Thanks to the contribution of leading experts in cosmetology, the first editions of the Handbook
were successful and received excellent reviews. The editors appreciate the excellent author
contributions.
The first edition, published in 2001, reviewed the multiple facets of the cosmetic field
including the physiology of cosmetics targets and the safety, legal and regulatory context
worldwide. It gave a broad overview of cosmetic ingredients, vehicles and finished products,
and described the main methodologies used for microbiology, safety and efficacy testing. In
the second edition (2006), we examined the future of cosmetology by the addition of chapters
related to new ingredients, new delivery systems and new testing methodologies, but also by
asking the previous authors to update their chapter with their speculation about the future in
their field of expertise. To make the information more accessible, chapters were significantly
reorganized.
Cosmetic science is a fast moving area. Furthermore, rapid and extensive changes in the
worldwide regulatory context of cosmetics, increasing constraints and limitations in the choice
of cosmetic ingredients and regular pressure from the media force the cosmetic formulator to
think differently about his products. For all those reasons and due to more and more
demanding and educated consumers asking for additional benefits from their cosmetic
products, we have been asked to initiate the third edition of the Handbook.
Several chapters, from previous authors, are key in Handbook of Cosmetic Science and
Technology and have been updated with the latest developments in the given field. However, it
is the intention of the editors to give this version a new and important dimension that will
complement the previous editions; a focus on the mechanism of interaction of the products or
ingredients with their target.
Today, cosmetic products are of a high quality. If we want to further improve their
quality, this will inevitably pass through an even better understanding of how those products
or ingredients work to improve the appearance, protect their target or help maintain its natural
functions. So, with the outstanding evolution of instruments to investigate in depth the skin or
the hair, great progress is made daily in the understanding of the mechanisms of action of
cosmetics. This understanding has been extensively covered in the third edition, which
concentrates on skin, nail and hair cosmetics.