Skin and hair care technologies address Asian trends

ASIAN preferences were the focus for Dow Corning launches new ingredients and formulation concepts to meet Asian preferences at last month’s in-Cosmetics Asia 2014. The leading supplier of silicones and silicone-based technology introduced a range of high-performance silicone ingredients and trendsetting formulation concepts for personal care.

ES-5600 Silicone Glycerol Emulsifier and EP-9801 Hydro Cosmetic Powder for skin care and CE-1874 Microemulsion for hair care were launched for the Asian market.

In addition to new ingredients, Dow Corning Personal Care introduced new formulations for the region through the “Trend Driven for Asia” program.

Part of Dow Corning’s Trends Lab, the program helps customers to address emerging beauty preferences of Asian consumers with silicone-based formulation concepts.
Four important global trends have been identified:

Crossover – Reflects the interplay of styles across generations, genders and geographies.

Gen Z – Expresses individualism and experimentation.

Virtual Reality – Showcases the possibilities to create experiences and styles influenced by trends such as 3D printing technology and holographic effects

Great Expectations – Reflects the shift from owning material possessions to seeking unique and unforgettable experiences in nature and being inspired by the amazing offerings the world provides.

In addition, personal care products with multi-functional benefits will be one of the key trends in today’s Asia beauty market.

Getting ahead of emerging trends

To help customers get ahead of these trends, Dow Corning has developed a range of formulation kits that illustrate new ideas for creating beauty care products using silicone materials. For example, to address the Virtual Reality trend, Dow Corning developed Air Oil, a novel, super-lightweight, non-greasy foaming hair oil that boosts shine, tames frizz and provides a unique airy sensation for customers.

In another, to tap into consumers falling under the Gen Z trend, the company introduced Dow Corning’s #chalkitup hair color, a high-performance hair chalk providing intense, vibrant colors that are easily washed out.

Multiple benefits from new ingredients

Among its unique array of silicone ingredients, the new ES-5600 Silicone Glycerol Emulsifier is designed to make formulations more attractive by providing color intensity and improving sunscreen performance – without the use of materials containing PEG, according to Mr. Hiroshi Ogawa, Dow Corning marketing manager, Beauty Care Japan.

As a high performance dispersant and emulsifier, ES-5600 can deliver cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, and sun care products, Mr. Ogawa said. This quality helped the product win first prize in the SEPAWA Innovation Award 2014 competition at the SEPAWA Congress in Fulda, Germany in October.

The introduction of ES-5600 at this year’s in-Cosmetics Asia also coincided with the event’s designated focus on Japan. With retail value sales units close to US$40 billion, Japan has been at the forefront of the cosmetics market in the Asia-Pacific region.

“In Japan, there are some mega trends such as an aged-society, urbanization, and an increasing number of working women. These trends influence consumers’ need for beauty care products. For example, all-in-one skin gel and BB cream are recent hit cosmetics in the Japanese market. These multi-function cosmetics satisfy the consumers’ need to save the time with simple but effective care,” said Mr. Ogawa.

Another new product for skin care is EP-9801 Hydro Cosmetic Powder that combines the sensory benefits of an elastomeric powder with easy dispersion in water. It offers desirable effects in liquid foundations, water-in-oil creams, oil-in-water creams, lotions, gels and toner, providing a smooth and powdery feel, reduces skin shine and also helps mask skin imperfections.

Microemulsion for hair care

Hair care is also a major category Dow Corning has been working on. “Consumer hair care trends continue to accelerate as generations, genders and cultures across the globe borrow from each other and take inspiration from the latest regional and industry-wide technologies on the market,” said Mr. Ogawa.

To tap into Asian consumers’ demand for youthful, fuller hair, CE-1874 Microemulsion can be used in shampoo formulations to provide exceptional hair repair and protection benefits without compromising hair volume. This clear, water-dispersible silicone polyether microemulsion can be used in standard, sulfate-free and clear shampoos to help increase the fullness of thin, tired-looking hair; repair dull, dry hair; and protect and maintain the color of color-treated hair. Suitable for use on many hair types, the product also has the ability to enhance hair shine and improve ease of combing.

Apart from shampoos, this microemulsion can be used to create clear, moisturizing leave-in conditioners.