Introduction

1. Purpose of cosmetics
Cosmetics are becoming of more importance in daily life; they are used regularly by in-
creasing numbers of people and very large quantities are consumed each year.
When were cosmetics first used by people? Even if we examine the history of cos-
metics, it is extremely difficult to say when cosmetics were first used. Archaeological
excavations confirm that they were used in the early stone age and we can safely assume
that cosmetics have a very long history.
Why did early societies use cosmetics? If we examine the purpose of cosmetics, the
most obvious is protection of the body from the elements of nature, such as heat and
sunlight. Early people painted themselves with oils or mixtures of oils, clays and plant
materials to protect themselves against dryness from cold, burns from strong sunlight,
and irritation from insect bites. Additionally, cosmetics were used for religious purposes.
Fragrant woods for example were burnt to produce smoke and incense that would ward
off evil spirits. Further protection was afforded to an individual by painting the body to
guard against evil.
As societies came into the age of enlightenment, however, most of these purpose of
cosmetics disappeared. The main purposes for using cosmetics in modern society are for
personal hygiene, to enhance attractiveness through use of makeup, to improve self-
esteem and promote tranquillity, to protect skin and hair from damaging ultraviolet light,
pollutants, and other environmental factor, to prevent aging, and in general to help peo-
ple enjoy a more full and rewarding life.

2. Meaning of cosmetics
How do we define a cosmetic? The definition of cosmetic under the law varies slightly
between countries but in general terms "cosmetic" means any article intended to be used
by means of rubbing, sprinkling or by similar application to the human body for clean-
ing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, altering the appearance of the human body,
and for maintaining health of the skin and hair, provided that the action of the article on
the human body is mild. The Japanese Pharmaceutical Affairs Law regulates both cos-
metics and so-called quasi-drugs.
Quasi-drugs are products which are applied to the body for the purposes of cleaning
teeth, deodorants, and hair colors, etc., but they "should be for alleviation of conditions
4 New cosmetic science

of the body but not for prevention and treatment of illness; they should not be designed
to affect body structure and functions"
The current Pharmaceutical Affairs Law makes a clear distinction between cosmetics,
quasi-drugs, and pharmaceuticals. The former two categories of product are for use by
healthy people to maintain personal hygiene and to maintain a favorable personal ap-
pearance. Consequently the physiological activities of cosmetics must be mild. In con-
trast, pharmaceutical drugs are used for treatment and prevention of illness and they
have an effect on the structure and functions of the body.
Since cosmetics and quasi-drugs are often used on a daily basis over long periods of
time, safety without side effects is of paramount importance, and they must be com-
pletely safe without side effects. By contrast, pharmaceutical drugs for medical use are
used only over short time periods to treat medical conditions. Their primary purpose is
to cure illness, and they must therefore be therapeutically effective. Sometimes slight
side effects of these drugs cannot be avoided.
In summary, cosmetics and quasi-drugs are quite different from pharmaceutical drugs
in use, purpose, and effects.
New Cosmetics Science describes both cosmetics and quasi-drugs and when there is
no particular reason for classifying these two groups of products separately, they are
called cosmetics for convenience.

3. Classification
Cosmetics (including quasi-drugs) can be classified according to their use and area of
application. In addition, they can be classified by composition and structure. However,
New Cosmetics Science uses the system shown in Table 1 based on usage and classifies
cosmetics into skin care cosmetics, makeup cosmetics, body cosmetics, hair care cos-
metics, oral cosmetics and fragrances.
Skin care cosmetics are called facial cosmetics and they are mainly used on the face.
There are three main usage purposes: cleansing, skin balance, and protection. Makeup
cosmetic are mainly used on the face. Other makeup cosmetics include nail enamel. Face
makeups are divided into base makeup and point makeups.
Body cosmetics include suncare and suntan cosmetics, antiperspirants, deodorants,
hair remover, bleaches depilatories, soaps, hand care products and bath preparations.
A special product in the body cosmetics group is insect repellents.
Hair care cosmetics include shampoos, treatments, and hair styling preparations as
well as permanent wave agents and hair dyes. Other products in the group include hair
growth promoters and scalp treatments.
Oral care cosmetics primarily include toothpastes and products such as mouth
washes.
Fragrances are mainly used on the body but sometimes on the scalp hair and earlobes.
Typical fragrance cosmetics are perfumes, but there are also eau de colognes made by
varying the amount of fragrance used.
These cosmetics are all used in daily life. The value of cosmetic shipments in Japan is
second only to that in the USA. In terms of the value by type, skin care cosmetics are the
largest followed by hair care cosmetics and makeups. Fragrances such as perfumes and
 Introduction to cosmetic science 5

Table 1. Classincation of cosmetics

Classification Usage Main Products

Cleansers Face Cleansing Creams and Foams
Skin care cosmetics Conditioners Lotions, Packs, Massage Creams
Protectors Milky Lotions, Moisture Creams
Base makeups Foundations, Face Powders
Makeup cosmetics Point Makeups Lipstick, Blushers, Eye Shadow, Eye Liners
CO Nail Care Nail Enamels, Nail Polish Removers
5-'

Bath Soaps, Liquid Cleansers, Bath Preparations

Suncares and Suntans Sunscreen Creams, Sun Oils
Body cosmetics Antiperspirants and Deodorant Sprays
Deodorants
Bleaching, Depilatory Bleaching Creams, Depilatory Creams
Insect Repellents Insect Repellent Lotions and Sprays
Cleansing Shampoos
1 3 Treatments Rinses, Hair Treatments
Hair care Cosmetics Hair Styling Hair Mousses® , Hair Liquids, Pomades
OS
u
Permanent Waves Permanent Wave Lotions (Agent No.l, No.2)
Hair Colors and Bleaches Hair Colors, Hair Bleaches, Color Rinses
Hair Growth Promoters Hair Growth Promoters, Hair Tonics
Scalp care Cosmetics
Treatments Scalp Treatments
Toothpastes Toothpastes
Oral care Cosmetics
Mouthwashes Mouthwashes
Fragrances Fragrances Perfumes, Eau de Colognes

eau de colognes are used less compared to the USA and Europe. This may be because of
differences in lifestyle and body constitution.

4. Quality characteristics and quality assurance

4.1. Quality characteristics of cosmetics

Generally, "quality" is determined by the satisfaction of the user (consumer). In the in-
dustrial situation, quality is determined at three points: (1) design, (2) manufacture and
(3) sales. From each point, there are requirements necessary to satisfy the high quality
characteristics. Economics and market timing are also important factors to consider.
When designing, manufacturing and marketing cosmetics, the basic quality require-
ments are safety, stability, efficacy, and usability (feeling and ease of use); usability in-
cludes preference factors such as smell, color, and package design, which are determined
by the user's personal taste. The quality characteristics are summarized in Table 2.
6 New cosmetic science

Table 2. Quality characteristics of cosmetics

Lack of Skin irritation, Skin sensitivity, Oral toxicity, Mixing with other materials,
Safety
Harmlessness
Stability Quality change. Color change. Smell change. Bacterial contamination, etc.
1. Feeling (sensibility, moisturizing, smoothness)
Usability 2. Ease-of-Use(form, size, weight, composition, performance, portability, etc.)
3. Preference (smell, color, design, etc.)
Efficacy Moisturizing effect, UV protective effect, cleansing effect, coloring effect, etc.

Table 3(1). Cosmetics quality assurance

—Various Safety Tests and Patch Tests

—Safety Assurance
—Toxic Heavy Metal Tests (Pb, As, etc.)
—Color Stability Test (Color stability)
a;
o —Photoresistance Test (fading with light)
03 —Smell Stability Test (Smell stability)
Q. u ' 1 > A Test)
m—
<3 —Preservation Test
—Pharmaceutical Agent Stability Test (Efficacy assurance)
o 1—Physico-chemical Stability Test
O —Usability Test (Sensory Test)
—Usability Assurance—
—Physico-chemical Test(Rheological Measurement, etc.)

Table 3(2). Cosmetics quality assurance

-Light Protection Test

I—Contents Protection Assurance- -Permeability Test
-Smell Protection Test (to detect changes in smell.)
I—Chemical Resistance Test
-Material Suitability Assurance Anti-corrosion Test
Sun proof Test
^Substances requiring caution in Materials (Formalin, etc.)
-Materials Safety Assurance- -Safety Standards (Ministry of Health and Welfare Guidelines,
etc.)
-Safety Confirmation Test
(1H
J—Human Engineering Functional Test
-Function Assurance- '—Physical Function Test
Usage Environment Test
-Usage Safety-
£ Usage Method
Ease of Disposal (Efficiency, etc.)
-Disposability Guarantee-
£: Safety (Incineration Safety)
 Introduction to cosmetic science 7

4.2. Quality assurance of cosmetics

The definition of quality assurance is given in the Quality Assurance Guidebook}^ as

"guaranteeing product quality to ensure full customer confidence and satisfaction when
purchasing as well as when using the product. In addition, the quality must permit long-
term usage." This definition indicates the importance of quality assurance in quality
control system for economically manufacturing products of a quality that meets user re-
quirements (Japan Industrial Standard JIS8101). In addition, the definition shows that
the cosmetics industry has a responsibility to protect the safety of the consumer.
Each of the research, manufacturing and sales departments deals with quality assur-
ance of cosmetics; Tables 3(1) and 3(2) outline the quality assurance system utilized by
the design and R&D departments.

5. Development process of cosmetics

Fig, 1 shows the flow of one manufacturing development cycle (development process)
for cosmetics from basic research to manufacturing research and production based on the
commercialization plans. In the development of cosmetics, the seeds of basic and ap-
plied research must first bear fruit.
Research into the early stage of the development of cosmetics includes the develop-
ment of new raw materials, new formulation techniques and new concepts for the utili-
zation of seeds from dermatological research. In recent years, new raw materials have
been developed using biotechnological approaches to the life sciences. There have also
been major research advances in the development of new materials derived from fine
chemicals as well as in the utilization of new drug delivery systems such as liposome
and microcapsules. Transition of early research into product development is vigorously
promoted, utilizing research "seeds" and incorporating user requirements, "needs" and
"wants".
Product development research includes developing formulations for various products
and developing appropriate packaging such as containers for the products. Specifications
for ingredients, manufacturing method and packaging are perfected by extensive investi-
gation of the four quality characteristics described in Section 4.1 (safety, stability, effi-
cacy and usability) and the application is filed under the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law if
application is required. In parallel with this procedure, scaling up (mass-production en-
gineering investigation) from the laboratory scale to the mass-production scale is exam-
ined by both the researchers and plant engineers. Mass production and commercializa-
tion begin when an application in accordance with the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law has
been approved.

6. Scientific background, technology and its future2-4)

The development process of cosmetics is described in Section 5. All of the develop-
mental processes are closely linked to many branches of science and technology, much
of which is put to practical use in the R&D (Fig. 1).
8 New cosmetic science

Commercialization Plan Basic and Applied Research

(Market Research and
Fashion Trends, etc.) and Development

Needs Seeds

Product Design

Organic Chemistry Contents Packaging Materials

Inorganic Chemistry Base Formula, Glass Bottles pMaterial Science
Pharmacology Raw Materials Synthetic Resin Containers Processing Technology
Analytical Chemistry,—' Coloring Agents Metal Container and Tubes Printing Technology,
etc. Fragrances Wrapping Paper etc.
Additives

(Stability) .Surface Chemistry—.

Microbiology —|
(Usability) Rheology

(Safety) Dermatology Formulating & Packaging

Biochemistry —| Research and Testing

(Efficacy) Physiology
Physical chemistry—]
Psychology, etc.

(Appeal) Psychology —i- Usage Testing

Sensory Test, etc.
\
Formulation
Manufacturing Methods
Container Specifications

Mass Production Application under

1
Quality Control Technology —|
Statistical Science Technology Investigation Pharmaceuticals
Chemical Engineering Affairs Law (if rerquired)
Mechanical Engineering, etc. I—J Manufacturing -Approval -^
of products
X
Products

Fig. 1. Cosmetic development process and related sciences and technologies.

Until about 1970, the main interest of research was upon aspects of the product. The
focus was on product stability, fine texture, good after feel, manufacturing technology
and quality control. Colloid science, rheology, and statistics were the major areas of re-
search.
The first oil crisis in 1973 led to a period of low growth of cosmetics, and compatibil-
ity between user and product and the safety of cosmetic products became the primary
interests of research.
In the 1980s, this trend became more evident. In addition to the problem of safety,
product usefulness, that is what the product can do for humans, became the main re-
search goal.
In addition to scientific disciplines centered on products, research is increasingly be-
ing conducted into a wider range of human-related subjects including dermatology.
 Introduction to cosmetic science 9

physiology, biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, etc. Other scientific areas such as

psychology, psychoneurology, and immunology are also becoming important in the de-
velopment of cosmetics. These latter areas are important in investigating the psychologi-
cal effects of cosmetics on peacefulness, happiness, relaxation, and freedom from stress.
It is evident that the development of cosmetics is a human science that combines both
the "hardware", or technological aspects of producing a product, and the "software", or
physiological and psychological needs of the user. In the future, even more cutting-edge
technology will be brought to bear upon the "hardware" aspects of producing products,
so that products with even better performance will be developed. From the performance
aspect, there will be major advances in the development of biophysiologically useful
materials for the face and scalp with innovative functions such as prevention of wrinkles
and of hair loss, and the promotion of skin lightening and of hair growth. In addition,
physico-chemical high-performance cosmetics will appear that will add new dimensions
to the concept of cosmetics. New foundations will be developed; for example, photo-
chromic pigments that will change face color more beautifully according to the variation
of light, resulting in a foundation makeup that looks natural under any lighting condi-
tions.
At the same time as cosmetics evolve physiologically and physico-chemically, they
will also evolve in their psychological effects. Some fragrances stimulate human beings
and others calm them, while some makeups improve appearance and thereby can help
women recover from depression. In other words, cosmetics are not limited simply to
physiological functions, but cosmetics can also have a positive psychological effect and
can promote human health and happiness by way of the five human senses which are
hearing, smelling, seeing, tasting and touching. In still another dimension, the antide-
pressive effect of improving appearance is linked to a beneficial effect upon the immune
system which has great influence upon one's health. Recent cutting-edge research in
psychoneuroimmunology has clarified that cosmetics can indeed play an important role
in such protective effects. From this perspective, the categorization does not stop simply
with cosmetics. Products with even better pharmaceutical properties (cosmeceuticals)
are being developed and even more can be expected in the future.
Cosmetic science covers the fields from natural sciences to human and social sci-
ences; it is an important interdisciplinary element in various scientific disciplines. In the
future, we can expect even more progress based on our current research and on new dis-
coveries in other scientific fields.

References
1. Asaka, T., Ishikawa, K. ed.: Quality Assurance Guidebook, Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers Publications,
1974.
2. Ozawa, T.: Fragrance J., 17 (7), 29-32 (1989).
3. Ozawa, T.: Fragrance J., 18 (1), 15-20 (1990).
4. Mitsui, T.: J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem. Jpn., 24 (2), 75-90 (1990).