Journal of Cosmetic Science Marks 75 Years with Open Access Issue

The Journal of Cosmetic Science (JCS) is the official digital publication of the Society of Cosmetic
Chemists (SCC). As part of the Journal’s 75th anniversary celebration, Volume 75, Issues No. 5 of the Journal is open access. Later in the year, the JCS will publish a special issue on the microbiome and a second edition dedicated to sustainability.

“The SCC is proud to celebrate 75 years of the Journal of Cosmetic Science with these special open-access issues. We invite researchers, industry professionals and consumers to explore these special issues as we encourage and embrace sustainability as a cornerstone of the industry’s future,” said SCC CEO Erica L O’Grady, CAE.

A Comprehensive Compendium of Articles

Sustainability is a vast, multifaceted concept that extends beyond the expertise of any single individual. JCS technical editor, Robert Lochhead, PhD, gathered insights from renowned industry leaders bringing diverse perspectives and expertise to each special issue. Through a comprehensive compendium of articles, the SCC provides a deeper understanding of sustainability in cosmetics and personal care, creating a foundational text for industry-wide reference and inspiring action toward a responsible future, according to the SCC.

The JCS special issues dedicated to Sustainability in Cosmetics and Personal Care explore sustainability through three interconnected concepts: personal sustainability, community sustainability and environmental/global sustainability. Each concept presents unique challenges and opportunities to advance toward a better, healthier world for humans and their coexisting environments related to the cosmetics and personal care industry.

Consumer and Community

At the personal level, the focus is on consumers making informed choices about products that align with their health, wellness and ethical values. This includes hygiene and clean beauty, cruelty-free certifications and transparency in ingredient sourcing. At the community level, the emphasis shifts to ethical labor practices, fair trade, and initiatives that promote social equity, ensuring that communities involved in raw material production and manufacturing benefit from sustainable practices. At the environmental and global level, attention centers on minimizing the ecological footprint of cosmetics and personal care products, encompassing innovations such as responsible sourcing, ingredients that can be safely discarded into the environment and reducing greenhouse gas and ocean-acidifying emissions in supply chains and distribution networks.

“As an industry, we understand skin and hair structures and are beginning to understand the microbiome. We’re adapting our products so that we don’t disturb these systems that we need, and disturb the systems which are threatening us,” Lochhead remarked. “In simplest terms, that’s what these issues are all about.”