When creating something new in beauty, it's natural to want to get a project onto the shelves as soon as possible. However, creating a product can often be met with trials and tribulations that can slow this process down. According to the Harvard Business School, an average of 80% of new product launches fail, which can all too often stem from issues with formulations. To combat this issue, Univar Solutions, a leading chemical and ingredients distributor, has launched BeautyLab—a global resource developed to identify answers to the formulation challenges in today's market.
BeautyLab was created to help industry professionals find the best solutions and overcome lab challenges, from reformulations to entirely new launches. The initiative comes after the ingredient distributor realized that although consumers are now willing to pay for performance, many beauty brands are struggling to provide the best version of their products, or at least are having to test a copious number of formulations before finding the perfect one.
"So many customers have questions on specific formulation challenges. We see those questions and work to answer them and solve their challenges, but only one customer benefits from the response," Arnita Wofford, Global Marketing and Technical Director of Beauty and Personal Care for Univar Solutions, tells BeautyMatter. "BeautyLab is about taking our formulation knowledge in a particular application and sharing it on a broader scale."
BeautyLab comes in the form of a video series presented by specialists at Univar Solutions. When considering the best way to present, BeautyLab, Wofford, and the team chose "short, snackable content" so that customers can "watch anytime, and watch as many times as they need, to get it right."
The debut series for the first edition of BeautyLab, #Sunschool, focuses on suncare. A deep dive into the formulations' wins and fails the brand has personally encountered are shared. In the video, Alex Walther, Beauty and Personal Care Manager of Technical Services at Univar Solutions, gives advice on how to check the stability and solubility of UV filters in sunscreens. Walther conducted the test herself in the lab, showcasing the dos and don'ts for the best formulation outcomes. #Sunschool also offers concept formulas for Univar Solutions' Work Harder SPF 50 Sport Spray, Clear & Bright Sunscreen Stick SPF 30, Invisible Defense Silicone Sunscreen Gel In Vitro SPF 30, Protect & Play Hybrid Priming Cream SPF 25, and many more.
"As a distributor, we have an opportunity to present a multitude of solutions to our customers ... we're not bound to just one product line," adds Wofford. "BeautyLAB #Sunschool is just the beginning in a series of video interviews and tutorials that will help get great formulations to the shelf faster. We've done the work so formulators can overcome hurdles with pro-tips and ingredients to use to create the formulations they desire."
In the future, Univar Solutions plans to expand BeautyLab to broader topics including skincare and haircare. BeautyLab's focus on answering specific questions for its customers gives brands and businesses the opportunity to share their struggles and gain science-backed answers. As the initiative continues to expand, the industry- wide effort is sure to provide solutions for several beauty businesses, allowing for products to reach the shelves in a timely fashion without compromising quality and efficacy.
