Designing Cosmetic Materials for the Skin

Function, aesthetics, and safety of cosmetic raw materials are key in today’s marketplace, where the consumer is looking for a desired effect such as a reduction in lines and wrinkles, the removal of age spots, or long wear in a lipstick. The majority of Skin Care products and a very significant percentage of toiletry products are emulsions. The basic components of these formulations are emulsifiers, emollients and consistency enhancers. Additional value can be given to these formulations by including active ingredients with specific dermatological effects. The selection of these components determines the success of a formulation. The chosen emulsifier is not only crucial for the stability of an emulsion, because the cosmetic formulation is finally considered to be a fine-tuned delivery system to achieve a desired effect. Some of the challenges faced in the development of new cosmetic formulations will be presented as well as how scientific progress related to the understanding of structure and properties, surface & polymer chemistry, and nanotechnology are all coming together to drive the development of new cosmetic raw materials.

Exp Dermatol. 2014 Nov;23(11):853-5. doi: 10.1111/exd.12526.
Topical ceramides neither enhance UVB-induced apoptosis in normal human keratinocytes nor affect viability in UVB-irradiated reconstructed human epidermis.
Grether-Beck S1, Felsner I, Koehler T, Farwick M, Lersch P, Rawlings AV, Krutmann J.

J Drugs Dermatol. 2011 Sep;10(9):990-1000.
Efficacy of cream-based novel formulations of hyaluronic acid of different molecular weights in anti-wrinkle treatment.
Pavicic T1, Gauglitz GG, Lersch P, Schwach-Abdellaoui K, Malle B, Korting HC, Farwick M.

Bio: Peter Lersch heads Innovation Management in Evonik’s Business Line Personal Care. He has worked in Evonik and its predecessor companies in different R&D management and technical positions for 29 years.
Born in 1962, Peter holds a doctorate in Technical Chemistry/Chemical Engineering from the University of Essen, Germany. In 1989, he joined then Th. Goldschmidt AG in Essen as a Laboratory Manager in the silicone chemistry unit. In 1996, Peter accepted an expatriate assignment as Technology Transfer Manager in the United States. After his return to Germany by mid 1999, he was tasked to set up and head a new department focusing on Cosmetic active Ingredients and became actively involved in the successful acquisition of Dutch biotechnology company Cosmoferm from DSM. While retaining R&D responsibilities for actives, by early 2006 Peter was appointed as Head of Product Development for Care Ingredients & Biotechnology for Degussa and later Evonik’s Care & Surface Specialties Business Unit, and was in charge of R&D for the complete portfolio of cosmetic raw materials as well as managing “Open Innovation” projects. In 2012, he took over his current position and since then leads Evonik’s global Personal Care Application Research and Technical Service Teams with a focus on customer-driven innovation and interdisciplinary collaborations. Since 2016, Peter is also responsible for “Cosmetic Solutions”, one of the six Evonik growth fields.  
Peter’s research activity is documented by over 30 German patents and numerous foreign patents and as author/co-author of more than 20 scientific articles.