Non-odorous topical formulations for hair removal | Materials

Private Company

Non-odorous topical formulations for hair removal

Background
What we're looking for
What we can offer you
Q&A

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Background

We are a major player and market leader in the consumer health & beauty industry, with a portfolio that spans multiple channels, demographics and categories.

Hair removal is an essential part of personal grooming routines worldwide, with various methods available, including shaving, waxing, and depilatory creams. While shaving can lead to nicks and ingrown hairs, waxing is often painful and can cause skin irritation. Depilatory creams, although convenient and less painful, are notorious for their unpleasant odor, primarily due to the active ingredient, thioglycolic acid. This malodorous compound, while effective in breaking down hair, leaves a strong, lingering smell that is off-putting to many users.

As a global leader in grooming and skincare, we aim to revolutionize the hair removal market by developing the next-generation hair removal cream that eliminates this unpleasant odor, offering users a more pleasant grooming experience.

What we're looking for

We are seeking innovative solutions to develop the next-generation hair removal topical formulation that eliminates the unpleasant odor associated with current depilatory products. Specifically, we are looking for an alternative to thioglycolic acid that is both effective and non-malodorous. As an alternative, we are also interested in technologies for odor control that can mask the unpleasant smell inherent in current depilatory products, which becomes more pronounced during the hair removal process. Ideally, this new active compound or formulation should be easy to use, allowing users to apply it and continue with their activities without discomfort or lingering odors. It would also ideally offer an added skin care benefit, such as moisturization or soothing.

Solutions of interest include:

Enzymes that can specifically break down hair proteins
Odor-neutralizing agents
Formulations combining encapsulation technology and odor neutralizers
Other innovative active ingredients

Our must-have requirements are:

New active compound(s) must effectively remove hair comparable to or better than existing products.
Odor-neutralizing ingredients and new formulations should not interfere with product performance.
The solution must eliminate or significantly reduce the unpleasant odor associated with depilatory creams.
The solution must have reason to believe it is safe for use on all skin types without causing irritation.

Our nice-to-have's are:

Faster-acting formulas that decrease the amount of time needed for effective results (increase the speed of hair breakdown).
Solutions that offer longer-lasting hair removal results compared to existing products.
Formulations with a pleasant scent.
Products and formats that require minimal effort and/or time for application and removal (e.g. a peel-off mask or patch that can be applied, left on while doing other tasks, and then peeled off easily).
Formulations providing an added skin care benefit, such as moisturization or soothing.

What's out of scope:

Solutions that use hazardous chemicals or materials.
Products that require extensive application time compared to current methods.

Acceptable technology readiness levels (TRL):

Levels 2-9

What we can offer you

Eligible partnership models:

Sponsored Research

Funding is proposal-dependent and provided in phases, e.g., $50k-$100k for proof of concept, with follow-on funding as the project progresses.

Data

Selected partners will be able to access key data for the duration of the project.

Expertise

Partners will interact with a project lead to mutually develop a project plan and engage in regular meetings to ensure success. Partners will have access to internal team/experts as appropriate.

Facilities and Services

Partners will be able to access our pilot plant and analytical labs to generate relevant data.

Q&A with the company

The Q&A is now closed.

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Does TRL-5 indicate you are only interested in products which have already undergone human studies?

Alexander Novokhodko, PhD Candidate, University of Washington

August 27, 2024

Hello, we are open to products that have not been tested on humans yet, as long as a safety evaluation has been done for humans.

Team Member, Reviewer, Private Company

August 27, 2024

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