Profession cosmetic chemist

Cosmetic chemists develop formulas in order to create and test new cosmetic products and improve existing cosmetic products such as perfumes and fragrances, lipstick, waterproof lotions and makeup, hair dye, soaps and detergents with special properties, topical medicines or health supplements.

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Personality Type

Knowledge

  • Laboratory techniques

    Techniques applied in the different fields of natural science in order to obtain experimental data such as gravimetric analysis, gas chromatography, electronic or thermic methods.

  • Good manufacturing practices

    Regulatory requirements and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) applied in the relevant manufacturing sector.

  • Cosmetics ingredients

    A variety of sources cosmetics are composed of ranging from crushed insects to rust.

  • Scientific research methodology

    The theoretical methodology used in scientific research involving doing background research, constructing an hypothesis, testing it, analysing data and concluding the results.

  • Analytical chemistry

    Instruments and methods used to separate, identify and quanitfy matter - the chemical components of natural and artificial materials and solutions.

Skills

  • Adhere to standard procedures

    Adhere to and follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

  • Report analysis results

    Produce research documents or give presentations to report the results of a conducted research and analysis project, indicating the analysis procedures and methods which led to the results, as well as potential interpretations of the results.

  • Recommend product improvements

    Recomend product modifications and process improvements.

  • Perform chemical experiments

    Perform chemical experiments with the aim of testing various products and substances in order to draw conclusions in terms of product viability and replicability.

  • Test beauty products

    Test products such as skin cream, make-up or other beauty products in order to assess their efficiency and formula compliance.

  • Formulate cosmetic products

    Formulate and design complex cosmetic products from concept to finish.

  • Troubleshoot cosmetics formula issues

    Troubleshoot the unstable formulas, scaling-up issues in order to ensure stability and a high quality end product that conforms to specifications.

  • Examine production samples

    Examine production samples visually or manually to verify properties such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, humidity and texture.

  • Conform to cosmetics regulatory requirements

    Ensure conformance to regulatory requirements applied in personal care products such as cosmetics, fragrances and toiletry.

  • Calibrate laboratory equipment

    Calibrate laboratory equipment by comparing between measurements: one of known magnitude or correctness, made with a trusted device and a second measurement from another piece of laboratory equipment. Make the measurements in as similar a way as possible.

Optional knowledge and skills

communicate production plan develop work plans to solve problems market analysis organic chemistry microbiology-bacteriology train employees give instructions to staff ensure safety in the production area project management principles use a computer chemical preservation communicate with external laboratories control production quality assurance methodologies

Source: Sisyphus ODB