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A
cosmetologist can either be a person who works in a salon
with the public or, in this case, a cosmetologist is a person
who manufactures cosmetic products.
A
picture of chemists working in their field
This
job has alot to do with chemistry. The manufacture of cosmetics
can be described in terms of four operations. These operations
are fluid flow/mixing, heat transfer, mass transfer and filtration.
Cosmetic manufacturers need to know the mathematical treatments
that are involved in each operation, and they need to know
certain chemical compounds and their reactions.
In
order to become a chemist, one must have at least a Bachelor's
degree with a major in chemistry. The personal care group
at Ciba Specialty Chemicals, would like to hire people that
have at least 10 years of experience. The requirements differ
between companies. Some companies have regulations that are
more strict, and few schools teach the proper and extent of
the things needed to know.
Chemists
in this field would work in a lab, either independently or
with a group. Knowing what you are doing and demonstrating
a great knowledge and understanding of the work is necessary.
The personal qualities that you must possess depend on what
type of space you work in. In most cases, a person must be
a team player and able to work well in a group. Their attitude
must be positive and always willing to learn more.
More
than 60% of chemists work for manufacturers. Their salaries
vary depending upon individual experience, educational levels,
responsibilities, and the size of the company they work for.
Many starters sometimes have higher expectations for salary
and their rank in the company than they should. Someone who
worked in a smaller company would probably receive less pay
than someone who worked in a larger company.The
annual starting salary in 1996 for entry-level positions averaged
$25,000 for college graduates with a B.S. in Chemistry; $36,000
for M.S. Chemists; and $45,000 for Chemists with a Ph.D. Beginner
Chemists beginning in Federal service begin at approximately
$23,000 a year.
Although
there are many cosmetic companies, such as Cover Girl and
Clinique, not all companies are hiring. Some companies are
getting smaller while other companies are getting larger.
The company Procter and Gamble is not hiring at this point,
and is currently laying off close to 9,600 people.
Some
interesting things to know about the chemistry in cosmetics
-
A new cosmetic ingredient will take at least six months
to develop because of the amount of testing and that must
be conducted. Many tests are conducted to test for bacteria
growth and temperature resistance.
-
Raw materials as well as the finished products must be tested
to determine their compliance with specifications for properties
(both physical and chemical). The water used as a cosmetic
ingredient must be tested regularly for conformance with
certain specifications. Also, fresh and retained samples
of products are tested for adequacy of preservation against
microbial contamination, which may occur.
-
Lip balm -prevents moisture loss, contains castor oil, sesame
oil, mineral oils, lanolin (cetyl alcohol), beeswax or carnauba
(used in car polishes or dyes), and perfumes.
Are
there any risks in using cosmetics?
- Serious
injury is pretty rare.
- Contaminated
make-up is the result or poor preservatives.
-
Most cases of contamination are due to manufacturers using
insufficiently designed preservative systems and not testing
the preservatives.
-
Never share cosmetics.
-
Allergic reactions are common
-
Hypoallergenic means that the product is less likely to
cause an allergic reaction.
-
If ingredients in products are proven safe, they are tested
on people. Cosmetic Chemists need to conduct an excessive
amount of testing in order to find out if a product is safe
enough to become available to consumers. The Cosmetic Ingredient
Review is a new development taken by the cosmetics industry
that gathers information of the safety of cosmetic ingredients
and makes the information available to the public.
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