of hair after use. Additional hair-enhancing products include intensive conditioners, protein packs, hot oil treatments, and a wide range of other specialized items.
Hair conditioners
Another type of hair product is one that is meant to be left in the hair for longer periods of time. These items can improve the feel of hair, but their primary purpose is to improve the appearance of hair. Styling products, such as hair sprays, mousses, gels, and putties, make up the majority of this category. Leave-in conditioners are also available.
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Reactive hair products
Reactive hair products, which alter the chemical composition of hair in order to alter its appearance, are the final option. Curly hair relaxer products are available to straighten curly hair. Perms are used to make hair curly. There are permanent, semi-permanent, and temporary hair colors available for those who want to change their hair color.
Different Shades of Cosmetics
When most people hear the word “cosmetic,” they immediately picture items like these. About a quarter of the cosmetics market is made up of color cosmetics. Cosmetics that remain on the skin and alter its appearance are included in this category. From foundation to mascara, you’ll find everything you need to make your face look its best—from foundation to mascara—in this collection of products. Nail polish, gloss, and other nail care products could also be included in your list. Because governments around the world restrict the types of ingredients that can be used to create colors, color cosmetics are the most tightly regulated. Before the modern cosmetic industry was created, some of the coloring ingredients that were used were extremely poisonous.
Fragrances
Since the early 1600s, fragrances and perfumes have been a part of the cosmetic industry. The purpose of these products is to mask a person’s own natural body odor. They account for roughly 10% of the cosmetics market. A wide variety of these are available, such as eau de toilette, eau de parfum, and body spray. Body sprays, which are colognes in aerosol form, are included in this category as well.
Household cosmetics and toiletries
Other personal care products are the final category of cosmetic products. About 15% of the market’s sales come from this particular category. These could be classified as skin care or fragrance products, but deodorants and anti-perspirants are included in this category as well.
Over-the-counter
In this post, we’ve talked about over-the-counter medicines. As you can see, it is against the law for cosmetics to treat a condition or interfere in any way with the skin’s metabolism. According to the law, they are only permitted to temporarily alter the appearance of their skin and hair. As a result, any product that has the ability to treat a disease is a drug. There is a list of such products in the United States, and each of them has a monograph that dictates the active ingredients, levels, and claims that can be made about the products. These items, despite their appearance as cosmetics, are not what they seem to be.
Improve your cosmetic chemistry skills.
I recommend that you learn as much as possible about all of these different types of cosmetics, not just the ones you work on every day. Make sure you don’t limit yourself to just one product category without learning about the others. Specialization is acceptable, but you should not limit your knowledge to just one field. Enhance your career options, formulating skills, and creativity by learning about all the different types of cosmetic products and categories.