Sector · Skin care
Shoppers now read the ingredient list, expect visible results and want products that respect skin and planet. CSL formulation scientists formulate, test and prove skin care that meets all three, and the formula is yours.
Guires Cosmetic Science Lab
At Guires Cosmetic Science Lab, CSL formulation chemists develop skin care formulations, from serums and moisturisers to cleansers and masks, with claims proven by Corneometer hydration, TEWL barrier and 3D skin imaging studies. With more than 10 years of skin care product development experience, the team builds every formula around published clinical evidence and measures how it improves hydration, barrier function and skin texture.
Start your project with Guires CSLWhat shoppers look for now
Shoppers want ingredient lists they can understand, so we build around recognisable, well-evidenced actives and keep INCI lists short where we can.
A product has to show it works. We plan instrumental and in-use evidence from the first brief, so every claim on the pack has data behind it.
Skin care is a daily ritual for most people. Textures have to layer, absorb and feel good enough to reach for twice a day.
The science
Three areas drive most of the skin care briefs we receive. For each one we choose the actives, design the base and plan the evidence together.
Barrier health
The outer layer of skin keeps water in and irritants out. When it is disrupted, skin turns dry, tight and rough, and reacts more easily. Barrier-support products are one of the most requested briefs we see.
Microbiome balance
A diverse community of microbes lives on healthy skin and helps defend it. Harsh surfactants, high pH and aggressive preservation can upset that balance. We formulate so products clean and protect without stripping.
Water balance & hydration
Moisturisation stays at the top of shoppers’ wish lists. Lasting hydration needs more than a humectant: skin also relies on small molecules called osmolytes to hold water inside its cells, and on a sealed surface to stop it escaping.
Talk to a CSL formulation scientist
Share your concept, benchmark or target claim. A CSL skin care formulation scientist will tell you what is feasible, what evidence it needs and a realistic timeline.
Clinical evidence
Peer-reviewed human studies behind the ingredients and approaches on this page. Each links to its PubMed record.
Randomised, double-blind, vehicle-controlled · 36 older adults · 24 weeks
Fine wrinkling improved significantly vs vehicle (score change −1.64 vs −0.08, P<.001), with increased glycosaminoglycans and procollagen I.
Kafi R et al. Arch Dermatol 2007;143(5):606–612 · PMID 17515510
Double-blind, split-face · 50 women · 12 weeks
Significant reductions in fine lines, wrinkles, spots, red blotchiness and sallowness, and improved elasticity, vs the vehicle side.
Bissett DL et al. Dermatol Surg 2005;31(7 Pt 2):860–865 · PMID 16029679
Vehicle-controlled human trials · 18 and 120 participants
Significantly less hyperpigmentation and lighter-looking skin vs vehicle, visible from 4 weeks.
Hakozaki T et al. Br J Dermatol 2002;147(1):20–31 · PMID 12100180
Double-blind, randomised, split-site · 20 women · 6 months
Clinical photoageing score improved from 6.7 to 4.4 on the treated side, with denser skin microrelief and fewer deep furrows.
Humbert PG et al. Exp Dermatol 2003;12(3):237–244 · PMID 12823436
Randomised, controlled, intra-individual · 76 women · 60 days
All molecular weights improved hydration and elasticity vs vehicle; the low weights (50 and 130 kDa) also reduced wrinkle depth.
Pavicic T et al. J Drugs Dermatol 2011;10(9):990–1000 · PMID 22052267
Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised · 24 adults with atopic dermatitis · 4 weeks
Skin hydration rose vs vehicle from week 1 (p<0.0001) and barrier function (TEWL) improved by week 4.
Breternitz M et al. Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2008;21(1):39–45 · PMID 18025807
Double-blind, randomised · 24 adults with dry skin · 28 days + 7-day follow-up
Better hydration, lower TEWL and improved skin pH at every time point, maintained 7 days after stopping.
Lueangarun S et al. Dermatol Ther 2019;32(6):e13090 · PMID 31585489
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled · 75 people with atopic dermatitis · 30 days
Reduced eczema severity (P=0.0044), itch and sleep loss, and lowered S. aureus colonisation vs placebo.
Gueniche A et al. Br J Dermatol 2008;159(6):1357–1363 · PMID 18795916
Randomised, double-blind, intra-individual, multicentre · 65 adults · 28 days
Efficacy and tolerability equivalent to the active comparator on eczema score, global assessment and itch.
Marini A et al. Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2014;27(2):57–65 · PMID 23949258
Randomised community trial, blinded assessment · 903 adults · 4.5 years
Daily users showed 24% less skin ageing (relative odds 0.76) than discretionary users.
Hughes MC et al. Ann Intern Med 2013;158(11):781–790 · PMID 23732711
These are published studies on ingredients, methods and routines, not on products we have made. A finished product needs its own testing before a claim goes on pack, and we design that study with you. See the full evidence library
Sensorial experience
Self-care has become a ritual, and texture, scent and the small moments of surprise are what bring people back. We design the experience as carefully as the efficacy.
Gel, cream-gel, balm, mousse, oil-to-milk or water-cream. We build the base around how the product should feel on the first touch and after ten minutes.
Trained and consumer panels score slip, tack, finish and residue against your benchmark, so texture decisions rest on data.
We work with fragrance-house partners on scents that suit the brand and the skin type, from fragrance-free to mood-led, checked against IFRA limits and allergen labelling rules.
Formats that crackle, whip, change colour or turn from oil to gel add a moment of surprise to a routine. We make sure the effect survives shipping and shelf life.
Concept spotlight
Example concepts to show the range. Every project starts from your own brief, and the finished formula belongs to you.
An oil that turns into a cushiony gel as it is massaged in, paired with a calming evening scent for a wind-down routine.
An airy mousse that makes a soft popping sound as it spreads, then melts into a non-greasy finish.
A water-light cream carrying ceramides and betaine for skin that feels comfortable all day without heaviness.
Responsible beauty
More shoppers weigh where ingredients come from and what happens to the pack. We build those choices in from the start, and make sure every environmental claim can be backed up.
Our supplier directoryWe calculate natural and natural-origin content under ISO 16128, so percentages on your pack are defensible.
For COSMOS or similar standards we screen every raw material and prepare the file your certifier needs.
Through our supplier directory we source actives made from side-streams, such as fruit pulp, grain husks and spent botanicals, with traceable supply.
Refills, mono-material packs and post-consumer recycled plastics, tested for compatibility with your formula before you commit.
Environmental wording is reviewed against green-claims guidance in each target market, so it holds up to scrutiny.
From trend to brief
Before formulation begins, we can map your market so the product lands with a clear point of difference.
Formats
Testing & compliance
Applications
Services
Stay ahead in skin care with regulation updates, the latest research, ingredient spotlights, recalls and market trends, written by the Guires CSL formulation, testing, clinical and regulatory teams.
Explore market insights
FAQ
Yes. We formulate around barrier lipids, prebiotics and postbiotics and gentle surfactant systems, then support the claim with TEWL, sensitive-skin panels or microbiome swab studies.
Yes. We benchmark the reference product with sensory panels and rheology, then build a formula that matches or improves on it without copying its formula.
We work with fragrance-house partners to brief, select and test a scent for your product, or use one you already have. Every fragrance is checked against IFRA limits and allergen labelling rules.
Yes. We screen raw materials for the standard you choose, calculate natural-origin content under ISO 16128 and prepare the documents your certifier asks for.
You do. We sign an NDA before you share your brief, and the formula and technical file are handed over at the end of the project.
Every skin care project at Guires CSL runs inside an ISO 9001 certified quality system, with documented methods, calibrated instruments, traceable raw materials and reviewed reports, so the results behind your product can be checked and defended.
Guires CSL quality & accreditations
In their words
“Our skincare concept became a stable, commercially viable formulation, with active selection, texture and stability all built around our target skin benefits.”
“Linking formulation directly with efficacy and tolerance testing gave us measurable evidence for our claims and a clearer route to launch.”
“Across several development rounds, texture and performance were refined to meet consumer expectations without losing sight of our commercial requirements.”
Insights
Guidance from our formulation, testing and regulatory teams on the topics this page covers.
Facility registration, product listing, US Agent, safety substantiation and adverse event reporting, in the order to tackle them.
Read articlePatch tests, in-use studies and panel sizes, and how wording differs between markets.
Read articleHow UAE authorities classify high-performance skin care, and how claim wording decides the route.
Read articleStart a project
Our formulation chemists, testing scientists and regulatory specialists work alongside your team, from the first brief to a market-ready product. Bring a brief, a benchmark or just an idea: a scientist will reply within one working day with next steps and an indicative scope.
