Wella, the German maker of hair-care and beauty products, has
forecast a 'year of challenges' for 2004 after the group reported a
significant drop in net profit. Recently acquired by Procter &
Gamble, the company was...
Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido is gearing up to roll out Aroma
Works - a cosmetics and beverage brand - to be launched in
collaboration with US soft-drink manufacturer Coca Cola.
Disposable wipes have evolved into a global business concept
generating more than $5 billion in sales a year, reports
Euromonitor. Achieving strong double-digit growth year after year,
the category now assumes a major role in the...
University of Sydney researchers have found that UVA rays - which
age the skin but do not burn - can cause DNA damage. The finding
suggests sunscreens must protect against both UVA and UVB rays to
provide proper protection from disease,...
The anti-aging product market grew by 13 per cent last year - more
than doubling its previous two-year growth rate - reports the NPD
Group. It comes as no suprise therefore that increasing numbers of
pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies...
Owens-Illinois - the largest manufacturer of glass containers in
America, Australia and New Zealand - is to make further inroads
into Europe. The company that packages cosmetics has announced a
definitive agreement to acquire BSN...
L'Oréal, the world's largest cosmetics group, is to set up a
research & development (R&D) centre in Shanghai following
the group's success in China. L'Oréal's chinese business recorded
the highest...
Laboratoires Sérobiologiques, a division of the Cognis group, has
biotransformed peptides from hibiscus seeds to develop a natural
alternative to botulinum toxin injections. Myoxinol LS 9763,
launched today at Personal Care Ingredients...
A rise in global demand for titanium dioxide - a natural sourced
pigment used in cosmetics and suncream - has led Millennium
Chemicals to introduce a price increase for its Tiona titanium
dioxide (TiO2) products sold in Asia, Africa,...
Avon Products is to closely follow developments in China this year
for a change in direct-selling legislation. Avon - the world's
largest direct seller of cosmetics to consumers - says it is ready
to resume direct-sales in the...
L'Oréal has opened a new manufacturing plant in India with a
production capacity of up to 100 million units per year. The new
factory is to supply India - where L'Oréal sales grew by 33.4 per
cent in 2003 - and other neighbouring...
France's perfume and cosmetics industry has reported a domestic and
global sales increase of 1.6 per cent for 2003. Findings show that
the French remain the world's top users of cosmetics and fragrances
with half a milion...
Kanebo, the second-largest cosmetics maker in Japan after
industry-leader Shiseido, has decided to abandon plans to sell its
core cosmetic unit to Kao. Instead the company is to ask the
Japenese government to help slash its debt in...
California-based Renaissance Herbs has entered into an exclusive
joint venture with the Chinese firm Xi'an Haotian Bioegineering to
produce and sell high quality, synthetic-grade CoQ10.
Unison Capital has put forward a management offer - believed to
match Kao's withstanding bid of €3 billion - for Kanebo's cosmetic
operations. However the revelation has not unnerved toiletries
manufacturer, Kao, who started...
L'Oréal has signed an agreement to purchase Chinese cosmetics and
skincare brand, Yue-Sai, from US giant Coty. The deal underlines
the French company's growing presence in the Asian market.
Nimbus Group, a licenser of fine fragrance and skincare, is set to
acquire a majority stake in Fragex a Paris-based developer of
cosmetics and fragrances.
L'Oreal has managed to reach its financial year sales target, helped by the concentration of products launched in its first and last quarter. However, the cost of achieving this growth may translate into low earnings for its 2003 second half results...
Scientists at the Industrial Toxicology Research Centre (ITRC) in
India - who analysed reputed brands of lipsticks and beauty creams
- have warned that a majority of beauty products can potentially
cause harm to the skin when exposed...
A new acrylic coating claimed to guarantee seal retention in humid
environments has encouraged Colgate-Palmolive to introduce a new
line of soap-bar packaging. The new film, Bicor MBR666, is believed
to be ideal for the design of...
European companies and researchers should share the profits made on
products using exotic plants such as aloe vera and jojoba oil with
the countries of origin, urges a European Commission communication
issued on Friday.
DHC Corporation, one of Japan's leading skincare companies, has
unveiled the launch of its new Acerola Body Gel. The new
cosmeceutical moisturiser is enriched with acerola berry to hydrate
the skin with placental protein and...
Following the recent BSE scare in America, the Bureau of Health in
Taiwan has banned a list of cosmetics thought to contain prohibited
US cattle and sheep-sourced ingredients. It is believed the embargo
of American imports will encourage...
Cosmed is set to double the number of its store outllets in the
next three years in Taiwan in order to catch up with the country's
leading cosmetics leader Watsons.
The L'Oréal group has signed an agreement to try and acquire the
Chinese skincare brand Mininurse. With five per cent market share,
the skincare brand is claimed to be one of the top three in China.
Kao, Japan's biggest maker of toiletries, plans to add cosmetics to
its product lineup in China by the middle of next year in a bid to
find faster markets for growth. Kao's plans for China is aided by
its intention to purchase...
The popularity of cosmetic coolers will almost triple by the end of
2004, according to a Korean manufacturer. The mini-fridge concept,
which was launched in Asia in 1997 is set to hit the western market
as the latest in bedroom decor.
US beauty group Coty is targeting the teen market with the roll-out
of its first fragrance range under the Chupa Chups label. Created
by independent designer Emmanuel Fenasse, glass bottles are encased
in brightly-coloured plastic...
NaturNorth Technologies and wood producer Potlatch and Synertec,
have developed a patented process to cost-effectively isolate large
quantities of pure betulin and other compounds from birch bark.
Many cosmetic companies use the extract...
With five million contaminated and unregistered cosmetics being
seized in stores across Thailand this week, counterfeit cosmetics
and perfumes are becoming a serious global issue. As increasing
numbers of fraudsters turn their activities...
Atrium this week announced its full acquisition of active
ingredient supplier Siricie. The €1.6 million cash deal
demonstrates the trend of biotechnology companies moving further
towards novel products.
Chindex International, US distributor of western healthcare
products and services, today announced it has established a joint
venture with Nesh Cosmetics of Israel to distribute its Natural
Formula brand in China, the world's...
Croda International, one of the world's largest manufacturer of raw
materials for the cosmetic industry, has signed a a global
distribution and collaboration agreement with Keratec, a New
Zealand wool biotechnology company.
China appears to be the latest Asian country to attract the
attention of the western cosmetics industry. Faced with a maturing
market in Japan, the nation's largest cosmetics company, Shiseido
has turned its attention to China.
Tokyo is set to become L'Oréal's third largest operational centre
today, following the company's shareholding extension in Japenese
Shu Uemura Cosmetics. The agreement confirms the company's
commitment to globalising...
Cashing in on the trend towards natural ingredients, and benefiting
from the synergy with its sister company SilPRO that markets silk
essence powder, New Silk Road is keen to push silk as the natural
moisturiser.
German speciality chemicals supplier BASF has increased production
of its specialty amine, dimethylaminopropylamine - used to create
mild personal care products - in response to increased demand and
in total has recently passed the...
Procter and Gamble, owner of the Olay, Pantene and Head &
Shoulders lines and recent acquirer of Wella, today announced
healthy Q1 results including double-digit earnings growth for its
beauty and health care segments.
Kao, Japan's leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals and
personal care and household products, and Kanebo, the country's
second largest cosmetics maker, have announced a provisional
agreement to consolidate the two companies'...
Swedish ingredients company Karlshamns has increased its ressources
dedicated to the cosmetic industry with its investment in a new
cosmetic laboratory for its Lipids for Care business.
The wind might have changed direction for UK-based The Body Shop
with the natural beauty company reporting first half figures for
2003 that showed profit before tax rose to £9.1 million, compared
to a loss of £0.7 million for the...
Unilever has announced the completion of the sale of its Brut brand
of male personal care products in the Americas to Helen of Troy
Limited of El Paso, Texas, for $55 million (€47.07m) in cash.
Fledgling Danish biotech company Up Front Chromatography signs
licence agreement with Swiss medical giant Roche for an updated
ingredient technology that enables production of certain molecules,
hailing in shorter production times...
Swiss flavours and fragrance company Givaudan saw operating profit
for the first half of 2003 knocked by lower gross margins and a
rise in pension charges.
ICN Pharmaceuticals has announced the signing of a license
agreement which amends its current manufacturing license with
Senetek to expand ICN's moisturising Kinerase product line.
Scientists in Thailand have developed a new herbal extract that
they claim could rival the ubiquitous tea tree oil in products as
wide-ranging as shampoos, toothpaste and massage oil.
Brits are among the world's biggest users of suncare products and
the market growth is expected to continue as fear about the growing
incidence of skin cancer also climbs, report market analysts
Datamonitor.
Cosmeceuticals can no longer be considered a niche market,
representing up to 50 per cent of supplement sales in some
countries, maintains a new report.
Number one flavour and fragrance house reports a drop in sales for
the second quarter, hit by a slip in European and North American
sales. International Flavors & Fragrances had expected sales to
increase by 5 per cent on 2002,...