Soapy Hollow

The green movement continues to grow as more consumers are becoming aware of the impact that the products they use have on themselves, society and the environment. This new green consciousness is making consumers change their consumption habits and thus their purchasing criteria. In concrete terms, consumers are increasingly interested in products that contain natural ingredients and respect the environment.

Soap, Perfumery & Cosmetics Magazine, a trade journal for cosmetics formulators, posits the theory that the cosmetics sector is pressing ahead with nanotechnology innovation despite consumer fears. While many of the claimed benefits of nanotechnology remain uncertain, the cosmetics industry is at the vanguard of developments. There seem to be real advances that nanotechnology can […]

Research spending on nanotechnology risks is woefully inadequate and industry participation in data gathering projects has been limited, according to the Wilson Center’s Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. Spokesperson Colin Finan said that 99 percent of nanomaterials are probably perfectly safe but a tiny percentage of unsafe material has the potential to cause lot of damage. […]

NEW YORK — The economy will turn around some day — but don’t expect conspicuous consumption to make a comeback. So believes H. Lee Scott, chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores Inc., noting the dismal economy has caused a permanent and fundamental change in consumer behavior. The ceo of the world’s largest retailer spoke at […]

ScienceDaily (Nov. 7, 2008) — Scientists in Italy have found bacteria in the root of a tropical grass whose oils have been used in the cosmetic and perfumery industries. These bacteria seem to promote the production of essential oils, but also they change the molecular structure of the oil, giving it different flavours and properties: […]

From the California Olive Oil Council Making extra-virgin olive oil (the best of the olive oils) is a time intensive and expensive process. For millennia, growers have monitored olives, waiting for the precise moment of invaiatura when the succulent drupe turns from green to black. Only then are olives harvested by hand and pressed for […]

Artist Danielle Julian-Norton used 20,000 amber gylcerin bar soaps to create an art installation with 7-foot high walls that ran 40 feet long and 12 feet wide in a wave-like shape. “It is the clean identity, amber color, fresh scent, bodily reference, striking surface and translucent aesthetic that inspired me to create Ambrosia,” Ms. Norton […]