In this message I will try to explain what my jobs consists in.
First of all, a cosmetic formulator technician doesn't do just one thing but has to be "multiplayer". He does not only work in laboratory but with other services.
All cosmetic formulators don't do exactely the same job, it will depend on which departement you are and of course, it depends of the kind of cosmetic product you create or developp.
Developping and renovating is here a bit different.
If the company wants you to extend a new range of product, then you will do some developpement. You could think about the raw materials to put in the formula and first make sure the product is stable. You will have a previous work to do by searching for suppliers formulas or take inspiration by what already exists inside the company.
If the company wants you to renovate a product, then it means you have to take the formula as it is but bring amelioration to it, be it on smell (so a modification of perfume or add or retrieve eventual essential oils), or on touch (here you can bring a lot of solutions, depends on the case).
No matter what your job consists in, all technician formulators have to be sure the products are stable and safe for the customer' s sake.
A little bit about my experiences :
I was graduated in September 2005 and I have a Bachelor's degree (3years after highscool diploma). In France, you have lots of formation just like the one I did. It can allow you working younger and do technical works, just like a cosmetic or chemist formulator who will work both in laboratory and in an "office". Generally, offices are in a room next the laboratory but can also be disposed inside the laboratory.
Generally, you'd need a computer to search for technical datas, work on excel and create your formulas, consult your work mailbox.
You'd also need a phone because most of the time you will work with different services just like the Marketing service, external suppliers, people from factories who work on bigger scale than you in your laboratory, people specialized in biology and perfume, or flower extratcs.. Analytical Service and people in charge with the legislation, specialists who will make a validation of your formula ... So when you work alone in your laboratory, actually you have to be open minded and remember that people besides work also on your project, with different tasks on it but you have to consult people around you before and during the formulation to be sure not only your product (i mean the formula, the aspect or smell) is right but the legislation too is respected.
By formulation I mean the "formation or elaboration" of the product. By using different cosmetic raw materials, like cosmetic oils, polymers, chelating agents etc..by using different methods as emulsions (introduction of a water phase in an oily phase containing tensioactifs which will permit the homogeneous mixture between the two elements (the introduction can be on the other sens, depending of what kind of texture you are searching for : oily or not)
So, the last year I made in University was a professional field. It means that along the year, you don't have only theorical courses but lots of pratical courses too, where you learn the meaning and the effect of different raw materials. You have to formulate different products, from shampoos to skincare products, passing by some make up products like complexion or lipstick.
We did not formulate a lot of make up products but more white products (skin care) and hygiene products : shampoos, shower gels and hair products (fixing gel).
So when people hear "Cosmetic" they often understand it as being make up only, but as the definition says all above, a cosmetic product is every product you put on you superficial body parts with the only purpose of cleaning you, making you feel fresh and all.
During this year of College, I realized my training course in a cosmetic company in Paris I won't nominate for confidentiality. I will just explain what my job consisted in.
It was in the Suncare research Department.
I had to test a new raw material in a new support which was not stable while containing a certain dose of this raw material. So first I had to find the right dose to introduce before thinking of ameliorating the formula (amelioration of the aspect, the smell, and the touch side).
So I had the opportunity to in the same time, doing some preresearch on the formula and some "development" since I had to find different raw materials to make the formulas "go better" while remaining stable.
The stability was evaluated 2months at 5O°C in a kind of even for products.
What is very important when you formulate a suncare product is that this product has to be efficient and must protect the skin and be water resistant. So you also have to test your products in vitro (not on the skin but with an apareillus first to know approximatively the amount you reach concerning the SPF mesure (Solar Protection Factor). I was able to take the mesures since we had the material inside the laboratory.
Of course in the end you have to test it in vivo, so on human (a test realised in an other service with specialists of course)
While formulating a solar product, you have to be vigilent to the filters you use (for instance, you must not heat them too much depending on the nature of the filters (sometimes you can have a bad surprise of colour due to this phenomenon) ).
During my training course, as I said previously, I had to formulate new fluid O/W (oil in water) suncare products. Fortunately, I have been able to obtain 4 stable and efficient formulas we have been able to present to the Developement departement.
Actually, the Research departement's role is to test new raw material in different support of formula, in order to improve (in a long term vision) what is already on the market or make sure in the future developement process, new technical methods or new elements will be used in order to impress the customers and be on top in the cosmetic market.
My training period was realised in a very big structure, so you can just imagine the money spent on the research and new raw materials, approach and numerous contacts with different suppliers of new raw materials.
But you will see that my point of view about my work can be interesting as for my other job I worked in a smaller structure where everything had to be counted.
So after my presentation of all the work realised and the results obtained in the Developement Department, they were particularly interested in one of the formulas which was interesting for its softness and efficiency, but it was also the cheapest! So yes, of course the price of the formula per kilogram is really important too. It permits to know how much you are going to spend per year and what marge you must do for gaining benefits from it..:-)
When you work in a smallest company, Quality is very important of course but it must come with the money matter. So both experiences in both companies were extremely interesting and I learned a lot from it, and from my seniors too.
In that case this is much more difficult but also so much interesting !
I only talked about my professional experience, but I think I should talk about people and how I felt there. I was directly managed by a technician (which is also my status) in the same laboratory I was. He was a bit more than 10 years older than me and really knows his job. I always respected him. He is now a very good friend of mine :-) Not the kind of friends who see each other very often, but when I returned to Paris for my first job as a cosmetic formulator, although I wasn't able to see him much, I took a café with him and he just told me everything he lived from the moment I finished working with him :-) (Merci K.B !!)
So as much as being precise when you weigh the raw materials you need, being very attentive during the formulation is also part of our job.
Note to my readers : If you need more details about what kind of methods you have to formulate each or each product, don't hesitate to ask (i'll try my best to answer you), just know that make up is not my speciality ^^ well not yet since I only really worked on skin and suncare products, hygiene, hair products. I will write more about my experience later, maybe tonight again ;-)
Don't hesitate to post comments. If some things appear wrong to you, just know I am writing my personal experience, maybe other people will feel it differently, but don't hesitate to say or ask anything you are curious about!
Surfactants
