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

Superbrands need a set of recognisable values

Creating an emotional link between the consumer and the product may be the key to becoming a superbrand, according to a marketing expert.

Unilever struggles in the economic gloom

Falling sales volumes, rising commodity costs and the strong Euro colluded in the second quarter to drag down Unilever’s profits.

IFF results suffer from weak fragrance sales

International Flavors and Fragrances reports an increase in turnover and reiterates predictions for future growth, although fragrance sales continue to disappoint.

Weakness in Japan pushes Shiseido sales down

Japan-based Shiseido has reported falling turnover in the first quarter after sales in the domestic market plummeted.

Eyelash conditioner launched with cell boosting properties

Skin Research Laboratories has launched a new eyelash conditioner and growth promoter to rival an array of similar products that have hit the market recently.

LVMH reports strong growth despite economic uncertainty

LVMH Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton has recorded a strong first half of the year suggesting the luxury industry still holds promise despite the struggling economy.

Johnson and Johnson invests in the Chinese market

Johnson and Johnson has bought a Beijing-based cosmetics company in an attempt to increase its presence in the booming Chinese market.

Avon doubles operating profit in Q2

High sales in emerging markets and restructuring efforts bore fruit for Avon in the second quarter as operating profit doubled.

Yes To signs funding deal for natural expansion plans

The manufacturers of natural beauty brand Yes To Carrots have secured a $14m financing deal to support wide ranging growth plans.

Emu oil combines with biotechnology to fight aging

Perfective Ceuticals has become one of the first cosmetics companies to include emu oil as part of a high technology anti-aging formulation.

Scientists prise open the secret to beautiful skin

Mediterranean mussels and clams from the Black Sea may provide the latest regenerative skin care ingredient, according to scientists in Romania.

Revlon sells off brands in Brazil

Revlon has sold a number of its Brazilian lines in order to concentrate on its core brands around the world.

Nu Skin and Toyo Bio-Pharma sign research agreement

Nu Skin and Toyo Bio-Pharma have created a joint venture NU Toyo Research as part of a new collaborative research and development relationship.

Croda profits boosted by cost initiatives and strong sales

Croda profits rocket by over 60 per cent as the company successfully curbs cost inflations and sees healthy growth in its sales for the first half of the year.

Strong sales offset higher costs for Colgate

Strong growth in international markets has helped offset a significant rise in production costs for the world's leading oral care player, Colgate Palmolive.

Natura reports strong second quarter but declining market share

Natura has reported strong domestic sales however its share in one of the world's fastest growing markets has dropped.

Alberto-Culver reports high growth figures

Alberto-Culver has reported high sales growth for the third quarter although discontinued operations weighed heavily on its net income.

Aveda hones in on packaging recycling

Aveda says it is leading the way in sustainable packaging, having announced what it is claimed to be the first ever scheme in the US to recycle caps.

Dow's results suffer from rising costs

Significant price increases have only partly offset rising costs for Dow Chemical as net income dropped from last year's second quarter.

Doubts cast over Clarins buy back scheme

Investment advisory group Deminor has written to the French financial authorities to complain about the validity of Clarins proposed share buy back scheme.

RPC announces packaging price increases

A leading European cosmetics packaging provider has announced price increases of up to 15 per cent as a result of continued pricing pressures.

Burberry fragrance drives Inter Parfums results

Burberry fragrance sales have once again boosted results for Inter Parfums and the US-based fragrance player has reported a twenty percent increase in second quarter sales.

Travelon launches unique traveling personal care range

Travel consumer goods provider Travelon has launched a new range of personal care products based on simple single dose sheets of paper for a range of products.

Study hails laser treatment as effective anti-wrinkle tool

Scientists have hailed carbon dioxide laser resurfacing as a highly effective treatment for facial wrinkles but warn of complications in the short term.

Tupperware continues to outpace market

Tupperware Brands has posted an 18 percent increase in sales for the fourth quarter on the back of high emerging market growth.

Cognis sells stake in Cognis Oleochemicals to PTT Chemical International

Cognis has sold its stake in a producer of natural oil and fat derived chemicals to focus on the wellness and sustainability trends.

BASF announces second packaging price hike

It is not only the price of raw ingredients that are going up, packaging materials are becoming more costly, evinced by the latest hike from BASF.

Kline analyst praises Estee Lauder's Indian venture

Taking a minority stake in Forest Essentials will provide Estee Lauder with improved access to a small but fast-growing market brimming with opportunity, says a Kline analyst.

Rockwood to acquire leading pigments producer

Rockwood Holding, the New Jersey based producer of specialty pigments, says it has bought up Holliday Pigments, a leading producer of ultramarine blue.

Aveda reformulates make-up line with natural pigments

Leading natural cosmetics provider Aveda has updated and expanded its Uruku make-up collection, opting for natural annatto pigment instead of synthetics.

NPD spreads its prestige coverage to Spain

NPD has teamed up with IRI to extend their coverage of the global cosmetics industry and provide a comprehensive overview of the Spanish market.

Special Interview

Estee Lauder executive tackles sustainable packaging

Manufacturers realize they need to become sustainable to remain competitive. Eco-friendly packaging is a vital component of this but presents companies with a myriad of choices and challenges.

Demand for packaging machinery still increasing

US Industry association PMMI says that its most recent survey confirms that personal care companies anticipate spending more on packaging equipment this year.

Coty CEO sets company on acquisition trail

Fragrance-maker Coty says it is looking to acquire new brands in an effort to expand its cosmetics business and increase sales.

Romanian cosmetics producer sees profits rocket

Farmec Cluj, one of Romania's biggest cosmetic producers has reported a 36 per cent profit increase in the first half of the year on new skin and body care products.

Estee Lauder buys stake in Indian brand Forest Essentials

Estee Lauder is targeting the fast-growing Indian market with the purchase of a minority stake in natural beauty brand Forest Essentials.

Financial outlook looks grim for cosmetic companies

Sliding share prices on the stock exchange and financial downgrades point to tougher times for the personal care industry as high commodity prices hit hard, experts say.

ESS Technologies launches new tube filler

Virginia-based ESS Technologies has launched a new tube filler that is said to fill and close up to 100 metal or plastic tubes a minute.

Weak US dollar means slower sales for L'Oreal

A weak dollar has harmed L'Oreal's second quarter sales and the France-based cosmetics giant is lowering its predictions accordingly.

International cosmetics firms queue up to enter Russian market

Russia's booming economy is feeding demand for beauty products making the country a highly attractive destination for international cosmetics companies.

Fully recycled bottles adopted by UK baby care company

Organic baby care manufacturer Beaming Baby claims to be the first UK-based toiletries company to use one hundred per cent recycled bottles.

Trade union body calls for improved nano safety

The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is calling for a precautionary principle to be applied to nanotechnologies in order to ensure worker safety.

L'Oreal accused of using banned chemicals

A former L'Oreal executive has accused the company of using ingredients in markets where they are banned and of selling products that contain unlawfully high levels of preservatives.

Gillette widens reach with hair and body care ranges

Gillette is moving beyond the razor blade and deeper into the bathroom with the launch of hair care and body wash product lines.

Sales growth helps Revlon into profit

Revlon has moved further down the road to recovery reporting strong preliminary financial results for the second quarter.

Sederma releases skin tightening ingredient

Sederma's new ingredient promises an immediate skin tightening effect to appeal to the modern consumer in search of instant gratification.

Alban Muller launches 29 fruit focused actives

France-based Alban Muller has launched 29 new active ingredients for the global naturals market with "super fruits" at the heart of the offerings.

J&J's consumer products may be hit by price increases

Johnson and Johnson (J&J) has reported strong second quarter results although price increases within its consumer goods division will be implemented throughout the year.

Alcan buys Russian beauty packaging factory

Alcan Packaging has bought a cosmetic tubes factory in Russia to meet the demands of the growing industry in the region.

Californian lawmakers dismiss lead in lipstick bill

The California Assembly Committee on Health has defeated a bill proposing that manufacturers prove that their products contain no more than 'an unavoidable trace of lead'.

Momentive constructs innovation center in New York

Silicon provider Momentive has announced plans to build a new technology center in upstate New York to take advantage of the tax incentives provided by the area.

European industry depressed by rising oil prices

A significant drop in industrial production in the Euro zone, in particular in non durable consumer goods such as cosmetics, adds to fears of a weakening economy.

P&G fights back against UK animal protection charity

Personal care giant Procter and Gamble has defended itself after being targeted by a UK-based animal rights charity.

Kimberley-Clark reports profits below expectations

Kimberley-Clark blamed its disappointing second quarter profits on higher than expected cost inflation and cut its guidance for the year accordingly.

L'Occitane aims east with Hong Kong flotation

Cosmetics retailer L'Occitane is planning a flotation on the Hong Kong stock exchange to raise $300m and fuel its expansion in Asia, according to newspaper reports.

Kline predicts uneven fallout from economic downturn

Rising costs and low consumer confidence are poised to dampen the quarterly results of leading beauty companies but the damage is likely to be spread unevenly.

Dow buys Rohm and Haas for $18.8bn

Dow Chemical has acquired Rohm and Haas in an $18.8bn deal designed to deliver higher margins and stable earnings.

Helen of Troy's personal care sales fall again

Sales of personal care products fell for Helen of Troy during its first quarter, which combined with a series of write-downs led to a profit slump.

Leading firms fined for exchanging information

Leading cosmetics firms have been threatened with fines by the German Federal Cartel Office for exchanging information that violates anti-trust laws.

Brazil cosmetics market remains a hot spot for investors

Low costs, a large consumer base and a thriving economy look set to ensure that the Brazil cosmetics market will continue its strong growth, analysts believe.

Quirky products capitalize on licensed kid's personal care market

The market for licensed children's personal care products has good potential but manufacturers will have to be quirky and innovative to benefit, according to a recent report.

PCPC concentrates lobbying spend on FDA funding

The Personal Care Products Council spent $190,000 lobbying to increase funding provisions for the FDA in the first quarter.

Regis looks to up efficiency with salon closures

The world's biggest salon hair care player Regis says it aims to close up to 160 underperforming company-owned salons in the US and UK by the middle of fiscal 2009.

Stem cell cream gets into marketing trouble

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled against Basic Research for failing to substantiate anti-ageing claims attributed to its "stem cell" cream.

Unit-dose packaging thrives on convenience trend

Cosmetics that come packaged in daily dose units are becoming increasingly popular, a trend that a Mintel analyst attributes to the desire for convenience.

Pectin nanoparticles show encapsulation potential

Sugar beet pectin shells could be used to encapsulate functional ingredients for use in cosmetics, food and pharmaceutical products, suggests new research.

Anti-bacterial chemical back in the spotlight

US and Canadian interest groups and environmental agencies are once again lobbying against the personal care anti-bacterial chemical triclosan.

Human cannabis could improve skin care

New research into the skincare role of cannabis-like substances suggests the belief that marijuana cleans the body and mind may be more than just a pipe dream.

Cognis takes bite out of edible beauty market

Cognis is targeting the growing market for beauty foods with a range of lutein esters extracted from marigold flowers.

Estee Lauder expands Malone brand into Asia

Estée Lauder will be extending the reach of its Jo Malone luxury skin care and fragrance brand in Asia in partnership with the Lane Crawford Joyce Group.

Symrise increases prices on cost pressures

Until now it has been raw material and chemical providers that have been increasing their prices, but Germany-based active ingredients player Symrise now joins the growing list.

Inter Parfums develops cosmetics for bebe clothing

Inter Parfums has signed a six year licensing agreement with clothing and accessory manufacturer bebe to supply cosmetics, fragrance and body products for the brand.

Latin America offers fragmented promise

The Latin American market offers plenty of opportunities for international beauty firms but entrants must appreciate its diversity in order to succeed, according to Euromonitor.

Clarins to refocus portfolio after delisting

Clarins says that after its proposed delisting is complete it intends to go ahead with plans to refocus its portfolio, despite a negative stock market reaction.

Stephan Co buys up beauty supplier

The Stephan Company has announced the acquisition of North Carolina-based Bowman Supply and Beauty Business.

News in Brief - regulatory concerns over at-home genetic tests

Regulatory concerns lead Hair DX to remove its genetic hair loss tests from the internet, Microfluidics International receives funding to globally expand its processing equipment business and the Georgette Klinger skin care brand returns to the family fold.

Zirh renews fragrance licensing agreement with FCUK

US men's skin care and fragrance player Zirh has renewed its fragrance licensing agreement with FCUK and readies new product launches.

Ethical investment can build stability, says Treatt

Companies that want to source ingredients ethically should consider investing in less stable parts of the world, according to Treatt, which has major organic operations in Kenya and India.

Oil price indicates further cost pressures

Manufacturing costs for personal care players are likely to rise further as the price of Brent crude oil hits a record $146 a barrel.

Afghan rose oil in cosmetics could help rural development

Natural rose oil production can provide Afghan farmers with an alternative to the opium poppy to generate much needed income in ravaged rural areas.

Shiseido appoints new head of US operations

Shiseido has appointed a new head of its US operations after announcing the consolidation of its American businesses earlier in the week.

EWG attacks top sunscreen brands

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has attacked leading sunscreen brands for offering inadequate protection against UV rays or containing potentially hazardous ingredients.

UVB is the main culprit for skin damage

UVB rays are more harmful than UVA as they cause DNA damage that the body finds harder to repair, according to scientists in the US.

Elizabeth Arden fights back against fragrance lawsuit

Elizabeth Arden defends itself against the claim from Oscar de la Renta that the company is selling unauthorised fragrance products to Target stores.

Chella turns to nano particles to increase efficacy

Chellá Professional Skin Care says it has developed two brand new nano-based technologies and a new delivery system that builds on its centerpiece Chell-x Complex.

Brief relief for palm oil prices on swelling stocks

Swelling domestic stocks for Malaysian palm oil left crude palm oil futures closing lower on Monday, offering a slight relief for prices.

Greener microcapsules for fragrant fabrics

A new type of microcapsule may allow manufacturers to embed fragrances in textiles without resorting to formaldehyde, according to scientists in Portugal.

Alcan Packaging opens Indian facility

Alcan Packaging has opened a flexible packaging plant in India to better serve the fast growing food and personal care industries in the country.

Shiseido consolidates US businesses

Shiseido is consolidating its US businesses in an attempt to improve efficiency and allow better strategic investment beyond subsidiary boundaries.

LVMH wins French case against Ebay over fakes

LVMH has won a landmark case against the internet auction house Ebay for failing to prevent the sale of fake goods and for selling genuine perfumes without authorization.

FDA approves new collagen facial filler

The FDA has approved a new collagen-based facial filler said to help treat even deep facial folds and wrinkles.