Is This Really The Next New Fangled Ingredient?
Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Benzimidazole Diamond Copolymer.....wow that is certainly a mouthful!
I was recently asked by several customers about a new ingredient that 
is beginning to arrive on the mineral makeup scene and whether or not I would find it a benefit to my mineral makeup line?
Several companies are touting the benefit of how much younger one will look when using a mineral powder containing this ingredient. Some sell it as is, such as a mineral veil, repackaged under their own business label, and some sell it combined with other base powders for a complete makeup effect.
Polymethylsilsesquioxane/benzimidazole diamond copolymer may sound fairly new, however the composition of this miracle powder is not so new and is being used in many commercial brands of makeup and skincare applications across the board. Furthermore, they incorporate FD&C Dyes as their colorants for color correcting skin tones.
Grant Industries has applied for a broad patent for their new version of this latest technology and they recently launched it this past summer. Their version is referred to as Granpowder Lumiere. In reviewing their information and the potential for sampling, I found the research interesting and informative.
From Their Website:
"While the particles were developed as a novel ingredient for cosmetics, a broad patent was filed by Grant Industries and Nanometics that also includes many industrial applications which would benefit from a durable, solid micronized particle with core photoluminescent properties" said John Gormley, a Technical Director at Grant Industries, Inc. PSQ is close to the silica family and is highly crosslinked and therefore generally stable to most chemical environments over a wide pH range. Since the diamond complex will not leech out of the system, the particles can be used for many materials applications, including optical coatings and plastics. The particles are ideal for use in liquid crystal displays, where the refractive index of the polymer meets critical optical requirements.
Let's Take A Closer Look From A Consumer Perspective
Polymethylsilsesquioxane ~ is a spherical, fine particle silicone resin exhibiting a very narrow particle size distribution. Its lubricity, silky smooth feel and water repellency make it useful for color cosmetics and other skincare applications.
Benzimidazole ~ is a combination of Benzene and Imadazole and is used as a anti-parasitic and is a main horse wormer component......Remember that two ingredients alone may not be considered ideal or safe, but when fused chemically as one, then become beneficial to the user. Sodium hydroxide (lye) for instance. Dangerous and caustic, but when combined with Olive Oil makes a divine castile soap.
Breakdown of two ingredients to make one:
Benzene ~ is a petroleum byproduct and has been linked to being carcinogenic. Today benzene is mainly used as an intermediate to make other chemicals. Its most widely-produced derivatives include styrene, which is used to make polymers and plastics, phenol for resins and adhesives (via cumene), and cyclohexane, which is used in the manufacture of Nylon. Smaller amounts of benzene are used to make some types of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, explosives, napalm and pesticides.
Imadazole ~ has become an important part of many pharmaceuticals. Synthetic imidazoles are present in many fungicides and antifungal, antiprotozoal, and antihypertensive medications. Imidazole is part of the theophylline molecule, found in tea leaves and coffee beans, which stimulates the central nervous system. It is present in the anticancer medication mercaptopurine, which combats leukemia by interfering with DNA activities.
Diamond Copolymer ~ is unique to Grant Industries and they claim it is real diamond powder encapsulated copolymer, which in essence is just another term for producing a silicone which assists with flow, and is a polymer chain made up of 2 or more monomers. This is what supposedly gives the high level of soft focus effect in the makeup with a light refraction of diamonds.
FD&C Dyes ~ These are formulated from Coal Tars and have shown to have many complications in different forms. The FDA has not determined them to be hazardous in cosmetic use.
Two Colorants Disliked By The European Union
FD&C Red 40 has been linked to being carcinogenic and has shown to cause reproductive issues and tumors when tested on lab animals by the the National Cancer Institute. It has also been related to increasing ADD/ADHD symptoms and some have had allergic reactions.
The European Union and the UK made a move this year, 2009, to disallow it in products since they believe it is also linked to hyperactivity in children. It is already banned in Japan, Austria, Norway and Sweden. Its' synonym is Allura Red, and the main concern is its' use in lip products where minute amounts can be ingested. Check your labels for red colorant.
Yellow No 5 has been linked to allergic reactions and mainly those allergic to aspirin. Asthmatic conditions became prevalent in those that ingested this whether in the form of a lip color, food color or vitamin supplement.
Safety Concerns
Like all ingredients on the market, they come with an MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) and this always shows manufacturing safety data for extensive exposure in manufacturing which in and by itself does not alarm me as a cosmetic formulator. What does concern me, is the fact that a couple of these mineral makeup companies are selling this ingredient as is, uncut or diluted in it's purest form. To date there is insignificant data as to the safety of this particular compound with no outsourced MSDS data. The ingredient manufacturer is required to provide their own, but I prefer safety data from numerous sources since manufacturers will provide their own evidence. There is no outside testing to prevent bias which I have personally experienced as in the case with Bismuth Oxychloride manufacturers....Plus the research is not extensive enough in a push to get it to market.
Specifications are always outlined on maximum percentage used in a cosmetic formula for safety reasons for the end user. The companies that are using this mixed in a formulation appear to be doing so at the recommended dosage based on a breakdown of the ingredient list, and this ingredient used in this context is probably more than safe.
Unfortunately, others whom are repackaging and don't actually formulate their own colors or cosmetics, are placing the consumer at risk since the customer is placing trust in a business that sells mineral cosmetics. A true formulator would possess this knowledge of reselling uncut ingredients in their full strength and realize it is not in the best interest of the customer and could prove to be a liability. Furthermore, if the FD&C listing of colorants is accurate on their site then they are also exposing customers to questionable coal tar derivatives that have been shown harmful by researchers and scientists alike. There is also the fact that RED 40 is banned in the countries named above with others to follow, and if they ship internationally to any of these locations then they are in violation of their laws.
I located MSDS for the breakdown of the ingredients which comprise this overall ingredient and they stipulate the same under manufacturing conditions....blah, blah, blah...you know the "may cause" or "may be irritating" or "may blowup" (just kidding to a point, reference would actually be "flashpoint") I think I have explained these results to death in previous articles.
In Speaking With John Gormley
I decided to place a phone call to Grant Industries in regard to this new ingredient and posed the questions about its' composition breakdown as laid out above.
I found our conversation to be thorough, informative and extremely enlightening. He extended me professional courtesy and was very friendly in dealing with some difficult questions I asked.
Apparently, John is one of the main inventors of this new ingredient and is instrumental on retaining a patent. Basically to paraphrase here, he informed me the entire name for this ingredient is actually how it is applied for in INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) and it is a Copolymer of the entire chain of ingredients in a single form. There is no individual breakdown of this ingredient as I have done here. He further explained that this name is actually the abbreviated version and it is a much longer descriptive. Unfortunately, a name can be misinterpreted as it has similar connotations of other chemicals on the market as was pointed out to him by others in the industry. He continued to explain that through this encapsulation within the polymer, since it is completely encased, then there is no physical safety issue to the consumer or fear of it being absorbed by the skin.
When I inquired further about the use of artificial dyes and the concern for safety in this regard, he again explained they are all fused together in the polymer making them safe. Since I am aware that polymers are long chains of monomers, then this would be a way to infuse it as one very long ingredient name and I find no basis to disagree on his points. He did however, concede to the confusion about the context of this ingredient and how it may be broken down and perceived by the savvy consumer or makeup manufacturer based on the name similarities.
How will Campaign For Safe Cosmetics See It?
Eventually the watchdog groups such as Environmental Working Group and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics will render an analysis of this ingredient. There will come a time these entities will have a field day with the composition of this very confusing new ingredient brought to market. Based on past behavior, indicates future behavior, and it won't matter to them that colors are encapsulated, if they have a rating on FD&C colorants (and they do) then they will be sure to incorporate that rating separately into their ingredient profile.
As a formulator it was easy to understand as he explained it. However, I did point out that though he claims this ingredient is much more than how it is broken down and is a complete chain of monomers to make a single indentifiable ingredient, this will simply be seen as smoke and mirrors by EWG, and the self appointed consumer protection agency for bad things in our cosmetics, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and they will draw their own conclusions. It is literally ingredients such as this one which make our jobs tougher at further educating consumers and rebuffing the attacks by CFSC. Most of their information is Black and White and they view most ingredients as harmful to some level.
Will they be correct in their assessments? In most cases....NO! As many of my readership already knows this group cherry picks information and scrutinizes ingredients unfairly with (eventually refuted) biased reporting containing large data gaps on most every ingredient they dislike.
However, with that addressed, I would also add, that even though the information is new to the industry which occurs with anything going under a patent, there is little to no real information about this ingredient except what is provided by the manufacturer.
Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily! In fact they may be actually providing an outstanding product for revolutionizing the makeup industry.
John did provide me with recommended ratios for formulation and it should remain under 5% to total formula. Apparently this gives a slight fluorescent effect to the skin for giving a beautiful luminous glow to the face and holds up very well outdoors in natural light. However, he warned about using it out in nightclubs in a higher ratio such as in a finishing veils, as some are selling this, since it can make the face appear whitish or with the colorants can get a black light effect. This could be really cool and fun for makeup application for the younger set, but a big no no for us older gals. Steering clear of this in the form of a finishing powder is best since we don't need Halloween year round!
Product Liability To Formulators
He also stated it was up to the formulator purchasing Polymethylsilsesquioxane/Benzimidazole Diamond Copolymer to have knowledge about the colorants and what countries ban them, and that they are in no way responsible for how it is distributed or for purposes of a specific use by these cosmetic manufacturers. He advised me until such time as the issue could be resolved with better answers to this concern on colorants, if I decided to try the powder in my formulas, to stick with just the white and add my own Iron oxides. The colorants were an idea for making the powders a bit fun along with some subtle color correction for problematic or aging skin and were advised by the color ingredient distributor as being safe. However, he recently learned of the controversy over these colorants and was not something he preferred either. Not sure if there is a plan in the works to revamp those with FD&C Dyes.
On one major point he addressed! We as manufacturers are liable for what we place in our products for resale, and it is up to us to be cognizant of everything we utilize in our formulas....Safety, FDA Certification and Approval. And for those that ignore compliance for making a safe product, then they are in the line of fire with what makes the Campaigns argument strong and our jobs more difficult for convincing Congress of our intentions of producing safer consumer products than the large manufacturers. We must not forget the ongoing revision of the FDA Globalization Act of 2009 we are still facing.
There are currently many mineral makeup companies actively participating in using Artificial Dyes and Lakes in their products, due in part because they purchase the ready made products this way and repackage, and then there are those that simply wish to for a more vibrant effect...say in blush, lip colors or eye shadows.
Wolf In Sheep's Clothing!
Now with the Skin Deep Data Base and the Campaign 
For Safe Cosmetics, (not mutually exclusive) many of those that signed the compact are shown as being in "Non-Compliance" according to them, and this emblem is now politely plastered on every participating members page.
For those that did provide a list of products, most are still in non-compliance because they fall under CFSC's prohibited or restricted ingredients list or have not met minimum requirements.
For those I did find in compliance is further confusing since many of the companies contained ingredients that fall under the campaigns restricted or prohibited ingredient list with every box checked. They literally possessed ratings that are moderate to high range. This should prove that their rating system makes no sense and is clearly a politically charged one. It really doesn't matter if you strive to have safe ingredients in your products because the campaign lists just about every ingredient in skincare as a potential to cause harm.
This entity now disparages the many independent companies that supported their cause thinking their efforts were noble, yet their actions today speak volumes as to their true agenda. What they have done to collect signatures was basically nothing more than Astroturfing. Their true agenda shines brightly as we all learned last year that their behavior is a strong indicator as a major opponent of Indie manufacturers in petitioning congress to act on creating unfair FDA legislation which will put many formulators of your favorite skincare products out of business if they get their way.
I am confident they will use this disinformation based on their made up set of rules and cherry picked data, nothing in regard to true FDA regulations or actual scientific research as is provided by CTFA or CIR, to further their argument with congress in the ongoing writing of the FDA Globalization Act of 2009.....I am very glad I withdrew my support last year....but that is another story for another time. I know one thing is for sure, many of those companies now wish they had not signed on and want their names removed, and removal is not as simple, as they are learning the hard way. I will elaborate more on this subject at a later date!
MSDS On This Ingredient
Unfortunately, the final down side to this....I requested the MSDS for this ingredient and at the present time Grant Industries was unable to provide me with a complete sheet. The only portion I received was for the Polymethylsilsesquioxane. Once the INCI is assigned for the full name, this will hopefully be remedied, however, this is in a large way making my point about dissecting this ingredient into pieces parts when the company themselves presents the data in a dissected context. What is interesting though, the FDA has already assigned it an ingredient index number before the Personal Care Products Council (formerly CTFA) has provided the INCI resource for registering it in a product as a complete name..... so go figure. As with anything new to market, the details will need some refinement and everyone getting on board with the same information. For now, it is a confusing scenario, not only for me, but for the less informed consumer.
Nothing New Really
Bottom line, spherical silicone has been used in many makeup and skincare applications for years and is not unique to this derivative. They have been shown to be safe. The diamond powder component is the only part of this ingredient that is really quite different. However one drawback is, I cannot find that these separate components have been reviewed by the CIR (Cosmetics Ingredient Review) or at cosmeticsinfo.org. In fact there isn't even anything found in the skin deep data base which I find very unusual considering they have Polymethylsilsesquioxane listed in close to 300 products.....makes you think doesn't it!
When an ingredient is perceived to have great value for a company yet I cannot find substantial information on safety and efficacy of said ingredient, then said ingredient, though novel for being first to have it in your makeup line, may only become an albatross later on as new data and discovery become evident. I always play the wait and see game and time will tell in regard to this innovative Diamond Powder.
Even though John Gormleys' explanation was thorough and informative, I also determined this would be a formulators nightmare for trying to explain it's premise and /or ingredient ramifications as in depth as he did, or to try and convince the consumer it is completely safe especially if it ends up being broken down, as I did here, or by a consumer watchdog group (and it will be dissected, believe me).
I already spend 25% of my time educating and informing my customers to the use of certain ingredients to date. I can ill afford to take on one more on a daily basis until such time as it is all made simple and clear as a unique and safe ingredient according to everyone in the cosmetic industry. I particularly want to see the assessment with the CIR for any ingredient I decide to incorporate into my formulas. This could take years before any real actual studies can or will be done let alone have conclusive results.
Known Examples Of Comparisons That Work Similarly
For instance, we use Methicone which encapsulates our Mica in little spherical silicone for a soft focus and will also temporarily fill lines to give the appearance of looking younger.
Our use of Boron Nitride, also has a similar effect of blurring lines and giving a youthful appearance.
The added mineral Titanium Dioxide has light refraction brightness similar to diamonds.
In combination these ingredients create a fantastic mineral makeup for achieving the same end result making this individual ingredient no better than any other and is completely redundant to a single formulation. Now as a replacement for these ingredients then it can be a shortcut to be sure, however I don't have information on how it would work for different skin types like Boron Nitride does. I personally don't see the need to fix something if it it isn't broken and it is not something that is going to be used all by itself anyway, or at least it shouldn't be for the reasons I stated earlier.
The Real Question At Hand
Is it safe?........Based on what we know about ingredients currently being used on the market, I believe in the context by which it was explained to me and the method of use, it is very safe as polymers and silicones go. It will be interesting to see how things play out as more and more in the beauty industry incorporate it into their formulas. The jury is still out on this one with conclusion 
yet to unfold.
For me, this is not an ingredient I plan to incorporate into my formulas, as most of you know me that read my blog and use our products...if I can't pronounce it or the chemical chain of how it is formed is too long to comprehend, then why would I expect my customers to do the same.
I'll be keeping my eye on this one, as time will tell to be sure!
Have a great weekend everyone! Christmas is close at hand!
beautiful snowfalls here and everything has been blanketed in white. Snow mobilers are having a blast as they zip across the countryside. Downtown lights are beautiful and gleaming and everyone is getting their Christmas shopping done. Children are laughing, getting ready for Santa, and there is a chill in the air with everyone bundled up taking their annual sleigh ride. It is a time of year when everyone seems more at peace and smiles are abundant....OMG this sounds like a Christmas Carol.... I have even noticed more stores' sales staff are wishing Merry Christmas this year. You can't help but feel your heart be a bit lighter.
I held tight to this little gem, not wanting to give away that tiny part we shared with each other, to anyone. It was ours, and it was special, and it is a memory of a happy time. She and my Gran always made the holidays so special, a tradition I continued by making new memories with my husband and our children. I was mom and grandma to my kids every Christmas and our home was steeped in all the tradition I could muster. She taught me so many things along with my Gran, my mom's mom, much of which was forgiveness, kindness and to see the good in people even when they are having a bad day!
1 - 1b of Fresh Crab or Krab Flakes (substitute shrimp if you like)
Kitchen Aid works very well for this recipe. It pulverizes Krab Flakes without having to chop them up.
