Exploring the beauty of science: MSc Cosmetic Science students put theory into practice in formulation workshops
- Written byTino Matienga and Jimena Rascon Azanedo
- Published date 23 March 2023
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No two days on the MSc Cosmetic Science course are the same, with the course offering students a hands-on experience through a range of laboratory workshops that help them develop a behind the scenes experience of some of the products we use day to day.
At London College of Fashion (LCF), our MSc Cosmetic Science course gives students the opportunity to develop practical skills through hands-on workshops, providing them with first-hand experience on how to create cosmetic products such as shampoos and make-up.
With a focus on building an understanding of key elements of the production process a group of Year 1 & Year 2 students recently took part in lip balm and haircare workshops respectively.
Working in groups, our Year 1 students created their own lip balms, which started with them weighing waxes, such as a carnauba wax followed by semi-solid butters and oils. Adding peppermint oil enhanced the scent and flavour to their lip balms a key element of the process! Finally, the hot liquid mixture was poured into split moulds to cool, eventually forming the finished lip balms.
Run over two weeks, our Year 2 student also got hands-on in our labs, this time creating a conditioning hair mask suited for different hair types. The session began with students weighing water and oil soluble materials into two separate tubes and heated. Once they formed a thick white solution, which was stirred to cool down, while fragrances were added to enhance the sensory experience for the user.
Testing is key is the cosmetics industry, which is why our students returned to test the effectiveness of their solutions. To make sure that the products were tested properly, a strict procedure was followed. Students carefully washed the hair and ensured the same amount of product was applied before rinsing it out and leaving it out to dry. As part of the final assessment the tutors analysed the consistency of the hair in relation to the hair type and products used by the students.
We caught up with students that took part in the workshops to find out more about their experience of the MSc Cosmetic Science workshops.
“We made a lip balm today and I was very excited because the part of cosmetic science that interests me is make-up. It is fun to be in the lab, I learnt a lot about what goes into making a lip balm.”- Laura Gutierrez
“Aside from making the lip balm, I learnt about the health and safety that goes into making these kinds of products. I enjoyed this experience because it is not something you get to do every day, so it was an experience I really enjoyed”- Carmen Mach
“I enjoyed this workshop because we got the opportunity to put into practice the theory that we have been learning in the past term and we got to use all the equipment. I got to learn how to use the hot plate and learn about the melting process, as well as the measurement process, which was exciting.” - Mutemwa Mtawali
- Find out more about MSc Cosmetic Science at LCF.
- View more work on the UAL Graduate Showcase.
- Keep up to date with the LCF Class of 2022 Campaign.
- View our upcoming Open Days.