Heres How To Quickly Copy Almost

Any Cosmetic Formula

How To Knock-
Off a Cosmetic
Formula
A 10-Step System For
Researching, Creating, and Testing
Existing Personal Care and
Cosmetic Formulations
Perry Romanowski
Table Of Contents
Introduction .............................................................. 4
Cosmetic Chemistry .............................................................. 4
Why Learning to Knock-off Products is seful .............................. 4
!"cellent Learning O##ortunity ................................................ $
Expert Evaluator .............................................................. 5
Ingredient Specialist ......................................................... 5
%& 'te#s to Knocking Off a Com#etitor(s )ormula .......................... *
'te# %+ Obtaining Com#etiti,e Product ............................. -
Im#ortance of ha,ing the #roduct ............................................. -
Where to get multi#le sam#les ................................................. -
Drugstore.com ................................................................ 7
Amazon.com ................................................................... 8
Ulta.com ....................................................................... 8
Ebay.com ...................................................................... 8
Direct rom t!e "ebsite .................................................... 8
If you can.t get the #roduct .................................................... /
'te# 0+ 1ecoming and !"#ert ser .................................. 2
Im#ortance of using the #roduct ............................................... 2
1e an engaged user ............................................................... 2
3ou can.t try the #roduct4 .................................................... %&
'te# 5+ 6naly7ing the Ingredient List .............................. %%
8et the list of ingredients ..................................................... %%
#etting lists on t!e Internet ............................................... $$
%utting t!e ingredients in order .......................................... $&
$' (ule ........................................................................ $)
'te# 4+ sing Patents to 8et 3ou 'tarted ......................... %$
9ining #atents for clues ........................................................ %$
%atents tell you "!at you can*t do ..................................... $5
+!ere to ind patents ...................................................... $5
'te# $+ 8enerating 'tarting )ormulas ............................ %*
6naly7e the formula ............................................................ %*
'tarting formulas ................................................................ %*
'te# *+ 8etting Clues from Key 'u##liers ......................... %/
What to get from su##liers .................................................... %/
,!ec- "it! distributors ..................................................... $8
(esources ..................................................................... $8
'te# -+ Creating and :e,ising Prototy#es ........................ %2
'tarting out ....................................................................... %2
8eneral ti#s ....................................................................... %2
.e observant ................................................................. &/
)inishing a batch ................................................................ 0&
0a-ing ad1ustments ......................................................... &/
'econd generation #rototy#es ................................................ 0&
'te# /+ Laboratory testing of #rototy#es ......................... 00
Try it out .......................................................................... 00
Specialized lab tests ........................................................ &&
:e,ise and remake #rototy#es ............................................... 00
'te# 2+ 9atching Product 6esthetics .............................. 04
9aking the #roducts look ; smell the same ................................ 04
Color matching ................................................................... 04
0a-e a ne" batc! ........................................................... &2
9aking them smell the same .................................................. 04
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'te# %&+ Testing the formula <ith Consumers ................... 0*
Try it out on #eo#le ............................................................. 0*
Putting it in Packaging .......................................................... 0*
=e"t 'te#s> ............................................................. 0-
.e ,reative ................................................................... &7
9ore Cosmetic Chemistry ...................................................... 0-
ChemistsCorner.com ............................................................ 0-
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Introduction
Cosmetic Chemistry
+!ile you may !ave learned about molecules7 organic synt!esis7 and
t!ermodynamics in college c!emistry courses7 you probably didn*t learn any
practical s-ills t!at you can directly apply to a science 1ob in industry. In t!e
boo- .eginning ,osmetic ,!emistry you "ill ind an overvie" o all t!e
relevant topics to becoming an excellent7 "ell8rounded cosmetic c!emist.
In t!is e8boo-7 t!e important s-ill o duplicating t!e ormula o a
competitor is outlined. I you ind t!is inormation !elpul7 you s!ould
consider getting a copy o .eginning ,osmetic ,!emistry or a ull treatment
o more t!an 5/ ot!er topics essential or cosmetic scientists. Also7 be sure
to visit ,!emists,orner.com or tips7 discussions7 and inormation important
or scientists in t!e cosmetic industry.
Why Learning to Knock-off Products is seful
As a cosmetic scientist7 you "ill be re9uently aced "it! t!e tas- o
copying or -noc-ing8o a competitor:s ormula. ;!is is a standard practice in
t!e cosmetic industry or a variety o reasons.
It:s aster
It:s easier to manuacture
Success in t!e mar-et provides proo < a eeling o less ris-
,ompanies are trying to solve t!e same problems
It:s diicult to create a truly ne" product rom scratc!
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!"cellent Learning O##ortunity
+!ile copying a competitor:s ormula "ill not ultimately lead to
revolutionary ne" products7 it is an excellent opportunity or a beginning
cosmetic scientist to develop !er ormulating s-ills. =or t!e seasoned
ormulator7 it is a great c!ance to !one t!eir ormulating s-ills in areas "!ic!
t!ey may not !ave !ad muc! experience. 0any cosmetic ormulators spend
t!eir careers getting proicient in one or t"o ormula types. It*s extremely
diicult to become expert in all product areas.
!"#ert !,aluator
>noc-ing8o a competitor*s product gives you a great c!ance to become
an expert at evaluating t!ese types o ormulas. ;o be able to -noc-8o a
ormula you !ave to be able to irst -no" !o" t!e product you:re trying to
emulate perorms. =or cleansing products you:ll !ave to learn !o" to test
oam. 0oisturizing products "ill re9uire you to learn !o" to 1udge s-in
condition ater treatment. =or ma-eup you:ll !ave to test ormula ?!ardness@
and ease o application.
Ingredient '#ecialist
Aou:ll also 9uic-ly learn "!ic! ingredients are essential to a ormula and
"!ic! are 1ust ?lu@ t!at support t!e mar-eting story. ,osmetic ormulas
are oten illed "it! ingredients t!at !ave limited noticeable eect on t!e
perormance o t!e product. During t!e process o -noc-ing8o a
competitor*s ormula you*ll gain invaluable experience about "or-ing "it! a
variety o ra" materials.
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%& 'te#s to Knocking Off a Com#etitor(s )ormula
;!is boo- goes t!roug! t!e ten steps you can ollo" to duplicate nearly
any cosmetic or personal care ormula you encounter. I you ollo" t!ese
steps you are practically guaranteed to 9uic-ly succeed. ;!ere is almost no
product you can ind t!at can*t be copied using t!ese tec!ni9ues. .y t!e
time you*ve completed step $/7 you*ll !ave a product ormulation t!at
perorms almost identically to t!e one you copied.
Bere is a 9uic- summary o t!e $/ steps. ;!ey are urt!er explained in
t!e subse9uent pages.
1. Cbtaining samples
2. .ecoming an expert user
3. Analyzing t!e ingredient list
4. Using patents to get you started
5. #enerating starting ormulas
6. #etting clues rom -ey suppliers
7. ,reating and revising prototypes
8. Daboratory testing o prototypes
9. ;esting t!e ormula "it! consumers
10. =inis!ing touc!es 4 matc!ing aest!etics
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'te# %+ Obtaining Com#etiti,e Product
Im#ortance of ha,ing the #roduct
%er!aps t!e most important t!ing you*ll need or copying a competitor*s
product is a sample o t!e product. ;!is "ill enable you to igure out t!e
aest!etics7 perormance and ot!er c!aracteristics needed or 1udging
"!et!er you are successul. ;!e best "ay to prove t!at you copied a
competitor is to put t!e ormulas side8by8side Fin t!e same pac-ageG and see
"!et!er someone can tell t!em apart. Ideally7 you*ll get multiple samples
because t!ere are a number o tests you can conduct to !elp in your copying
eorts.
;o get t!e product7 go to your local drug7 grocery or department store
and buy samples i t!ey !ave t!em. Cten t!ey*ll !ave multiple !oldings o
t!e same product so get as many as you can. I you need more7 go to ot!er
stores in t!e area and buy a"ay. Depending on t!e pro1ect7 you s!ould get a
!al to a dozen samples.
Where to get multi#le sam#les
+!ile getting products rom stores is usually t!e best option7 you "ill
sometimes !ave a !ard time inding t!em. =or example7 i it is a product
produced and sold outside your country you "on*t ind it in local stores.
Also7 i t!e product !as been discontinued or is popular your area stores may
not !ave it in stoc-. In t!ese cases you*ll need anot!er option. Using t!e
Internet is a great "ay to 9uic-ly get samples.
?rugstore.com
;!e irst place to loo- or a product is Drugstore.com. ;!ey sell a
number o popular products rom all t!e top brands. ;!eir "ebsite is set up
so you can conveniently searc! by -ey"ord7 product type7 or even 1ust
bro"se. =or premium salon and department store brands you s!ould also
c!ec- out t!eir companion site called .eauty.com
A great eature o t!ese "ebsites is t!at t!ey list all t!e ingredient and
claims inormation. ;!is "ill be useul or later steps "!en generating
prototypes.
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6ma7on.com
0any times retailers "ill use Amazon.com as t!eir primary distributor. I
you are !aving trouble inding somet!ing be sure to searc! Amazon. ;!ey sell
muc! more t!an 1ust boo-s. ;!eir beauty product selection is excellent.
lta.com
0uc! li-e t!e previous "ebsites7 Ulta.com ma-es it easy to searc! or
dierent product types and order multiple samples at one time. ;!ey carry a
number o brands not ound on t!e previous "ebsite so to get exactly "!at
you "ant you may !ave to searc! bot! "ebsites.
!bay.com
I you can*t ind t!e product on eit!er o t!ose sites you can al"ays try
online auction sites li-e Ebay.com. ;!ere are a number o personal care and
cosmetic companies "!o sell products exclusively t!roug! Ebay. ;!is option
is particularly good or products t!at come rom outside your country.
?irect from the <ebsite
Anot!er option is to buy product directly rom t!e competitor*s "ebsite.
Almost all ma1or Fand minorG brands !ave a "ay or you to order and pay rig!t
t!roug! t!e "ebsite. ;!is isn*t t!e irst place you s!ould try because t!ey
may not "ant to send multiple products to your address i t!ey see you are a
competitor. Cne "ay around t!is is to !ave it sent to your !ome or a %C box.
If you can.t get the #roduct
Sometimes t!e product you are trying to copy is too expensive to get
multiple For even $G product. In t!ese cases7 try to get small samples "!ic!
may be available ro ree or at a reduced cost.
I you absolutely can:t get t!e product7 you can proceed but your c!ance
o success "ill be limited. C course7 t!e c!ances t!at someone "ould -no"
you didn:t succeed are even less.
Even i you can*t get a sample o t!e exact product it is !elpul to get
somet!ing t!at is similar. .eore ormulating be sure to get example o ot!er
products in t!e category o t!e one you are trying to copy.
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'te# 0+ 1ecoming and !"#ert ser
Im#ortance of using the #roduct
;o successully -noc-8o a product7 you !ave to -no" t!e product inside
and out. ;!is means you "ill !ave to -no" everyt!ing you can about t!e
product and t!e user:s experience "it! t!at product.
In subse9uent steps you "ill learn !o" to analyze t!e product in t!e lab.
.ut beore you start c!emically brea-ing do"n a ormula and building it bac-
up7 you !ave to igure out "!at t!e consumer:s experience "it! t!e product
is. ;!e best "ay to do t!is is to USE ;BE %(CDU,; CH ACU(SED=I ;!at*s so
important it s!ould be repeated.
USE ;BE %(CDU,; CH ACU(SED=I
Don:t be s!y. 0ost cosmetics and personal care products create
temporary eects and are easy to "as! o. (emember your s-in and !air is
not muc! dierent t!an t!e consumers t!at "ill be using t!e product.
1e an engaged user
Use t!e product a e" times and -eep records o your experience. ;!e
irst time you use it7 imagine you are t!e consumer. ;a-e notice o t!e "ay
t!e product is applied. As- yoursel dierent 9uestions and -eep trac- o
your responses. Is it easyJ Do you li-e !o" it loo-s or eelsJ Is t!ere
anyt!ing dierent compared to ot!er productsJ Is it unJ
Cn subse9uent trials7 see "!ic! t!ings you -eep noticing over and over
and "!ic! t!ings don*t seem to matter. I you !ad anot!er product in t!e
same category try it and see "!at dierences you notice.
=orget about t!e claims t!at t!e product ma-es and t!e story used to
support it. 0ost o t!ese statements are mar-eting stories any"ay and don:t
relect !o" t!e product "ill perorm.
#oing t!roug! t!e experience o using t!e product "ill allo" you to pic-
up subtle clues about "!at is important and "!at is not. Aou "ill get
inormation about t!ings li-e r!eology7 eel7 greasiness7 etc.
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;!e more interaction you !ave "it! t!e product t!e better. I you can
use a product exclusively or a "ee-7 t!is is an excellent practice. At t!e
very least7 use t!e product ) or 2 times 1ust so you -no" t!e experience o
t!e consumer. Aou don:t !ave to continue to use t!e product once your
pro1ect is done but "!ile you*re trying to -noc- o a competitor7 t!e more
exposure to t!e product7 t!e better.
3ou can.t try the #roduct4
I you can:t try t!e product For example a bald man "or-ing on a
s!ampooG you can still use t!e product to "as! your !and or rub t!roug! your
scalp 1ust to mimic t!e experience o t!e consumer. ;!e more inormation
you can get Feven i it is not completeG t!e better.
Anot!er alternative "!en you can*t try a product is to give it to !ave
your spouse7 riend or relative try it and t!en intervie" t!em about t!eir
experience. .e sure to prep t!em "it! t!e types o t!ings you "ant t!em to
notice prior to using t!e product.
;a-e notes so you can reer to t!em later "!en you try to determine
!o" close your prototypes are to t!e original.
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'te# 5+ 6naly7ing the Ingredient List
8et the list of ingredients
In t!e United States7 all cosmetic companies are re9uired to put a list o
ingredients FDCIG on t!eir products. ;!e irst t!ing you "ill "ant to do is copy
t!at DCI and put eac! ingredient on a separate ield in a spreads!eet. ;!is
"ill be "!ere you begin ma-ing your preliminary ormulas.
8etting lists on the Internet
I t!e product you !ave doesn:t !ave an DCI on t!e container7 see i you
can ind one on t!e Internet. ;!ere are some excellent resources or t!is
tas-.
;!e irst place to loo- is t!e company:s "ebsite. 0any 6 most reputable
companies !ave t!e ingredients listed or all t!eir products. Ideally7 t!ey "ill
list t!em by t!e approved names ound in t!e International Homenclature o
,osmetic Ingredients FIH,IG publis!ed by t!e %ersonal ,are %roducts ,ouncil.
I not7 some urt!er investigation "ill be re9uired rom you.
I t!e company*s "ebsite doesn*t !ave t!is inormation7 c!ec- "ebsites
li-e Drugstore.com and Ulta.com. ;!ese sites provide a nice listing o t!e
ingredients Fand t!e claimsG in a !andy digital ormat. Aou can also do a
#oogle searc! o ?Ingredient list@ plus t!e product name. Sometimes you*ll
ind t!at a person !as typed it out on a public orum.
!"am#le of an LOI for body <ash
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IH#(EDIEH;S5 +A;E( FAKUAG7 SCDIU0 DAU(E;B SUD=A;E7
,C,A0IDC%(C%AD .E;AIHE7 %E# 87 #DA,E(IH7 DISCDIU0 DAU(E;B
SUD=CSU,,IHA;E7 =(A#(AH,E F%A(=U0G7 %CDAKUA;E(HIU0 $/7 %E# 7
#DA,E(AD ,C,CA;E7 D0D0 BADAH;CIH7 ICDC%(C%AHAD
.U;AD,A(.A0A;E7 ,I;(I, A,ID7 ;E;(ASCDIU0 ED;A7 (ED )) F,D$7&//G7
.DUE $ F,D2&/3/G
Putting the ingredients in order
Cnce you !ave t!e ingredient list7 enter t!e inormation into a
spreads!eet program and ma-e note o t!e number order o t!e ormula.
Bere is an example o t!at body "as! ingredient list in spreads!eet orm.
Order Class Ingredient
Formula
%

1 Water (aqua)
2 Sodium Laureth Sulfate
3 Cocamidoro!l "etaine
# $%& '
( &l!cerin
) *isodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
+ Fragrance (arfum)
' $ol!quaternium 1,
- $%& + &l!cer!l Cocoate
1, *.*. /!dantoin
11 Iodoro!n!l "ut!lcar0amate
12 Citric 1cid
13 2etrasodium %*21
1# 3ed 33 (Cl1+2,,)
1( "lue 1 (Cl#2,-,)
Hext7 you s!ould loo- up all t!e ingredients in t!e IH,I and igure out t!e
class o ingredient. ;!is "ill !elp you in iguring out t!e ormula. +it! time
and experience you "ill learn "!at all t!ese ingredients do. ;!e ormula
above contains various classes o ingredients including
Solvent
%rimary Suractant
Secondary Suractant
,onditioning Ingredients
%reservative
Ad1usting Agents
=ragrance
,olor
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%@ :ule
I it is a product produced in t!e United States and t!ey ollo" standard
labeling rules7 you*ll -no" t!at anyt!ing above $' concentration in t!e
ormula "ill be listed in order.
Aour next step "ill be to guess "!ere t!e $' line mig!t be. +!ile many
o t!e ingredients belo" $' can !ave a signiicant impact7 t!e ingredients
above t!is level "ill provide t!e bul- o t!e aest!etic and perormance
c!aracteristics. .y listing t!e ingredients you "ill be able to tell t!e relative
ormulation levels o t!e -ey ingredients.
Order Class Ingredient
Formula
%

1 Sol4ent Water (aqua)
2 $5 Surfactant Sodium Laureth Sulfate
3 S5 Surfactant Cocamidoro!l "etaine
# S5 Surfactant $%& '
( Conditioning &l!cerin
) S5 Surfactant *isodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate

Li6el! 1% line 7 Ingredients 0elo8 are less than 1%

+ Fragrance Fragrance (arfum)
' Conditioning $ol!quaternium 1,
- Conditioning $%& + &l!cer!l Cocoate
1, $reser4ati4e *.*. /!dantoin
11 Sol4ent Iodoro!n!l "ut!lcar0amate
12 1d9ustments Citric 1cid
13 1d9ustments 2etrasodium %*21
1# Color 3ed 33 (Cl1+2,,)
1( Color "lue 1 (Cl#2,-,)
Sometimes a product "ill list out ?active ingredients@ and put a speciic
' or t!em. ;!is is incredibly useul because you -no" exactly !o" muc! o
t!is ingredient to use. %ut t!is number next to t!e ingredient on your
ormula spreads!eet.
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0oving or"ard7 t!e goal o your researc! eorts "ill be to igure out
t!e ' o all t!e ma1or ingredients on your ingredient list. +e are not so
"orried about minor ingredients because t!ey usually !ave minimally
perceptible eects.
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'te# 4+ sing Patents to 8et 3ou 'tarted
9ining #atents for clues
0any o t!e cosmetics and personal care products you:ll be as-ed to copy
"ill !ave patents related to t!em. +!ile t!e exact ormula t!at t!e company
used in ma-ing t!e product "on:t be listed7 t!eir patents "ill still !ave
example ormulas "!ic! provide a great starting point or prototypes.
;!ey also provide an excellent source o bac-ground inormation "!ic!
"ill !elp you better understand t!e role o all t!e ingredients in t!e ormula.
;!is "ill !elp immeasurably in your copying attempts.
%atents "ill also give supplier names o blends t!at mig!t !ave been
used. Aou can tal- to your suppliers about t!e concentration o t!ese blends
and get a good idea o !o" muc! t!e ingredients are used in t!e ormula.
Patents tell you <hat you can.t do
In addition to providing you ormulating clues7 t!e patent "ill also give
you direction on t!e t!ings t!at you can not do. It "ill s!o" you "!ic!
combination o ingredients and at "!at level you "ill not be able to
ultimately launc!.
At t!is point7 do not "orry about "!at you can and can:t launc!. Aour
irst goal is to get a prototype t!at closely mimics t!e competitor:s product.
Ater you:ve created t!e -noc-o7 you "ill be able to ma-e ad1ustments to
t!e ormula to get around t!e patents.
;!ere are almost no patents o personal care and cosmetic products t!at
can:t be "or-ed around.
Where to find #atents
;!e best source or patents is directly rom t!e United States %atent
Cice. ;!e ull text o every patent since $37E can be searc!ed.
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'te# $+ 8enerating 'tarting )ormulas
6naly7e the formula
.eore you start ma-ing prototypes you*ll "ant to analyze t!e ormula
you are trying to copy. I you !ave access to an analytical lab7 t!at is great.
Send it out to t!em and !ave t!em analyze t!e sample or anyt!ing t!at may
!elp. =or example7 i "ater is t!e irst ingredient you can !ave t!e lab test
t!e percent solids. ;!is "ill tell you exactly !o" muc! "ater is in t!e
ormula. Cten t!is is 8/83/' o t!e ormula.
Ct!er ingredients can be determined "it! standard tests too li-e
suractant level7 silicone concentration7 and protein concentration can be
determined using instruments li-e t!e #,7 I( and 0ass Spectrop!otometer.
Aou can investigate t!e literature to ind "!at can and cannot be measured.
At t!is point you "ill also "ant to ta-e measurements o t!e pB and
viscosity so you -no" "!at your target speciications "ill be.
'tarting formulas
Cnce you !ave your ingredient list7 !ave investigated t!e patent
literature7 and !ave analyzed t!e ormula using lab tests7 you are ready to
"rite out some potential starting ormulas.
I t!e patent "or- didn:t reveal any !elpul inormation and you are
unamiliar "it! t!e ormula category7 loo- at t!e "ay ot!er similar products
are ormulated. A great "ay to do t!is is to loo- t!roug! ree7 online
ormularies o suppliers7 magazines7 and ot!er sources. ,!emidex.com
provides a listing o t!ousands o dierent types o ormulas. Also7 most
c!emical suppliers !ave ormularies on t!eir "ebsites.
;!ese ormulas typically !ave a listing o t!e class o t!e ingredient t!at
is used. Since you already -no" "!at ingredient types are in your ormula7
you*ll be able to get a good guess or t!e levels o all t!e dierent types o
ingredients used.
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;!e most important ingredient classes "ill be t!ings li-e t!e ollo"ing
%rimary suractant
Secondary suractant
,onditioning ingredient
;!ic-ener
Emulsiier
Solvent
At t!is moment7 you don*t !ave to "orry about t!ings li-e color7
ragrance7 ad1ustment and ?eature@ ingredients. Dater you "ill add t!ese to
complete t!e -noc-8o.
+!en you are putting toget!er your starting ormulas7 create !al8dozen
ormulas using dierent levels o t!e -ey ingredients. .e sure to vary only
one ingredient at a time so you can see "!at eect t!e ingredient !as on t!e
product. LBere is one example.
Order Class Ingredient
Formula
%

1 Sol4ent Water (aqua) ''5(%
2 $5 Surfactant Sodium Laureth Sulfate (5,%
3 S5 Surfactant Cocamidoro!l "etaine 35,%
# S5 Surfactant $%& ' 15(%
( Conditioning &l!cerin 15,%
) S5 Surfactant *isodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate 15,%
LAou*ll also "ant to include a preservative li-e /.&' D0D0 Bydantoin.
A more sop!isticated "ay to create prototypes is to ollo" a Design o
Experiment FDCEG protocol. ;!is topic is more advanced t!an necessary or
our purposes but you can loo- to standard reerence texts on t!e sub1ect or
more inormation. DCE is not somet!ing t!at is yet standard practice in
cosmetic ormulating.
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'te# *+ 8etting Clues from Key 'u##liers
What to get from su##liers
+!ile you come up "it! your potential starting ormulas7 c!ec- "it!
your trusted suppliers to see i t!ey mig!t provide you clues as to "!at t!e
ormula could loo- li-e. =or cleansing ormulas your primary suractant
suppliers could give you suggestions on speciic ranges to try. ;!ey may even
reveal t!at t!e ma-ers o t!e product you:re trying to mimic use one o t!eir
suractant blends. .lends are ra" material mixtures t!at companies use to
reduce t!e number o ingredients6steps re9uired to manuacture a product.
At t!e very least7 suppliers can give you access to t!eir ormularies t!at
you may not !ave been able to get online.
Check <ith distributors
I you "or- or a small company you may not be able to meet "it! sales
representatives rom all t!e large sized suppliers. Aou "ill !ave to ind a
c!emical distributor but t!ey can also !elp t!e same "ay as i you "ere
spea-ing directly to t!e supplier.
:esources
;o ind relevant suppliers or t!e dierent ingredients in t!e ormulas go
online and searc! t!e annual buyer:s guide o t!e %ersonal ,are %roducts
,ouncil. Also7 you can ind even more inormation t!roug! t!e buyer*s guide
o magazines li-e Bappi and #,I. Aou can ind listing or all t!e companies in
t!e industry t!at "ant to supply you "it! all t!e ingredients you*ll need.
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'te# -+ Creating and :e,ising Prototy#es
'tarting out
Ater you*ve generated !al8dozen possible prototypes7 create your
batc! s!eets complete "it! ra" material order7 levels7 and target
speciications. ;!en get t!e ra" materials7 lab batc!ing e9uipment li-e
bea-ers < mixers7 and start ma-ing t!e product. Since you "on*t -no"
exactly "!at order to put t!ings7 it*s best to ind an example ormula t!at
!as similar ingredients and adapt t!e procedure to your ormula.
8eneral ti#s
Bere are a e" general guidelines t!at mig!t be !elpul.
0a-e batc!es o at least 2// g. ;!is "ill !elp prevent over
mixing6aeration but still minimize extra "aste.
Start your batc! "it! t!e ingredient t!at is most abundant. ;!is
means t!at in products "!ere "ater is t!e primary ingredient7
you start your batc! by illing up a bea-er "it! "ater. %ut your
mixer on a moderate speed and ma-e a note o t!e temperature.
=ormulas t!at contain "axes "ill !ave to be !eated up to a
temperature above t!e melting point o t!e "ax FM85 , or moreG
;!e oil and "ater components o an emulsion "ill typically need
to be mixed in separate containers and blended "!en t!ey reac!
t!eir !ig! temperature.
Add preservatives and eature ingredients at t!e end
Use a "ater bat! to control t!e batc! temperature
.e sure to cover t!e batc! "it! plastic "rap or aluminum oil to
prevent "ater evaporation
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1e obser,ant
0a-e special note o t!ings t!at c!ange in t!e ormula during mixing.
Also7 be sure to time !o" long ingredients ta-e to ully mix into t!e batc!.
;!is "ill be !elpul or revising your procedures and eventually or ma-ing t!e
product in your production tan-s.
)inishing a batch
+!en you are done "it! your batc! and you*ve let it e9uilibrate to room
temperature7 ta-e readings or t!e pB and viscosity and compare !o" close
you are to t!e target product.
9aking adAustments
=or t!e pB7 you can try adding acid or base to increase or decrease it. I
t!e viscosity is o you can try adding salt FHa,lG to ad1ust it.
Bo"ever7 oten t!ese tric-s "on*t "or- or "on*t be appropriate or t!e
product you are trying to copy. In t!ese cases7 you*ll !ave to ad1ust t!e
ingredient levels on your batc! s!eet and try somet!ing ne".
'econd generation #rototy#es
+!en ma-ing ingredient ad1ustments to your next generation o
prototypes ocus on c!anging only one ingredient per batc!. ;!is allo"s you
to igure out 1ust "!at eect eac! ingredient !as on t!e inal c!aracteristics
o t!e ormula.
=or example.
Order Class Ingredient
Formula
%

1 Sol4ent Water (aqua) ')5(%
2 $5 Surfactant Sodium Laureth Sulfate (5,%
3 S5 Surfactant Cocamidoro!l "etaine (5,%
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# S5 Surfactant $%& ' 15(%
( Conditioning &l!cerin 15,%
) S5 Surfactant *isodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate 15,%
Hote in t!is ormula7 t!e "ater level "as also ad1usted. +!en you ma-e
ad1ustments to any ingredient usually you ma-e up t!e dierence "it! t!e
ingredient t!at constitutes t!e bul- o t!e ormula. In most cases7 t!is "ill
be "ater.
Ater E to $& attempts7 you s!ould end up "it! a ormula t!at is close
enoug! to t!e target ormula t!at you can go a!ead and do some urt!er
testing.
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'te# /+ Laboratory testing of #rototy#es
Try it out
;!e irst type o testing you*ll "ant to do is to use t!e product on
yoursel. Since you !ave experience "it! t!e target product you "ill -no"
!o" close you are to matc!ing it. Ho test "ill be more revealing as to
"!et!er you*ve copied t!e product t!an "!en you test it on yoursel. .e
sure to ma-e note o any dierences you experience.
;o urt!er convince yoursel and ot!ers t!at you*ve been successul7
t!ere are ot!er types o tests you can run. ;!ese "ill vary depending on t!e
speciic ormula you are trying to mimic.
'#eciali7ed lab tests
=or s-in lotions you can compare t!e perormance using instruments li-e
Hovameter7 ,utometer7 ;"istiometer7 or de9uamation discs.
=or !air products you can test t!em on tresses7 in a salon7 or use
instruments li-e t!e Instron or Diastron.
Aou can also measure a "ide array o ot!er types o ormula
perormance c!aracteristics li-e oam !eig!t7 ormula texture7 conditioning
eect7 color7 etc. ;!e speciics depend on t!e type o product you are trying
to -noc- o. ,onsult a boo- li-e .eginning ,osmetic ,!emistry or more
speciic testing examples.
;!ese perormance tests s!ould give you inormation on !o" you need to
ad1ust your prototype to get closer and closer to t!e target product.
:e,ise and remake #rototy#es
Ater you*ve collected your data7 ad1ust your ormulas and ma-e ne"
ones or testing. +it! enoug! ad1usting and testing7 you "ill end up "it! a
prototype t!at matc!es t!e original ormula in bot! ingredients and
appearance.
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.eore moving to t!e next step !o"ever7 you s!ould do a 9uic- stability
c!ec- to see i your prototype is stable. I you !ave enoug! o t!e target
product7 you can put it up on a stability test to see !o" "ell it perorms.
Bo"ever7 i you don*t !ave enoug! you s!ould 1ust assume t!at t!e target is
stable and see "!et!er yours is or not. I it is not stable you*ll !ave to ma-e
some ormulation ad1ustments and try again. ;!e topic o stability testing is
covered extensively in t!e boo- .eginning ,osmetic ,!emistry.
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'te# 2+ 9atching Product 6esthetics
9aking the #roducts look ; smell the same
Ater you*ve gotten t!e ormula perormance do"n7 you*ll need to try
and matc! t!e aest!etics li-e color and ragrance. Cten t!is is not re9uired
because your mar-eting department or customer doesn*t actually "ant an
exact matc!7 but sometimes t!ey do.
Color matching
;o matc! t!e color you can start "it! $' For /.$'G "ater solutions o t!e
colors t!at are listed on t!e ingredient list. Start "it! some o t!e base
ormula and mix in a measured amount o color. ;!e starting levels are really
up to your 1udgment. ;!ey do not matter too muc! as you "ill be ad1usting
up or do"n to get t!e rig!t color. ;!e important part is to record !o" muc!
o any color you*ve used.
Ater you*ve mixed it7 compare it to t!e control and determine "!et!er
it is too dar- or too lig!t. In your next attempt double t!e amount o color or
cut it in !al so you can compare "!at eect t!at !as on t!e resulting color.
,ontinue t!is process o doubling or !alving dye levels until you get
somet!ing t!at matc!es. I done properly7 you s!ould get pretty close in 7
tries.
9ake a ne< batch
Cnce t!e post color addition is ready7 ma-e a batc! rom start to inis!
"it! t!ose dye levels. Aou*ll li-ely ind t!at t!ey do not matc! exactly and
you*ll !ave to ma-e slig!t ad1ustments until you get it rig!t. Adding a color
at t!e end "ill not al"ays give a true representation o "!at t!e color "ill
loo- li-e in production. ;!at is "!y you do t!is inal step.
9aking them smell the same
0atc!ing t!e ragrance is a bit more c!allenging. ;!e best option is to
tal- to a trusted ragrance supplier and as- t!em or a sample o ragrance
t!at duplicates t!e target product. ;!ese types o pro1ects are t!e -inds o
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t!ings t!at ragrance !ouses do on a regular basis7 so you s!ould !ave no
problem getting "!at you need.
I t!ere isn*t time or you can*t get a ragrance supplier to "or- "it! you7
1ust use a ragrance t!at is in t!e same amily as t!e target product.
Sometimes smelling close to t!e same is ade9uate or t!is p!ase o
development.
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'te# %&+ Testing the formula <ith
Consumers
Try it out on #eo#le
Ho" t!at you*ve gotten t!e ormula copied7 it*s time to prove it "it! a
small consumer testing panel. I you are an independent c!emist or you "or-
or a small company you may not !ave access to trained consumer panels. In
t!is case7 1ust ma-e a dozen samples and !and t!em out to co"or-ers7
riends and amily to get t!eir reactions. Ideally7 you*ll give t!em a sample
o t!e original and t!e -noc-8o and as- t!em to tell you "!at dierences
t!ey experience.
I your small consumer panel can*t tell any signiicant dierences7 you
can !ave conidence t!at t!e larger consumer mar-et "on*t be able to tell
eit!er.
Putting it in Packaging
=or t!ese types o tests it is !elpul to put t!e prototype and target
product in similar pac-aging. ;!is eliminates t!e tendency or your prototype
to be 1udged !ars!ly because o t!e container rat!er t!an t!e ormula itsel.
Aou can get samples o stoc- pac-aging rom your pac-age suppliers or
directly online rom companies li-e ebottles.com
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=e"t 'te#s>
Cnce you:ve made it t!roug! t!ese $/ steps you s!ould !ave a ormula
t!at is an extremely close matc! to t!at o a competitor:s. Aou*ll !ave
somet!ing you can give to your mar-eting partner For bossG t!at t!ey "ill be
able to use or launc!ing a ne" product. Additionally7 you "ill !ave gained a
vast amount o -no"ledge about t!e perormance o t!e ormula type and
t!e dierent -inds o ingredients t!at you "ill use.
;!is is an excellent exercise to !one your ormulating s-ills.
It:s not recommended t!at you ocus your career on -noc-ing o
competitive ormulas. ;!is exercise is only meant to be a starting point.
+!et!er your mar-eting department -no"s it or not7 products t!at are
merely copies o existing products are not innovative and are doomed to !ave
a diicult time getting mar-et s!are. +!o "ants to listen to a cover band
"!en t!ey can easily get t!e real t!ingJ
1e Creati,e
.e creative. +!ile you may get lots o pro1ects similar to t!e one
outlined !ere7 t!ese "ill not lead you to become an innovative cosmetic
c!emist. Instead use your s-ills to ma-e your o"n ormulas. Experiment and
try dierent ingredients at crazy levels. ;!at*s "!at innovative cosmetic
c!emists do. ;!at*s "!ere you*ll ind brea-t!roug! ormulas.
9ore Cosmetic Chemistry
+ould you li-e more inormation about all you need to -no" to become
a successul cosmetic c!emistJ Aou can ind it in t!e latest edition o
.eginning ,osmetic ,!emistry publis!ed by Allured. It*s available t!roug!
t!eir "ebsite or trusted online boo-sellers li-e Amazon.com.
And i you "ant to continue to learn more about ormulating cosmetic
products ma-e certain you visit
ChemistsCorner.com
;!e most compre!ensive resource or ormulating cosmetic scientists.
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