The University of Cincinnati (UC) Cosmetic Science program recently announced the launch of the new Hygienic Manufacturing of Cosmetic Products Graduate Certificate, which comes as the cosmetic industry attempts to transition using more natural ingredients in its products. This new certificate was created in partnership with the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), which is comprised of leaders in the cosmetic industry.
Dr. K.P. Ananth (right) working with students in the University of Cincinnati Cosmetic Science Program laboratory. (Credit: Andrew Higley/University of Cincinnati Marketing + Brand)
This new direction came about after experts in the industry discovered that natural preservatives within these natural ingredients lack the strength to undergo the rigorous manufacturing processes that chemical ingredients traditionally undergo themselves.
“The manufacturing process is optimized to work with the current system, and as a result, when they are trying to make products with these new materials, we are ending up with an increased number of cases of microbiological contamination in the plants,” said Dr. K.P. Ananth, who is a Professor and Director of the UC Cosmetic Science Program.
The new 13-credit graduate certificate will be created as a result of adding two new courses to the program, which will have an emphasis on quality assurance, utilities and plant engineering, microbiology, facilities, and product/package design. The professors for these new courses will consist of industry experts, Deepika Raina from L’Oréal and Geoff Waby from Obelis Group, with both experts acting as adjunct faculty for the new courses.
“This program aims to cultivate knowledge and comprehension regarding potential microbiological risks that emerge at various stages of a product's life cycle and provide practical strategies to mitigate such risks,” said Raina, who will serve as course coordinator for the certificate program. “The aim is to reduce supply chain disruptions caused by rejections of contaminated finished goods and to protect both our consumers and our brands from market recalls or adverse events. Our consumers trust us, and it is our responsibility to prove ourselves to be deserving of their trust.”
Like most graduate certificate programs, all courses are 100% online and the students can complete them at their own pace, which opens the door for more students to take part in the program. They can also choose to transfer the credits from the new graduate certificate program to a master’s degree program, as well.
Sources: EurekAlert!, University of Cincinnati
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