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Cluster Updates

Cosmetic Industry Information to Benefit You!

First In-Person GCC Event at Incos 2022

2/5/2022

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Global Cosmetics Cluster (GCC) holds its first in person networking event on the occasion of in-cosmetics global in Paris, France, April 6, 2022.

A much anticipated in-person get together for GCC members took place on April 6 in Paris at the Maison De La Nouvelle-Aquitaine, rue des Pyramides, on the occasion of the in-cosmetics global show, which happened in-person for the first time in 3 years.
45 representatives from 7 clusters and more than 20 companies took the opportunity to meet informally over drinks and canapés and share information on the theme of ‘The History of Cosmetic Ingredients and their Modern and Cultural Use’.
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Attendees came from the following countries: France, England, Canada, Spain, Portugal,
Colombia and Peru.
Short presentations from the following companies were prefaced by an introduction to the GCC and its board members from France, Spain, Canada and UK clusters.
Speakers included:
Alejandro Franco from Kaffe Bueno
Harry McIlwraith from Full Circle Ingredients
Hector Mijia from Multiceras
Léo Liénard from Laboratoires Expanscience

GCC is hoping to organise further informal networking events at forthcoming international shows such as Cosmoprof and Cosmetics 360 during the year.

Global Cosmetics Cluster (GCC) was born in 2021 and is a network of over 20 different cluster organisations representing the cosmetic industry value chain from all over the globe. www.cosmeticsclusters.com

The GCC is working on three areas of strategic focus for 2022:
1. Connecting cluster people to boost business and R&D opportunities
2. Education
3. Inter-cluster activities

For further information, please contact hello@cosmeticsclusters.com
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Interview with CleanO2 - Canadian Carbon Capture Tech

24/1/2022

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Kathi Fischer and Michelle Regel with the CleanO2 CarbinX unit
The Canadian Cosmetic Cluster would like to shine a spotlight on this amazing Canadian company that combines innovation and sustainability. Clean O2 develops technology to produce an ingredient that is essential for soap. We share the interview we had with Kathi Fischer and Michelle Regel as they tell us more about Clean O2. 
1. Tell us a little bit more about your cosmetic business. What makes it unique?

Every CleanO2 soap product is made with carbon that would otherwise have been released into the atmosphere if not captured by our CarbinX™ units and turned into amazing soap products that are great for your body, the community, and the environment. Proceeds from the sale of CleanO2 soap products support the deployment of more CarbinX™ units around the world to capture more carbon and reduce the impact on our climate.


2. What products do you specialize in?
  • Liquid body wash
  • Liquid hand soap
  • Cold process soap bars

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Industry Voices with Alejandro Franco of Kaffe Bueno

18/1/2022

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The Canadian Cosmetic Cluster had the pleasure of speaking with Alejandro Franco of Kaffe Bueno. Alejandro is an inspiring individual who is one of the co-founders of Kaffe Bueno. We ask him to share his story and vision to making the world a better place through upcycled ingredients.  

​1. History of the company - why did you start?
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I’m from Colombia, as well as my two co-founders, Juan Medina and Camilo Fernandez. Growing up there enabled us to see coffee as more than just a beverage. As a kid in Colombia, if you fall and get a wound, you can be almost certain some coffee grounds are going onto that wound. As an adult in Colombia, coffee is used to dye your hair when grey hairs start to pop up. 
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When we were studying business together in London (2013-2016), we realized how people from around the world have different perceptions of coffee. Most of our friends were from Scandinavia, and they saw coffee as a symbol of time with friends and family, as well as their caffeine fix. No more than that. While we ask ourselves
, how come a coffee shop owner in London runs a lucrative business while the people who we owe the existence of coffee – farmers in Colombia – cannot even cover costs?

How much coffee grounds are thrown to waste when they can be put to good use. Less than 1% of coffee's health promoting molecules end up in your cup, the rest remain intact in the spent coffee grounds, which often end up in landfills, emitting 340m3 of methane per ton. Or in less bad cases, being incinerated or used for fertilizers. There are 10 bn kgs of coffee consumed yearly worldwide, 30% in the EU.

The cosmetics industry is full of synthetics and petrochemicals. Could coffee serve as a bridge to transition into natural? Then, we started getting deep into coffee from a biochemistry perspective, looking into all the molecules that compose it and what could they be used for to help humans improve and extend their lives, technologies to make this happen, etc.

We established Kaffe Bueno in 2016 in Copenhagen, Denmark. We’ve never been here before, but after analyzing many countries, we decided Denmark was the most suitable for us to start our business.

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New Active from FullCircle Beauty

18/1/2022

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The Canadian Cosmetic Cluster​ is happy to announce one of our ChemBox Partners - Full Circle Beauty is launching a new ingredient to add to their amazing up-cycled line of raw material. We share their latest press release on the product.

Break the cycle of irritated skin: The upcycling experts at Full Circle are back with their most advanced active yET
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​Brewery by-products are a hot topic when it comes to cosmetics, with recent studies showing that they are a treasure trove of skin-loving actives. Full Circle’s new Barley TONIQ® is no exception; by utilising clever enzymatic extraction, they have supercharged fermented barley to create a potent skin-soothing active that rapidly rebalances irritated skin.

With a single application, Barley TONIQ® soothes skin redness by up to 23% in just 2 hours, stopping irritation in its tracks; and the results get even better over time. Given its potency, Barley TONIQ® can be incorporated into skincare formulations at use levels as low as 1%.

Barley TONIQ®’s soothing action is largely attributed to its high amino acid content, made possible by green enzyme extraction. The result is a concentrated mixture of carbohydrates, short-chain proteins and polypeptides, and data reveals that Barley TONIQ® comprises 8 of the 9 essential amino acids that are known to help reduce the appearance of irritated skin and boost the skin’s barrier function.
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Continuing to push what’s possible when it comes to zero waste, Barley TONIQ® is preserved with a microbiome-friendly grade of propanediol which comes from an upcycled, non-GMO feedstock.

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Recognizing Talent in the Cosmetic Industry

11/11/2021

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One of the great benefits of the Cluster and all of the Cluster projects is that it has introduced us to so many interesting formulating. These bright industry professionals shine a light on our industry. The future is truly bright when passionate people work hard to build a sustainable future.  We thank them for supporting the Cluster and all our work. 

Some of these cosmetic science professionals are available to help you formulate your new hero products or contribute to the sharing of cosmetic science education. These individuals are champions of science. They communicate the importance of ingredient knowledge, proper formulation technique and research. Each is a master in their own area in the cosmetic science field. 

Rachel Johnson - The Charismatic Chemist

Susan Barclay Nichols - SwiftCraft Monkey

Gloria Song Check - Glow Essentials 

Hayley (Hoffman) Peri - Dandi Day

Jamie Stanton - Barber&Co

Zachariah Kovac - Cosmetic Your Ways

Genesis Velazquez -The Elitegen 

Annie Graham - XO Treatment Room

Giovanna  ​Dal Bom - Cosmetic Chemistry

Onyeka Ark - Genesis Formulab 

Kelly Dobos

​This is just a small list, an aperitif in a grand 5-course meal. There are many more professionals in the cosmetic industry that are worthy of mention. The continuous hard work of all of you in the cosmetic industry does not go unnoticed. We can not build a future without you!
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Canadian Cosmetic Cluster Holiday Gift Guide

11/11/2021

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The Holidays are at our doors, knocking gently to remind us that the season of giving is upon us. We at the Cluster will be publishing a holiday gift guide every 2 weeks to profile different companies that make amazing cosmetic products. Time to branch out and try something new. Supporting small businesses during the holidays truly helps bring joy to peoples hearts. These are perfect gifts to place under the Christmas tree this holiday season to light up the faces of your loved ones.

Shop Till Your Drop

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Drenched Skin's goal is to find clean, organic ingredients for you, your family and home. All skincare is made by hand in small batches to ensure quality and preciseness. Combining nature with science to develop our formulations. They aim to create fun, exciting and nourishing products for your skin, body and overall well being. 

Photo and Information Courtesy of Drenched Skin Care Website
Drenched Skin Care

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DrLOUIE products ensure that the skin’s ability to heal itself is maximized while maintaining its natural moisture barrier so that the skin can return to its healthy state. ​They carefully selected active ingredients that are safe yet potent, which come together to create a synergy. Based on this interaction of ingredients, they created a safe, innovative preservation system that does not disrupt our skin’s barrier.

Photo and Information Courtesy of DrLouie Website

DrLOUIE


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Industry Voices - XO Treatment Room's Annie Graham

28/10/2021

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One of the great things that the ChemBox has allowed us to do, is to get to know so many amazing cosmetic formulators. 

This week we interviewed Annie Graham from the XO Treatment Room. Annie is a wonderful cosmetic formulator who is the very definition of a knowledgeable beauty professional. Her rich experience in the industry gives us a unique look in the edition of industry voices.

The Interview


1. Tell us about your cosmetic journey?

I opened XO Treatment Room 7 years ago. I was not from the beauty industry, but my love of science, lasers and chemicals led me to the world of skincare. I love it so much. We have a wonderful treatment room where we can treat clients with all kinds of cool energies to help them achieve good skin.

We also have a lab that we produce our in house line (xo face care). I love the creativity and science in cosmetic chemistry. And at the end - hopefully you help someone or at least make them happy. 

2. What are your top favourite formulas?

I really like the Milk Skin Care line and their use of Sodium Stearate. It’s such a unique experience for the consumer and they really did and elegant job putting it all together. The sticks are just fun. 

For formulations I’ve made - my vitamin C is my favourite. I love Ethylated Vitamin C and I love gel textures. 

3. Is the story of the ingredients important for you?

I like to know about he ingredients. The stories I like are non fiction tho. Ha ha. I like when things read like a manual. What/how and when. 

4. What would you change in the cosmetic industry?

I love that cosmetic chemists and formulators are being consulted and listened to so much more. There are so many facets of the beauty industry and I really like that more people are being heard - not just brand stories. I’ve seen that change start and I I hope that continues. Derms, Estheticians, Regulatory, Toxicology, Packaging - I like to hear from everybody. And I think that change has started.

5. What is your dream product to make?

Oh boy. I think that changes daily. Canada is rather conservative with it’s ingredient approvals so I guess I dream of using certain European Sunscreen Filters or Azelaic Acid or some of the retinol esters we don’t have access to here. I want the things I cant have lol.
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A Look at A Beauty With Native Extracts

11/10/2021

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Who is NATIVE EXTRACTS?​
New Plant Profiles - New Access to Natural Vitamin C

NATIVE EXTRACTS is an Australian company leading the evolution of the plant extract through multiple scientific methodologies, new technology development and conscious manufacturing in the pursuit to expand knowledge and access to analytic results of natural phyto-compound profiles. As a result of our extraction innovations, back in 2012-13 we publicly launched an unprecedented library of water-soluble profiles on Australian Natives, most of which had not been seen before. We also announced our breakthrough in the ability to harness the natural Vitamin C molecule in an aqueous format and have further expanded our capabilities in holding the highly unstable molecule for over 24 months, as well as new concentration levels in our recently launched EssenXce range, nutrient-dense liquids, where we achieved 15,000-16,000mg/100g natural Vitamin C in the ESS Kakadu Plum EssenXce 5:1. We strive to provide traceable, transparent and 'true to nature' ingredients that go beyond the molecules, but tell bigger stories about biodiversity, unique botanical species, conscious manufacturing practices, building partnerships and science-backed R&D on plant profiling. Due to industry recognition of our continued advances, expertise and quality work we are chosen to do R&D and commercialise high value crops for Cosmetics, Hair Care, Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical development, Food & Beverage. We are evolving into a biotech company that offers more than ingredients, but engages R&D partnerships (commercial and university driven) for natural solutions to human problems.
"Our vision was simple but complex, like nature - to develop a range that truly delivers the power of nature, and is unique, innovative, creates new points of difference and gives brands access to the natural molecules in their entourage as they exist in the species. We are more than high value natural ingredients, and so are our brand partners. We are conscious manufacturers that focus on energy efficiency, significant water saving practices, recycling and composting waste. We value close collaborations with our partners from brands to manufacturers and growers, with a mission to improve Indigenous enterprise and inclusion throughout our supply chain across direct sourcing and co-ops. I dove into the cosmetic ingredients space knowing that there was so much room to improve the quality of extracts, to create new formats, to research unique species and share the discoveries for other to innovate with, to collaborate with brands to translate research into innovative natural products, and to diversify and strengthen our primary industry. We are now chosen by growers to be their scale and commercialisation partners, creating new market for them, whilst serving as a platform for new access to world-first innovations and discoveries. We are only at the beginning of an explosion of global research and new knowledge of what botanicals can offer as solutions across multiple industry sectors,"says Lisa Carroll, Innovator and Director.

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Ingredient Profile With Glacial Bay Organic Clay

11/10/2021

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The Canadian Cosmetic Cluster is Launching the 2nd Edition of the ChemBox and we are excited to share with you some of our interviews with the new ChemBox participant suppliers. This is an interview we had with the Canadian west coast company Glacial Bay Organic Clay. Read the interview below and learn about the amazing resources that Canada has to offer.
​1. 1. (a) Tell Us About Your Company?

We are a raw material ingredient supplier of Glacial Marine Clay powder (Sea-silt) to the cosmetic, health & beauty industry.  Our Company practices environmentally sustainable methods to hand harvest & solar dry while processing this clay.  Our clay deposits come from an active glacier located in a pristine area on the west coast of Canada.  Glacial run off deposits these precious minerals into a pristine Estuary, energizing the clay particles with a strong negative charge that helps bind toxins.  
 
ECOCERT COSMOS Certified, this unique clay is both nourishing and detoxifying when applied to the skin.  Unlike any other Clay, the Oceanic nutrients combine with over 50 essential trace minerals to create this magical, healing clay that has an average particle size of 20 microns.  This powerful combination of minerals, negative charge & oceanic nutrients produce skin product formulations that are highly effective, extremely stable with no odor and low heavy metal counts.  

1. (b) What Inspired You to Get into the Cosmetic Ingredients Industry? 

I have worked with several Indigenous First Nations over the years.  While volunteering for one band, I heard about this "Healing Clay" after listening to stories from the Chief & Elders of our local First Nation.  So we followed up to find these unique, rare deposits in the Estuary at the end of this long inlet off the Pacific Coast. We started to test these clay samples and worked with worked with several scientists, doctors, nurses, formulators & chemists to see what positive effects our clay had on the skin.  It was wonderful to find out how beneficial our clay was to restoring the balance of the skin microbiome (good bacteria that protects the skin) and to see the results once applied to the skin.  So we got a group of like minded shareholders together with the goal of bringing this "Healing" clay to market to help various skin conditions including simple things like acme and oily skin to relieving pain from shingles. As there were costs associated with establishing/proving our claims for the healing qualities of our clay, we decided to enter the cosmetic ingredient market for clay masks and clay related products.  This was done to generate funding for future testing to prove our clay has many healing qualities.  But in the meantime, people who will use our clay for products such as clay masks, will also get the added benefits of the healing qualities our clay possesses.

2. What Makes Your Ingredients Unique? 

Several factors combine to give our clay its unique qualities. First is the source of the clay, from ancient volcanic mountain ranges that produced a lot of Montmorillonites and Illites clay.  These clay is known for their high absorbency and stronger cation exchange capacities for absorbing active ingredients and binding to them to produce a more stable clay mask.   Secondly, there is an active glacier and Icefields that feed this ground up clay down long river systems and through electrolysis, our clay particles become negatively charged.  This strong negative charge binds with the active ingredients of the formula to produce stable products also binds positively charged toxins such as bacteria when applied to the skin
Third,  and just as important is that our clay has a very small particle size, which translates to larger surface areas to absorb active ingredients. Fourth, our clay has an anti-inflammatory property that reduces inflammation which helps reduce wrinkles, bags under your eyes and is even used in a suave for professional athletes for muscle aches and inflammation from injury or overuse. Last is the fact that our clay is immersed in the Pacific Ocean for more than half its life, mixing with the rich micronutrients in the water to produce a microbiome environment similar to the human skin.  Thus allowing an easier transfer of active ingredients to the skin, while detoxifying the skin at the same time.

3. Is Your Ingredient Sustainable?  
​

Absolutely! We are fortunate that our mineral claims for our clay material is located at the base of an active Glacier that deposits about 3-4 inches of new clay silt annually. We rotate between the areas of our 10 claims ( each claim is 55 acres) to ensure we do not harvest from the same area every 5 years. We only harvest the clay from the top 12-18 inches of the surface as this region has the richest aerobic clay full of good microbiomes. Thus, we allow time to for each harvest to be replenished with between 15-20 inches of clay before we harvest again.


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Benefits of Encapsulation (Featuring Nanovetores Encapsulation technology)

11/10/2021

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Lisa Fryer

Quadra Ingredients

How to make efficacious cosmetics actives easier to use?  ​

Microencapsulation technology has been widely explored by many industries including Cosmetics and Pharmaceutical. Cosmetics and Personal Care products often contain biologically active substances that are unstable and sensitive to temperature, pH, light and oxidation.  These substances may undergo undesired reactions that lead to the reduction or loss of their effectiveness or even lead to the degradation of the cosmetic product.  [1]  Microencapsulation of efficacious cosmetics actives can overcome these undesirable results.
 
ACTIVE PROTECTION
Essential Oils, Vitamins, Acids and Natural Extracts are highly oxidative substances that quickly degrade and constantly react with the medium and other cosmetic compounds (light, oxygen, packaging, preservatives, fragrances, surfactants, etc.). By encapsulating it, we grant the stability of the active ingredients and protect them from possible reactions with the formulation or the environment.
 
AQUEOUS BASE
Using a production process that is based on Green-Chemistry allows some encapsulated ingredients to be water-based, free of organic solvents and totally sustainable, reducing waste that may otherwise be harmful to the users and/or the environment.
 
EFFICACY
Increased Permeation
The encapsulation grants a better permeation of the actives in the skin. Unlike the actives in their free form, the encapsulated actives can overcome the stratum corneum layer, reaching the epidermis and delivering the maximum benefits.


[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284754922_Encapsulation_of_cosmetic_active_ingredients_for_topical_application_-_a_review
 


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  • Canadian Cosmetic Cluster
    • Cluster Introduction
    • Cluster Team
    • Industry
    • Academics
    • Government
  • The ChemBox
    • Suppliers
  • Welcome to the ChemBox
    • ChemBox 2nd Edition >
      • Nanovetores
      • TC USA
      • Full Circle Beauty NECTA
      • Native Extracts
      • Glacial Bay Clay
      • CoSeed Bio Pharm Co
      • Simply Ingredients - Green Tea Wax
      • NAP Tea Tree Oil
      • Versage Fragrance
    • Pilot ChemBox >
      • Provital
      • Biolie - Ruby Red
      • INdermal - DDS Retinol
      • Mirexus - Phytospherix
      • Full Circle Beauty
      • MMP
      • Natural Immunogenics
      • Simply Ingredients - Hyaluronic Acid
      • Manicouagan Sea Minerals
      • Packaging
      • ChemShare
      • Cosmetic Business Support
      • Formulating Resources
      • Inspiration Board
  • Cluster Updates
  • Our Services
  • The Canadian Cosmetic Acceleration Program
  • Resources for Parents
  • Virtual Trade Missions
    • How It Works
  • Cluster Members
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us