There are a number of widely available general foundation types, but there are also a variety of functional materials that can bring practical benefits to each formulation type. Ella-Louise Ceraulo takes a look at some of the most effective
With the changing seasons come the new colour collections for eye, lip and nail. To the savvy consumer, investing in the new pallets is a quick way to update her make-up collection to bang on trend status. Being ever demanding the female consumer also has high expectations of her foundation; after all, this does provide the perfect canvas for her artwork. Through the years foundations have changed, evolving from heavy geisha-like masks to feather-light glowing veils of youth.
A foundation’s function is to even out skin tone, helping to cover imperfections, improving the surface of the skin and providing a smooth base. It must be blendable having an adequate play time, should not be greasy or occlusive to the skin, must feel comfortable and not sink into lines.
The growth in mass market cosmetics was greatly influenced by the age of the TV. In the 20th century women admiring the glamorous stars of the time wanted to recreate the iconic looks. Max Factor developed the first pan-cake foundation in 1937, and the first pan-stick in 1948. In much the same way the dawn of e-mail and easy internet access has made us much more aware of what is available, with good examples being tutorials on YouTube and TV shopping channels demonstrating how to use new product types. Mintel predicts growth in the UK make-up sector alone to £1.6bn in 2013.
FOUNDATION FORMATS
Liquid
Probably the most used foundation format, liquid foundations are emulsion-based to be applied by hand, brush or sponge. Most products are now oil-free and on browsing the products available on-shelf it is clear that most make use of silicone technology. Silicones bring many benefits, including water resistance, elegant non-greasy skin feel and in the case of cyclomethicone, volatility. Silicones also bring challenges. Cross-linked silicone elastomers give exceptional skin feel but formulators can be caught out by patents. The inherent rheology of elastomers can cause issues in production, being difficult to dissolve or emulsify.
An alternative to these cross-linked materials is Jeen’s range of linear silicone gels. With a structure more like a snake eating its tail (not a particularly scientific explanation but it works), the silicone gels have a springy texture. Without the cross-linking there is enough flexibility in the molecule to avoid shear thickening gel structure droplets forming in production which refuse to be dispersed.
Long wear of make-up is an essential requirement of a foundation and there are many synthetic polymers which can improve wear time. A natural alternative is Silab’s Osilift, a sugar derived skin active from oats. Tested in an oil-free liquid foundation, compared to a placebo it was found to improve wear resistance by 17% when tested over six hours. Osilift also refines the skin’s surface with immediate smoothing and lifting effects.
Complete de-agglomeration of pigments is critical in all colour cosmetic formulations, not only for end product performance but also to prevent batch to batch variation. Dispersants help to wet out and disperse pigments. A natural alternative to polymeric dispersants is Laracare A200. This Ecocert approved material derived from Larch not only aids dispersion of pigments but also acts as a film former and moisturiser (figure 1).
Pressed powder
Pressed powders usually combine a talc filler with titanium dioxide and iron oxide pigments. Binders such as zinc stearate are traditionally used to strengthen the cake formed by a powder press. A wide variety of esters and silicones can be used to alter the feel and improve cake stability. Branched esters such as Pelemol TMPIS work well to prevent cake-cracking while spherical fillers such as nylon, PMMA and ceramics like CM-111 give a roller-ball effect, producing better spreadability.
Loose powder
Once used as a translucent powder to set make-up, mineral make-ups have exploded in popularity. Original products, such as Bare Escentuals’ bareMinerals, were described as 100% naturally sourced, free of chemicals and synthetics. These finely ground minerals consisted of the usual titanium dioxide and iron oxide pigments but also fine micas and bismuth oxychloride. Most cosmetic ranges now contain a mineral make-up powder, but many are not sticking to the 100% mineral rule. Materials such as trimethyl siloxyilicate, zinc stearate, carnauba and lauryl lysine are present in many to help bind the pigments to the skin and prevent a chalky effect.
The use of a material such as Bi-Lite 20, a fine grade bismuth oxychloride from BASF, gives a natural glow to the complexion. Bi-Lite 20 blends easily onto the skin and achieves the soft skin feel usually created with the addition of synthetics such as Nylon-12 or PMMA beads.
Zinc oxide appears on the INCI lists of many mineral powders. This white pigment not only has the benefit of having a soothing effect on the skin but has a lower refractive index of 2.0041 compared to that of anatase titanium dioxide’s 2.488. Though still giving a clean white colour the lower RI of zinc oxide gives a less opaque coverage, which is an advantage in this type of formulation where the product is applied as a loose powder.
Hot pour
Sold in compacts with sponge applicators or sometimes in stick form this type of foundation is the most convenient for on the go touch ups. They are usually water-free with blends of waxes, esters and silicones supporting the dispersed pigments. Depending on the main carrier of the formulation there can be issues with pigment dispersion. Traditional pigments may not always be easily dispersed in siliconic materials, a problem that can be seen in hot pour products as uneven colour on the surface or colour change on application to the skin. This issue drives the need for specially treated pigments. Coated pigments are easier to disperse, can be more stable in final formulations and may offer benefits of better skin feel. The negative points are that they are more expensive and increase the number of raw materials a manufacturer must keep on their purchasing list. Wouldn’t it be easier if the pigment could be coated as it is used? Pecosil SH-25L does just that. Supplied as a liquid, Pecosil SH-25L coats pigments in-situ in the formulation, or if preferred by pre-milling, leaving a hydrophobic silicone coating. This effectively allows easy dispersion of pigments in silicones while also increasing hydrophobicity, giving better wear characteristics (figure 2).
L’Oréal has created a twist on hot pour by providing a sponge roller applicator with the Roll’on True Match. The main ingredient in this formulation is isononyl isononanoate. Remarkable for its extraordinarily dry feel, use of this ester means despite the roller delivering a heavy coating, the skin does not feel greasy. Cornelius offer a large range of esters including Pelemol IN-2 (isononyl isononanoate) from Phoenix Inc.
Mousse
The success of Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mouse inspired a range of new texturally interesting make-up products. Pigments are dispersed in silicone polymers of differing molecular weights to give a bouncy end texture. Jeen’s Jeesilc and Jeelux ranges of non-crosslinked silicones can be used to this effect. Silicone polymers in the Jeelux range are already dispersed in esters or isododecane for easier use. Cyclomethicone, often used in mousse type formulations, has come under the spotlight in Canada due to concerns over its persistence in the environment and aquatic systems. D4 and D5 are now being avoided in Canadian formulations while other formulators seeking globally acceptable formulations are following suit. The Cornelius Technical Centre assessed many potential alternatives to D5 Cyclomethicone and found that Luvitol Lite from BASF gave favourable skin feel results. Jeesilc PS-PTLV used in combination with Pelemol 89 was also found to give similar characteristics. Both materials were tested in a mousse blush formulation compared to D5 cyclomethicone.
Tinted moisturiser
Giving a shear coverage while moisturising these products are usually o/w emulsions. The addition of pigments to a moisturiser means that the consumer can save time getting ready to get out the door and face the world. An easy option for formulating shear coverage moisturisers is the addition of bismuth oxychloride/iron oxide-based pigments such as BASF’s Chroma-Lite range. Having the bismuth base structure offers a creamier skin feel and benefits of better skin adhesion than more commonly used pigments. Chroma-Lites are agglomerate-free as the iron oxide is coated onto the bismuth platelets, negating the need for high energy, specialist dispersion equipment. Less reflective than mica-based pigments the bismuth oxychloride gives a subtle illumination to the skin without being overpowering.
More unusual concepts
Dior’s Diorskin Airflash is a spray-on foundation. The aerosol product delivers a fine mist to the face giving even coverage. Skin is left with a matt finish and it is so lightweight to be imperceivable as wearing make-up. Popular with the consumer as it is quick to use and adaptable in coverage, product can be easily layered even by the most unskilled of make-up wearers. Revlon’s Beyond Natural Skin Matching Make-up has the darker pigments dispersed in a separate phase which is mixed into the white base (figure 3). When the light shaded lotion is rubbed into the skin the shear applied does the job of fully dispersing the pigment phase, fully developing the colour on the skin. Also from Revlon, the Skinlights range makes use of mica to create a glowing veil on the skin giving an ethereal look. Lancôme’s L.U.C.I. Photonic make-up range focused on nearly colourless formulations to enhance the skin. It is possible to correct skin tone without relying on the coverage of opaque pigments. Green interference pigments, such as Flamenco Satin Green, can be used to counteract redness by absorbing wavelengths in the red range and reflecting back green while still remaining colourless. Flamenco Satin Violet may be used in the same way to brighten a sallow skin tone.
FACING THE FUTURE
Today make-up is not just expected to blur lines by optical illusion. Scientific wizardry developed for skin care is now found in colour cosmetics, and perhaps the best place for it is foundation. Formulators wanting to create a make-up product that can improve the complexion can consider p-Refinyl, a multi-action active from lentil which reduces the appearance of pores, sebum production and limits pore distortion by reinforcing the dermis collagen structure.
Marketers looking to target stressed out fatigued women may be interested in Zenicyl, oligopeptides of millet seed for stress induced premature ageing, reducing wrinkles and giving an improved skin radiance.
“Looking forward, there could be room to explore additional benefits such as age spot reduction or appetite suppression,” says Mintel’s August 2008 report on UK make-up. Clariskin II from Silab effectively reduces the chromaticity and surface of age spots which would meet the needs of the growing over 50s market. The ‘out of colour’ trend was predicted by BASF, while Italy-based forecaster Future-Touch sees white as the colour of tomorrow and paler skin tones have already been seen on the catwalks of Oscar De La Renta, Jean Paul Gaultier and Louis Vuitton.
Depending on the source of mined mica a yellow tone can be perceived. New synthetic micas have a clean blue white colour. BASF’s Chione Snowfall White is an effect pigment based on flurophlogopite coated with titanium dioxide. The synthetic mica core is more transparent than mined micas and also gives the pigment a softer skin feel. Silab’s Whitonyl, based on Palmaria palmata, can deliver a whiter complexion from inside the skin – inhibiting melanogenesis and photo-induced pigmentation, it complements a pale foundation product perfectly.
