WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.799 Did you know that the exact same chemical principles that 2 00:00:03.879 --> 00:00:06.480 keep oil and water mixed in a jar of mayonnaise 3 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:10.080 are literally the exact same ones keeping your face cream 4 00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:12.439 from separating into just a watery mess. 5 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:14.679 Yeah, it's it's kind of wild to think. 6 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:19.640 About, right, Or that the perfect luxurious lather of your 7 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:23.480 daily shampoo relies on this molecular carbon chain that has 8 00:00:23.519 --> 00:00:26.640 to be like exactly eight to eighteen Adams long. 9 00:00:26.600 --> 00:00:30.320 Not seven, not nineteen, exactly eight to eighteen. It is 10 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:32.399 entirely by design. I mean, when you look at the 11 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:34.920 back of a lotion bottle and see that massive, you know, 12 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:38.200 unpronounceable list of chemical compounds, you aren't just looking at 13 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:39.359 a simple morning routine. 14 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:41.079 You're looking at science exactly. 15 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:46.159 You're looking at a highly engineered, precisely calculated pharmacological event. 16 00:00:46.759 --> 00:00:50.600 Well, welcome everyone, Whether you are a pharmacy student, you know, 17 00:00:50.759 --> 00:00:53.719 gearing up for an exam, maybe a young professional navigating 18 00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:56.880 the industry, or to someone who is insanely curious about 19 00:00:56.880 --> 00:00:59.320 the actual science behind what you're rubbing onto your face 20 00:00:59.320 --> 00:01:01.399 every day, Welcome to today's deep dive. 21 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:03.119 We are super glad to have you here. 22 00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:07.599 Yeah, we are jumping straight into the surprisingly complex world 23 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:10.599 of pharmacology and cosmetic formulation today. 24 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:14.400 And we're anchoring this entire discussion in a very specific 25 00:01:14.439 --> 00:01:18.719 foundational text. So we are exploring the textbook Cosmetic Science 26 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:21.840 by doctor Satuprakash Singh and doctor V. J. 27 00:01:21.959 --> 00:01:24.200 Ningum, which is pretty much the standard, right yeah. 28 00:01:24.040 --> 00:01:27.319 It serves as the standard syllabus for bee farm students 29 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:31.200 following the Pharmacy Council of India. It's a really fantastic resource. 30 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:33.439 Which means our mission today is to go well far 31 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:36.680 beyond the marketing buzzwords. We want to unpack the precise 32 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:40.719 molecular science, the history and the actual chemistry behind personal 33 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:44.239 care products. We're going to look at everything from how 34 00:01:44.280 --> 00:01:48.400 a cosmetic is legally defined, to the biological building blocks, 35 00:01:48.439 --> 00:01:51.120 the things we call excipients, all the way to the 36 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:55.519 specific biotech instruments used in labs to prove a formula 37 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:56.280 actually works. 38 00:01:56.319 --> 00:01:58.159 That's a lot of ground to cover, it is, so. 39 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:00.840 Let's start right at the foundation. How is a cosmetic 40 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:01.760 actually defined? 41 00:02:02.040 --> 00:02:04.959 Well, if we look at the etymology, the word cosmetic 42 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:09.080 comes from the Greek word cuspaticos, which basically translates to 43 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:12.960 having the skill in decorating or arranging, having. 44 00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:14.960 The skill and decorating, I mean, arranging is a pretty 45 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:18.840 broad concept though it is if I'm, say, a manufacturer 46 00:02:18.840 --> 00:02:22.759 in India, what is the actual legal boundary determining if 47 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:25.960 my product is a cosmetic or you know, something else 48 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:26.840 entirely So. 49 00:02:26.800 --> 00:02:28.919 The legal boundary there is drawn by the Drugs and 50 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:32.159 Cosmetics Act of nineteen forty and it defines a cosmetic 51 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:35.120 as any article intended to be rubbed, pored, sprinkled or 52 00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:39.520 sprayed on the human body for cleansing, beautifying, or altering appearance. 53 00:02:39.800 --> 00:02:44.840 Okay, so the key there is the application method like rubbed, pored, sprinkled, sprayed, 54 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:47.240 and the intent, which is cleansing or beautifying. 55 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.879 Exactly and globally, the definitions align pretty closely with that, 56 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.759 I mean, the European Union Directive has a very similar framework, 57 00:02:54.039 --> 00:02:57.120 but they make a point to explicitly include the teeth 58 00:02:57.319 --> 00:03:00.560 and the mucous membranes of the oral cavity. Yeah. So 59 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:04.960 under the EU Directive, your daily toothpaste is firmly categorized 60 00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:08.439 as a cosmetic designed exclusively or mainly for cleaning or 61 00:03:08.439 --> 00:03:09.240 perfuming the mouth. 62 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:11.960 Persuming the mouth. I love that phrasing, you know, when 63 00:03:11.960 --> 00:03:14.639 I was looking through the textbook, the way they classify 64 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:17.560 all these different cosmetics really reminded me of like a 65 00:03:17.599 --> 00:03:18.960 biological taxonomy. 66 00:03:19.159 --> 00:03:20.319 Oh, that's a good way to look at it. 67 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:23.439 Yeah. It gives you this mental framework where every single 68 00:03:23.520 --> 00:03:27.680 product on your bathroom shelf fits into a specific genus 69 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:28.879 and species. 70 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:30.840 Right, and that taxonomy is based on two main things 71 00:03:31.120 --> 00:03:35.759 physical nature and function. Functionally, a cosmetic can be decorative, 72 00:03:35.800 --> 00:03:37.960 you know, like a lipstick, yeah, or it could be 73 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:41.039 corrective or protective like a face powder or a sunscreen, 74 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:44.800 or curative exactly like an anti perspont. And then physically 75 00:03:44.919 --> 00:03:50.719 they take almost any form you can imagine, sprays, emulsions, jellies, mucilages, oils. 76 00:03:50.360 --> 00:03:52.599 Solid takes, pastes, powders, soaps. 77 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:54.479 Solutions, Yeah, yeah, all of it. So if I have 78 00:03:54.520 --> 00:03:57.360 a cold cream, for example, it's genus might be its 79 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:00.879 physical form, which is an emulsion, and its species its function, 80 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:01.840 which is protective. 81 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:06.360 That framework applies perfectly. But for any formulation to actually 82 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:11.199 survive in that taxonomy to be considered a biologically safe 83 00:04:11.520 --> 00:04:15.840 good cosmetic cosmetic waste, it has to meet some rigorous 84 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:16.759 quality standards. 85 00:04:16.920 --> 00:04:20.279 Absolutely, a chemist can't just mix things in a bucket 86 00:04:20.279 --> 00:04:24.040 in their garage. The standards require the highest quality, standardized 87 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:29.560 raw materials, strictly distilled or purified water, heavily regulated permitted colors, 88 00:04:29.879 --> 00:04:32.800 and perfumes that are actually chemically compatible with the rest 89 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:33.439 of the formula. 90 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:36.879 Plus they have to survive extreme environments. I was reading 91 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:40.160 that the physical stability of a product is completely non negotiable. 92 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:43.519 It has to maintain its structure, whether it is sitting 93 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:46.480 in a steamy, hot, humid bathroom or freezing in the 94 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:49.040 cargo hold of an airplane during international shipping. 95 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:52.959 Because if it isn't stable, the ingredients separate, the preservatives fail, 96 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:56.240 and the product basically becomes a hazard rather than a cosmetic. 97 00:04:56.480 --> 00:04:58.079 It makes total sense. But here's where I get a 98 00:04:58.079 --> 00:05:00.720 little tripped up. If a cosmetic is leagally meant to 99 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:03.920 just decorate or cleanse the surface, what happens when a 100 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:07.120 product starts to actually cross the skin barrier and alter 101 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:08.160 human physiology? 102 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:12.439 Ah, Because the line between beautifying the skin and actually 103 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:15.120 medicating the skin seems like it would get blurry very 104 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:15.759 very quickly. 105 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:18.959 It does get incredibly blurry, and regulatory bodies around the 106 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:22.959 world have had to create entirely new classifications to handle it. 107 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:25.160 South Korea is actually a great example of this. 108 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:26.319 Oh really, what do they do? 109 00:05:26.519 --> 00:05:29.839 They've established a category known as quasi drugs. 110 00:05:29.720 --> 00:05:32.399 Quasi drugs, so it's sort of a stepping stone between 111 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:35.800 a cosmetic and a full blown pharmaceutical. 112 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:38.959 Drug precisely, and they break it down even further. Group one, 113 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:43.360 quasi drugs include things like sanitary pads and masks. Group 114 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:47.759 two includes antipersperants and external hair care products. Okay, so 115 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:50.959 these products have a mild physiological effect, but they aren't 116 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:51.879 treating a disease. 117 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:55.160 So how does that contrast with an over the counter 118 00:05:55.560 --> 00:05:59.680 or OTC drug, Because I mean, I buy anti dandruff 119 00:05:59.680 --> 00:06:02.560 shampo who off the exact same shelf as my regular shampoo, 120 00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:05.439 but one is clearly doing more heavy lifting. Well, the 121 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:08.399 defining factor for an OTC drug is the presence of 122 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:12.560 an active pharmaceutical ingredient or API an API. Right, If 123 00:06:12.560 --> 00:06:16.079 a shampoo just cleanses the hair, it's cosmetic. But if 124 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:20.399 it contains an API like zancpyratheone to actively treat the 125 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:24.759 medical condition of dandruff, the entire product is suddenly regulated 126 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:29.199 as an OTC drug. Yeah, the manufacturer has to balance 127 00:06:29.240 --> 00:06:34.920 the entire formulation around stabilizing that specific active ingredient, and 128 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:38.519 the exact same goes for sunscreens which contain APIs to 129 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:40.600 actively block UV radiation. 130 00:06:41.079 --> 00:06:43.839 So this merging of beauty in pharmacology brings us to 131 00:06:43.879 --> 00:06:47.680 a really fascinating term in the textbook The Cosmaceutical. 132 00:06:46.920 --> 00:06:49.720 I love that word. It's a brilliant portmanteau of cosmetic 133 00:06:49.759 --> 00:06:51.240 and pharmaceutical. 134 00:06:50.600 --> 00:06:51.759 Who actually came up with that? 135 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:54.000 The term was coined back in nineteen sixty one by 136 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:56.639 Raymond Reid. He was a founding member of the US 137 00:06:56.639 --> 00:06:58.240 Society of Cosmetic Chemists. 138 00:06:58.360 --> 00:07:01.040 But the real turning point for cosme suiticles didn't happen 139 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:03.000 until what nineteen seventy. 140 00:07:02.680 --> 00:07:04.680 One, Right nineteen seventy one, That was the breakthrough by 141 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:08.360 a dermatologist named doctor Elbert Kligman. He discovered that topical 142 00:07:08.360 --> 00:07:11.800 retinoic acid, which we know commonly today is tretnoon could 143 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:14.480 be used to effectively treat acne. But more than that, 144 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:17.879 he noticed it was also treating UV damaged wrinkled skin. 145 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:21.759 It was actively changing the cellular turnover rate. 146 00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:23.839 So it wasn't just sitting on the surface decorating the 147 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:24.600 skin anymore. 148 00:07:24.759 --> 00:07:28.639 Exactly. It was fundamentally influencing the biological function underneath. 149 00:07:28.839 --> 00:07:31.480 It is wild that tretnon has been the gold standard 150 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:35.000 since the nineteen seventies, but you know, humanity's desire to 151 00:07:35.040 --> 00:07:36.959 alter our skin goes back much. 152 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:39.040 Much further than that, oh, thousands of years. 153 00:07:39.240 --> 00:07:42.439 Yeah. The text mentions the Egyptians around four thousand BC 154 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:46.000 using milk and honey for skin diseases, and the Ebers 155 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:50.639 Papyrus from sixteen hundred BC contains this recipe to literally 156 00:07:50.720 --> 00:07:56.319 expel wrinkles by mixing equal parts frankincense, balentine oil, rush oil, and. 157 00:07:56.319 --> 00:08:00.240 Wax, which frankly sounds exactly like a premium organic face 158 00:08:00.279 --> 00:08:01.759 oil you'd buy it with boutique today. 159 00:08:01.959 --> 00:08:05.319 Right. It sounds incredibly soothing. But I do have to 160 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:08.879 push back a little on the romanticization of ancient skincare. Oh, 161 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:12.279 how so, because for every pleasant recipe with frankincense, you 162 00:08:12.360 --> 00:08:14.959 have like the Romans painting their nails with sheet fat 163 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:19.360 mixed with blood, or people bathing in mud and crocodile experiments. 164 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:21.879 Yeah, that's that's less glamorous just a bit. 165 00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:27.399 Were these ancient extreme practices just pure superstition or were 166 00:08:27.399 --> 00:08:32.600 they early completely misguided attempts at finding active pharmaceutical ingredients. 167 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:35.279 I'd say it was definitely an attempt at finding active ingredients, 168 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:39.440 but just without any understanding of toxicology. M I mean, 169 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:43.320 ancient China did use relatively safe materials for nail color, 170 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:47.440 things like egg whites, gum, arabic beeswax, and gelatin. That 171 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:51.480 sounds reasonable, right, But the Egyptians used coal around their eyes, 172 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:55.240 which was manufactured from copper ore, lead and burned almonds. 173 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:57.120 Oh no lead. 174 00:08:57.399 --> 00:09:00.000 Yeah, so they saw a cosmetic result, but they were 175 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:02.440 slowly poisoning themselves with heavy metals. 176 00:09:02.120 --> 00:09:05.159 In the process, which perfectly transitions us into why modern 177 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:08.080 cosmetic science is so incredibly rigid today. I mean, to 178 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:12.200 avoid the dangers of oxidized copper and crocodile excrement, modern 179 00:09:12.279 --> 00:09:16.240 chemists rely on highly controlled molecules known as excipiens excipients. 180 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:20.679 They really are the unsung structural heroes of pharmacology. By definition, 181 00:09:20.720 --> 00:09:23.720 an excipient is a substance that has absolutely no pharmacological 182 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:24.720 activity of its own. 183 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:26.799 Okay, so it doesn't treat the scin or change the 184 00:09:26.840 --> 00:09:27.919 body's biology at. 185 00:09:27.799 --> 00:09:31.279 All, not at all. Is added purely to achieve specific 186 00:09:31.440 --> 00:09:35.759 physical chemical properties like what well. Eccipients dictate how a 187 00:09:35.799 --> 00:09:39.000 product feels, how long it lasts on the shelf, and 188 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:41.919 how well it delivers the active ingredient. And it does 189 00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:46.080 all of this without interfering with drug release, stability or acceptability. 190 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:49.759 And the most critical excipient in almost any bathroom product 191 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:53.600 is the surfactant, the surface active agent. Ye. So for 192 00:09:53.639 --> 00:09:55.840 the listener, how does this surfactant actually work? 193 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:58.960 So chemically, a surfactant reduces the surface tension at a 194 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:03.600 liquid gas liquid interface. The textbook describes it as an 195 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:08.080 amphiphilic molecule, meaning it has two very distinct ends. Two 196 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:11.840 ends right, it has a hydrophilic or polar water loving head, 197 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:15.440 and it has a hydrophobic or non polar water fearing tail. 198 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:18.960 Let's visualize this, because the chemistry is honestly so elegant. 199 00:10:19.559 --> 00:10:21.639 I like to picture a surfactic molecule as sort of 200 00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:23.799 a chemical mediator at an awkward party. 201 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:24.960 Okay, I like where this is going. 202 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:26.840 You have the oil loving guests on one side of 203 00:10:26.879 --> 00:10:29.240 the room and the water loving guests on the other side, 204 00:10:29.320 --> 00:10:32.720 and they naturally repel each other. They absolutely refuse to mingle, and. 205 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:36.440 Then the surfactant walks in exactly. That hydrophobic tail grabs 206 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:38.919 onto the oil and dirt and the hydrophilic head grabs 207 00:10:38.919 --> 00:10:42.159 onto the water. It physically holds hands with both sides, 208 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:45.480 forces them to mix into an emulsion, and allows the 209 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:48.039 oil and dirt to be washed down the drain with 210 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:48.799 the rinse water. 211 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:52.120 And the text points out something mind blowing about that 212 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:55.360 water fearing tail. It can't just be any size. It 213 00:10:55.440 --> 00:10:58.960 is a branched or linear hydrocarbon chain that must be 214 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:01.879 exactly eight to eighteen carbon atoms long. 215 00:11:02.279 --> 00:11:06.399 That precision is essential. That exact carbon chain length provides 216 00:11:06.440 --> 00:11:09.159 the perfect balance of lipofelicity. 217 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:11.440 Which is the ability to bind to fats exactly. 218 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:14.200 If the chain is shorter than eight carbons, it just 219 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:17.120 won't grab the oil effectively. But if it's longer than 220 00:11:17.159 --> 00:11:20.679 eighteen carbons, the molecule becomes too insoluble in water to 221 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:21.320 wash away. 222 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:24.639 That is just incredible. Eight to eighteen it is. 223 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:27.759 And to add one more layer to your party mediator analogy. 224 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:30.840 Surfactans are classified into four main classes based on the 225 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:32.759 electrical charge of that water loving head. 226 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:33.519 Okay, what are they? 227 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:39.200 Anionic, keithonic, amphoteric, and non ionic. Different charges are chosen 228 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:42.639 depending on whether you want a product to say, foam 229 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:46.440 heavily or condition the hair, or be super gentle on 230 00:11:46.440 --> 00:11:47.159 a baby's skin. 231 00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:51.360 Wow. So beyond surfactants, we also have reology modifiers, reology 232 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:53.159 being the study of how materials flow. 233 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:56.960 Right. Think of reology modifiers as the thickeners. They dictate 234 00:11:57.000 --> 00:11:58.639 the structural flow of a product. 235 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:00.960 Ah. So it is the eggs the exact reason why 236 00:12:01.000 --> 00:12:03.320 a dense skin cream can sit solid in a jar, 237 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:06.559 but the moment you apply a sheer force by rubbing it, 238 00:12:06.559 --> 00:12:09.480 it magically thins out and absorbs into the skin. Yes. 239 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:12.360 Or why nail polish is thick enough to hold heavy 240 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:15.279 pigments in suspension without just dripping right off the brush, 241 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:17.759 but then thin enough to paint a perfectly smooth layer 242 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:18.320 on your nail. 243 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:21.720 That makes perfect sense. We also have emollients and humectants, 244 00:12:21.720 --> 00:12:25.279 which sound kind of similar but operate on entirely different mechanisms. 245 00:12:25.320 --> 00:12:28.960 They really do so. Emmolient derives from the Latin word moleri, 246 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:32.600 meaning to soften. They essentially fill in the microcracks in 247 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:35.840 the skin to soften the surface, and humectants Humectins, on 248 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:39.559 the other hand, are molecular water magnets. They actively retard 249 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:42.080 moisture loss and pull water into the skin. 250 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:45.600 The textbook highlights glycerine as a classic humectant. It's an 251 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:49.919 odorless molecule with three hydroxyl or AOH groups, and those 252 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:53.759 AH groups are what physically grab and hold onto ambient 253 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:54.639 water molecules. 254 00:12:54.720 --> 00:12:57.840 Yeah, and what is fascinating is that human skin actually 255 00:12:57.879 --> 00:13:02.559 manufactures its own internal humactine really. Yeah. In the outermost 256 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:07.360 dead layer of the epidermis, the stratum cornium, we have 257 00:13:07.480 --> 00:13:10.960 what is called the natural moisturizing factor or NMF. 258 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:12.600 NMF And where does that actually come from. 259 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:15.759 It's formed by the breakdown of a very specific protein 260 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:19.559 called filigrine. So when cosmetic chemists add synthetic humectants to 261 00:13:19.600 --> 00:13:23.000 a locean, they're essentially just supplementing the skin's native filigrin 262 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:24.120 derived NMF. 263 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:27.240 So if we take these individual molecular building blocks, the 264 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:30.600 party mediators for factans, the flow controlling rheology modifiers, and 265 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:33.799 the water grabbing humeectans, how do they actually come together 266 00:13:33.879 --> 00:13:36.000 to solve specific biological problems. 267 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:39.440 Well, let's start with basic skin formulations, like moisturizers. A 268 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:43.039 standard moisturizer is typically an emulsion, a forced mixture of 269 00:13:43.080 --> 00:13:46.440 oil and water. They come in two main types, oil 270 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:49.879 and water, where tiny droplets of oil are suspended in water, 271 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:53.240 or water in oil where water droplets are suspended in 272 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:53.919 an oil base. 273 00:13:54.039 --> 00:13:56.759 Which explains the difference between a really heavy cold cream 274 00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:59.960 and a daily face lotion. A cold cream is heavily 275 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:04.080 fat based, utilizing ingredients like beeswax right right. 276 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:07.279 Contrast that with vanishing creams. Those are your typical day creams. 277 00:14:07.559 --> 00:14:10.720 They're formulated to rub in quickly and form a semi exclusive, 278 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:13.519 non greasy residual film on the surface. 279 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:16.159 So they seem to vanish, but they leave a microthin 280 00:14:16.279 --> 00:14:20.000 protective barrier behind exactly, And what about cleansing the skin? 281 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:23.120 The most fundamental product is obviously soap. How does the 282 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:25.200 chemistry of soap actually work to clean bert? 283 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:29.679 Soaprolizes on a chemical reaction called the pontification. Strictly defined, 284 00:14:29.799 --> 00:14:32.480 soaps are the sodium or potassium salts of long chain 285 00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:33.279 fatty acids. 286 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:36.279 But what is physically happening in that reaction? Like if 287 00:14:36.279 --> 00:14:37.159 we zoomed in. 288 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.639 Okay, so you start with triglycerides, which are the natural 289 00:14:39.679 --> 00:14:42.879 structures found in fats and oils. You react those fats 290 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:45.480 with a highly alkaline aqueous solution. 291 00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:46.799 Like sodium hydroxide, right. 292 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:51.000 Either sodiumhydroxide or potassium hydroxide. That harsh chemical reaction literally 293 00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:54.919 rips the triglycerides apart and creates a brand new molecule. 294 00:14:55.240 --> 00:15:00.639 And that new molecule is a surfactant. Yes, Surfactant potification 295 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:04.759 is literally the process of manufacturing those anthhiphilic two ended 296 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:07.759 molecules from scratch. That is so one end will now 297 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:09.960 grab the grease on your skin and the other will 298 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:11.519 grab the water from your shower. 299 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:14.440 Okay, now what happens when we move from washing the 300 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:17.240 skin on our face to washing the hair on our 301 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:21.399 head Because the scalp produces completely different oils and hair 302 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:23.840 has a completely different structure than the epidermis. 303 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:26.960 Oh, the parameters for hair care are incredibly strict. A 304 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:30.519 proper shampoo has a very specific mandate. It must remove 305 00:15:30.639 --> 00:15:33.799 surface grease, dirt, and skin debris from the hair, shaft 306 00:15:33.919 --> 00:15:37.000 and scalp. But it must do so safely without stripping 307 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:38.399 the hair structural integrity. 308 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:42.559 And to achieve that safety, the text outlines precise numerical specifications, 309 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:46.519 very precise. First, the ideal pH for a shampoo must 310 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:50.240 sit exactly between five point eight and six point two second, 311 00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:54.480 the viscosity, meaning the thickness, must be between forty five 312 00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:56.360 thousand and sixty thousand centipoise. 313 00:15:56.519 --> 00:15:59.000 And just for context, if you want to understand, centipoise 314 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:01.080 is a unit of measurement. I think of pure water, 315 00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:05.200 water is roughly one centipoise. Honey is about ten thousand centipois. 316 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.159 Wait, so at forty five thousand to sixty thousand centopores, 317 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:11.519 shampoo is massively thick. It is, but why does it 318 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:14.480 need to be exactly that thick? Does that specific viscosity 319 00:16:14.519 --> 00:16:18.240 provide like a pharmacological benefit to the hair shaft or 320 00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:21.120 is it purely to satisfy our psychological expectation of what 321 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:22.919 a luxurious lather should feel like. 322 00:16:23.240 --> 00:16:26.919 It's actually a brilliant intersection of physics and consumer psychology. 323 00:16:27.080 --> 00:16:27.279 Yeah. 324 00:16:27.320 --> 00:16:30.080 I mean, from a purely pharmacological standpoint, a water easer 325 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:33.159 factant would clean your hair perfectly fine, But at one 326 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:35.120 set of pois it would immediately run right through your 327 00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:37.799 fingers and down the drain before it ever reached your scalp. 328 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:38.200 Ah. 329 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:40.559 I see, Yeah, forty five thousand to sixty thousand set 330 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:43.559 of pois, it stays cupped in your palm, it distributes 331 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.679 evenly through the dense matrix of your hair, and yes, 332 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:50.399 it triggers the psychological satisfaction of a rich, high quality product. 333 00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:54.200 Wow. We also see some extreme chemistry in hair lighteners 334 00:16:54.200 --> 00:16:57.720 and bleaches too, but they work in reverse right. Instead 335 00:16:57.720 --> 00:17:01.919 of depositing color or removing dirt, they use oxidative chemistry 336 00:17:01.960 --> 00:17:05.680 to actively destroy and remove the natural melanin pigment inside 337 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:06.400 the hair shaft. 338 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:09.799 And when we talk about formulations that ultra biology, sun 339 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:12.400 protection honestly carries the highest stakes of all. 340 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:13.680 Oh, without a doubt. 341 00:17:13.559 --> 00:17:17.119 Sunscreens and sun blocks are engineered to protect cellular DNA 342 00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:20.599 from UV rays. And because of the medical implications of 343 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:23.559 skin cancer, any formulation making a claim that it protects 344 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:26.759 against UVB rays cannot just rely on theory. 345 00:17:26.960 --> 00:17:28.599 No, it has to be proven exactly. 346 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:33.119 It must undergo rigorous FDA approved SBF or sun protection 347 00:17:33.240 --> 00:17:35.079 factor testing on human subjects. 348 00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:38.279 The necessity of strict testing like SBF brings us to 349 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:41.359 a really fascinating modern trend. I mean, we've mastered these 350 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:46.519 highly engineered synthetic molecules, but modern cosmetic science is heavily 351 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:49.799 circling back to ancient botanical text right, like the rigveda 352 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:52.279 and ire veda, it really is only this time, instead 353 00:17:52.279 --> 00:17:56.440 of just crushing leaves, scientists are applying rigorous, modern analytical 354 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:58.480 testing to these ancient ingredients. 355 00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:02.559 It's the integration of herbal cosmetics with modern quality control. 356 00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:07.759 The industry is utilizing crude herbs and extracts, but evaluating 357 00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:09.799 them with absolute biotech precision. 358 00:18:10.200 --> 00:18:11.160 Like what kind of herbs? 359 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:15.119 Well, we see albavera heavily utilized for its clinically proven 360 00:18:15.200 --> 00:18:19.839 healing and moisturizing properties, Turmeric is formulated for skin enhancement 361 00:18:19.880 --> 00:18:20.839 and brightening, and. 362 00:18:20.759 --> 00:18:23.599 Hennah, which has traditionally been used to dye hair and 363 00:18:23.640 --> 00:18:25.359 paint nails yellow and orange. 364 00:18:25.640 --> 00:18:30.039 Right. In the oral and dental care space, ingredients like amla, neme, 365 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:32.519 and clove are incredibly common now. 366 00:18:32.920 --> 00:18:36.119 The advantages of these herbal integrations are pretty clear. When 367 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:39.279 formulated correctly, they are generally safer and carry way fewer 368 00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:42.559 side effects than harsh synthetic alternatives. 369 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:45.200 They do, but there are distinct disadvantages from a pharmacological 370 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:48.559 perspective too. Really, like what well, the therapeutic effects are 371 00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:53.400 often much slower, requiring long term therapy to see actual results. Furthermore, 372 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:57.839 the manufacturing process to extract, standardize, and stabilize these complex 373 00:18:57.960 --> 00:19:01.599 organic compounds is vastly more complicated than just synthesizing a 374 00:19:01.640 --> 00:19:03.240 simple chemical and a lab. 375 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:05.960 That makes sense, and to manage that complexity and protect 376 00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:09.359 the consumer. These products are regulated by institutions like the 377 00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:14.920 Bureau of Indian Standards or BIS, which operates product certification schemes, and. 378 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:19.880 The BIS guidelines do not leave room for interpretation. For example, 379 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:23.400 the BIS dictates that a skin cream must physically be 380 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:25.960 a thick emulsion or an Uncswiss. 381 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:29.759 Mass unctuous, meaning it has a specifically oily, soapy or 382 00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:31.279 greasy tactile feel. 383 00:19:31.559 --> 00:19:34.400 Exactly, it must feel a certain way and possess a 384 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:37.680 pleasant odor. A shampoo can legally be a liquid and 385 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:41.680 emulsion or a paste, and a dentiferics like your toothpaste, 386 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:45.079 is strictly defined as a substance intended solely for cleaning 387 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:46.680 accessible surfaces of the teeth. 388 00:19:46.720 --> 00:19:49.319 But how does a manufacturer prove to the regulators that 389 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:52.359 a cream is actually moisturizing or that a shampoo actually 390 00:19:52.359 --> 00:19:56.119 removes oil. To substantiate the claims printed on the label, 391 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:01.440 cosmetic scientists use an array of highly specialized biotech evaluation instruments. 392 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:04.279 These instruments are so cool. They take subjective claims like 393 00:20:04.359 --> 00:20:07.599 hydrating and turn them into objective data. Let's look at 394 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:08.079 the sevmimeter. 395 00:20:08.119 --> 00:20:08.839 Okay, the semimeter. 396 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:12.079 It is used to measure sebum, which is the waxy, 397 00:20:12.119 --> 00:20:14.680 oily substance produced by your sebaceous glands. 398 00:20:14.759 --> 00:20:18.000 But how does a machine actually measure oil on the face. 399 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:22.000 It uses photometry. You press a special opaque synthetic tape 400 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:25.519 against the skin or the scalp. The tape absorbs the 401 00:20:25.519 --> 00:20:29.720