Breaking News on Cosmetics Formulation & Packaging - North America EU edition

Groundbreaking soap makes the jump from Asia

Japanese film and packaging manufacturer Aicello is about to launch a new form of soap on the US market that has proved to be a big hit in Japan and elsewhere in Asia.

Parlux delays end-of-year financial report

Following shareholder complaints over a proposed company share buy-out, Parlux has said that it will delay filing its end-of-year financial report because it needs more time to access its internal control policies.

Niche products continue to drive hair styling growth

The rise and rise of niche hair styling products is continuing to drive modest growth in the category, but this belies big changes in consumer spend patterns, demographic shifts and the type of styling products consumers want to buy.

US women go for the bronzed look

Better awareness of the perils of sunbathing is one of the reasons why US women are increasingly choosing bronzers in their makeup routine, a trend that has led to sales quadrupling since 1997.

Germany begins risk survey on nanotechnology

Germany's cosmetics and toiletries risk assessment agency has commissioned a study on the potential health effects of nanotechnologies used in products.

Johnson & Johnson buys up Listerine brand

New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson has bought the Pfizer healthcare division for $16.6bn in a deal that wins the company the much sort after Listerine oral care brand.

Ascendia relaunches baby toiletries brand

In an attempt to tap into significant opportunities in the baby personal care sector bought about by shifting demographics, Ascendia Brands is relaunching its Baby Magic baby toiletries range by revamping the brand's image and extending the line considerably.

Packaging industry attempts to pass on high input costs

The global packaging industry has struggled through another quarter of high input costs at the start of this year, according to a report from Standard and Poor's.

Southern Cosmetics fights spam to protect its investors

California-based Southern Cosmetics has introduced a spyware and spam analysis program that claims to have protected the company from the potential threat of spam campaigns spreading rumors concerning business dealings that ultimately threaten the company stock price.

Beauty industry blamed for making women feel bad about themselves

According to a new survey from YouGov, women are pointing the finger at marketing and advertising campaigns conducted by the beauty industry featuring unrealistic female images for giving them a low opinion of themselves.

Cancer lobby group targets nail varnish maker

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is back on the lobbying trail. This time the group is targeting a company that sells a nail varnish on the US market formulated with ingredients it deems unsafe and a different formula with ingredients approved for the European market.

Alberto-Culver completes UK salon care acquisition

The US hair care provider is making efforts to branch out its business portfolio with the acquisition of the UK salon hair care provider Salon Success.

Brazilian cosmetic industry eyes up US market

The Brazilian cosmetics industry is targeting the US market in an effort to increase imports, with a business promotion event in Miami, Florida, together with the promotion of its participation in the forthcoming Cosmoprof North America event.

US personal care company battles Elizabeth Arden over trade mark

The Stephan Company has filed a law suit against Elizabeth Arden's newly launched fragrance Provocative Interlude. The suit aims to block future sales of the fragrance, claiming that it infringes the trade mark for its Interlude personal care products.

EU and US step up fight against counterfeiters, importers

EU and US officials will take joint action worldwide against counterfeiting and intellectual property theft, an illegal trade that includes millions of fake cosmetics and fragrances.

Study shows nanoparticles in sun cream may affect mice brain cells

Latest research from US scientists shows that nanoparticles used in certain sun cream formulations can affect mice brain cells by upsetting the chemical balance and potentially causing neurological damage.

Alberto-Culver makes moves to spin off salon hair care business

Alberto-Culver, the leading US-based hair care products company, has said it will spin off its Sally Beauty professional hair care business as an independent public company in a move that is estimated to be worth $3bn.

Sex wins Americans back round to deodorant

After two years of falling deodorant sales, it appears Americans have been won back to deodorant by a sex-infused marketing campaign by leading global brand Axe.

Starburst candies becomes the new name for shower products

For some time industry experts have been talking about a blurring effect between the definition of food and cosmetic products, a trend that is being emphasized with the extension of a beauty product line featuring a Masterfood brand name.

French naturals market shows industry-leading growth

The French market for naturals is showing the highest growth rates in Europe, attracting international companies eager to carve out a slice of what is already Europe's leading cosmetic and toiletry market by value.

Seatons taps into pomegranate to fight signs of ageing

UK vegetable and fruit oil supplier Seatons has launched a new pomegranate extract which is claimed to fight signs of ageing and provide general mositurising properties.

Crest launches new multi-purpose toothpaste

P&G-owned Crest says that its latest toothpaste, Crest Pro-Health, is the culmination of ten years of development work and should prove to be one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching oral care products on the market.

Parlux gives go ahead to privatize the company

Parlux Fragrances CEO Ilia Lekach has made an unsolicited offer to buy back the company shares at $29 in a bid to take the company private and fend of the threat of short-term investors.

Swiss skin care specialist expands into US market

Feelgoods International says it is focusing future expansion on the US market, having developed its name as a provider of facial cosmetic products in both the Swiss and German markets in Europe.

BASF completes acquisition of Engelhard

Germany-based global chemicals giant BASF has finally completed the acquisition of US specialty chemicals and personal care ingredients player Engelhard following months spent battling against hostile bidding.

Advitech finalises France deal, secures financing

Advitech has secured two-part interim financing totalling C$350,000 to assist in ongoing commercialisation of its psoriasis product from sweet whey, Dermylex. The boon for the Canadian company coincides with the finalisation of its first marketing and distribution deals, with France's Cothera.

Study shows that skin tone is a key age indicator

European scientists have revealed research findings that suggest skin tone and luminosity are key indicators to the perception of age, hinting that cosmetic companies would do well to focus on treatments that target this area.

Investors eyeing up the Listerine brand

As Pfizer is currently in the process of reviewing bids for its Listerine oral care brand, a Colgate executive says he believes the brand would make a good fit to the company's portfolio.

Avon restructing charges continue to spiral

Further to its latest round of layoffs, direct cosmetics sales giant Avon says it is expecting to log charges of between $8m million and $12m for its latest round of staff cuts, which means total charges for staff cut backs have already topped $100m.

Revlon stocks continue to tumble

Shares in US cosmetic player Revlon have continued to fall dramatically following the cosmetic player's earlier forecast for lower than expected growth for this year on the back of disappointing sales on products aimed at older women.

Cosmetics industries harmonise global sunscreen testing

Cosmetics industry bodies in Europe, the USA, Japan and South Africa have signed an agreement to unify sunscreen product testing - a move that takes the industry one step closer to having internationally recognized sunscreen labelling codes.

Coty reshuffles US operations

Fragrance giant Coty is to expand its US manufacturing and distribution facilities, in a move the firm says will support its growth activities.

Jane pumped with funds to expand presence in mass market

US cosmetics brand Jane has teamed up with two private equity groups to boost its presence in the market with what it hopes will be the "next great mass market cosmetic brand."

Jujube fruit features in revitalizing skin care products

A US firm has launched a new range of products containing the popular Chinese fruit jujube, which is believed to slow down the aging process.

Gucci and P&G Beauty join forces for fragrance alliance

France-based PPR's have announced the start of a long-term licensing agreement with P&G Beauty to produce, sell and distribute Fine Fragrance products under the Gucci brand.

Boots-Alliance Unichem EGM dates set as merger reaches final stages

The proposed £7bn (€10.2bn) merger of Boots with Alliance UniChem merger took another step towards completion with announcements for the dates for both companies Extraordinary General Meetings (EGM) to vote on the resolutions to create one of the biggest health care and personal care retailers in Europe.

Revlon downgrades forecast on weak sales

Revlon has downgraded its sales and profits forecasts after a disappointing performance from two cosmetics lines.

Dow to open new global facilities

Dow Biocides and the Angus Chemical Company are to introduce five regional customer application canters around the world.

CoQ10 focus

Expansions and new suppliers ease CoQ10 bottleneck

The gap between demand and global supply of potent antioxidant coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is narrowing, as major manufacturers expand their capacity and new sources enter the marketplace.

Next generation Botox approved by FDA

A "next generation" of facial wrinkle correction formulas, from Allergan, the makers of Botox, has been given the all-clear by the FDA.

China steadily increasing presence in C&T raw materials

Multinational suppliers for the cosmetics and toiletries industries are facing increasing competition from China, while Japan continues to offer innovation, says a new report from Kline and Company.

Service offers laser etching advice to food packagers

A masterbatch provider is offering a service to help packaging companies create clear, consistent laser marks on film, blow molded, and injection molded packaging.

Tahitian Noni develops natural-based hair care range

Noni has been long known as a health and juice ingredient but increasingly it is being included in cosmetic and toiletry products, as evinced by the latest hair care line from Tahitian Noni International.

US market to see more natural baobab for use in cosmetics, food

A Canadian and an African company are set to tap the emerging market for baobab ingredients for use in cosmetic and functional food applications. The two firms recently teamed up to market the ingredient in North America.

Banana Boat targets kids with tear-free sunscreens

A new line of tear-free sunscreen products for children have been launched in the US by Playtex subsidiary Banana Boat Suncare.

RPC pioneers biodegradeable colour cosmetic packaging

RPC Cresstale, part of the RPC Group, claims to be the first company to produce a lipstick that is 100 per cent biodegradeable thanks to a breakthrough of a polymer for its packaging made from natural ingredients.

Colipa opens the doors to its AGM

Estoril, Portugal is the venue for this year's Colipa AGM - one of the European industry's primary forum. The CosmeticsDesign team will be covering the event, which this year centres on the all-important theme of consumer confidence.