Cluster Achievements

The Cluster has 200+ members that represent the cosmetic industry supply chain.

Launched ChemBox in 2021 and completed 3 successful cycles. We have matched 10 raw material suppliers to distributors.

Organized local and international networking events, promoted new industry partnerships.

Supported Cluster members services and education. Helped with the acceleration of 100+ companies in the past 5 years.

Assisted in launch of StokHouz - a new wholesale retail website to help cosmetic companies sell more volume.

Our Innovation Lab With Annie From XO Labs

For the first time, the Cluster Team offers a chance to develop formulations and products with us. We have a collection of existing formulas with our ChemBox ingredient supplier partners. You can also work with us to make something new that will change the cosmetic world.

We work directly with you throughout your entire product development process with our partner XO Labs. Not just formulations, you’ll receive support on business development and regulatory guidance. We will be there during the pilot phase and create marketing strategies.

Are You Ready To Begin Your Cosmetic Journey?

Our Partner - PURE

PURE specializes in a range of e-commerce solutions, from bringing your Shopify vision to life to keeping you up-to-date with the latest product trends and manufacturing. PURE's business strategy services, including M&A due diligence, will help you achieve your goals and maximize value. Partner with us for a comprehensive approach to creating and executing a winning business vision.

What We Can Do For You

• Shopify
• Futurists
• Strategic
• Planning
• Due Diligence

We Are Active Members of the Global Cosmetics Cluster

Cosmetic Valley is in Chartres, France. It is the home of Global Cosmetic Cluster

Roadblocks to Sustainability Symposium

This Symposium is dedicated to show the real issues in sustainability and clean beauty between Canadian and French Companies. The focus will be on how tech can be used to solve roadblocks that are currently preventing companies from reaching their goals. There will be a spotlight on issues across the supply chain and bring players together to solve them. The focus of the event will be French - Canadian Innovations.

Innovations that can solve the roadblocks. We will look at how Canadian and French Companies can partner together to further their dreams in the cosmetic industry. This event will share the achievements of companies that are speakers and use their success stories to inspire others. The format will be fluid to encourage networking and B2B connection. This event will tie into the Clean Beauty Theme of Cosmetic 360. There will be a mission from Canada that will be a significant part of this Symposium. Canadian companies will land on the 16th of October. The 17th of October will be the first day of Cosmetic Week in Paris. The global cosmetic clusters will meet and have a day together. The 18th and the 19th of October will be the Cosmetic 360 show and gala. The 20th of October will be the day of the Symposium. The following day on the 21st we will have a tourism day in Bordeaux to tour the surrounding areas.

What is innovation?

1. A new idea, device, or method.

2. The act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods.

Innovation refers to the introduction of something new or improved. It can refer to new ideas, methods, products, processes, or services. The aim of innovation is to create value by solving problems, meeting needs, or improving the quality of life.

Simply Ingredients

“Almost everything has been thought of or tried or done in the industry. That doesn’t mean it can’t be done again; sometimes things fail because it’s not the right time or place. Maybe the consumer isn’t ready. Or, technology hasn’t allowed the idea to succeed. Don’t let this be a barrier. Ask yourself why is it that something hasn’t worked in the past and figure out how you can propel it forward using what you have at your fingertips today.”

Valerie Georgie

Shea Butter Surfactant From Simply Ingredients Will Be In The Next ChemBox

It is no secret that cost effective products were top sellers for Beauty brands all 2022. We will definitely see more of that this year as new brands emerge with budget friendly skincare and personal care formulations. Consumers from Gen Z to X are seeking luxury-esque, tech-infused, and effective products that are readily accessible. How are the brands maintaining success while keeping their products affordable at $20 or less? I could really write a book about each but I will leave the top 5 things all these brands have in common.

• Maximizing Minimalistic Formulations by using 15 or less ingredients, low to no heat, and short processing times. This way they can spotlight one or two superstar ingredients and cut costs in a resourceful way.
• Partnering with Micro Beauty and SciComm Influencers on all platforms. Quality Content and loyal, organically grown communities are the blueprint for marketing success.
• Sourcing innovative ingredients during R &D that are upcycled or produced in small batches so they are readily available. Going viral on TikTok means you’re going to sell out fast. Ingredients with long lead times are not ideal for those quick restock orders.
• Having Custom and/or Sustainable packaging that gives the consumer a euphoric application experience.
• Partnering with manufacturers who can offer cost savings on both small or large retail batch quantities for Indie and Masstige brands, respectively. The ability to choose the appropriate batch sizes based on energy and cost efficiency is vital.

I am looking forward to what new products will enter the beauty industry this year. Specifically, how formulators and beauty brand owners adapt to satisfy their customers under the demands on both ends of the business.

Rachel Johnson of the Charismatic Chemist

Re-Source

Re-Source is moving away from online courses to offer you educational & informative content on a subscription basis. You will have access to in-depth reports about sustainable beauty for marketing and product development with a monthly membership. Re-Source is here to help beauty marketers make sense of sustainability, avoid greenwashing, and perform in the market with ingenious products and actions. You will be able to transform your brand portfolio into genuinely better options for the planet. The focus will be on marketing claims, regulations, packaging and formulation innovations, recycling innovations, and more.

We want to publish high quality content from the best experts in their field and make their work more visible and more accessible. Doing so, we aim to help beauty professionals master sustainability - for perfume, makeup, skincare, haircare, personal care - and avoid greenwashing. We believe our industry has its own challenges when it comes to becoming "greener", and also because nobody really expect beauty to be at the forefront of innovations when it actually is. So we are support it!

Eva Lagarde, Founder of Re-Source

Clean O2

CleanO2 is the first company to turn carbon dioxide emissions into natural soap. We started in Calgary Alberta, and have since expanded to deploy CarbinX units across Canada, the United States and Japan. We’ve partnered with some of the country's largest companies who are committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

These astonishing CarbinX machines capture carbon dioxide from building heating systems — including boilers, water heaters and furnaces — that use natural gas. (Did you know that heating buildings accounts for 13% of overall carbon dioxide emissions in Canada, 12% of emissions in the U.S., and 7% of emissions globally?) Once installed, a typical CarbinX unit will have the same carbon-reducing impact as 300 trees!

What Is Carbon Capture Soap?

It turns out that captured carbon, in the form of pearl ash, can be added to soap formulations to create luxuriously silky, sudsy lather. Voila!, the world’s first carbon-capture soap, made with natural ingredients, ingenuity and pearl ash. Learn more about our carbon capture soaps.

Packaging - SeaCliff Beauty

Seacliff Beauty is using #tide’s premium material to create high-quality packaging made from 100% ocean-bound plastic. The final PET, PP, HDPE, and LDPE outputs are fully customizable and can be applied to a great variety of skincare, cosmetics, and hair care products.

In the development phase, each packaging is carefully tested for performance to ensure the best quality. The results have shown that #tide ocean material® is a perfect replacement for virgin plastics. This can be explained by the fact that #tide’s mechanical upcycling formula is able to fully regenerate the components of ocean-bound plastic waste to a virgin level.

Charles Tennant

The UPCYCLED Beauty Company

Faba TONIQ® is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, polypeptides and amino acids which help to style and condition the hair, delivering better hair manageability, easier detangling, and sleeker, longer-lasting curls. Its usability in multiple hair textures and curl types has been recognised by different consumers. Backed by ex-vivo studies, the film-forming natural polymers have been proven to have a curl retention effect on the hair. This zero waste TONIQ® has been shown to achieve tighter, and noticeably sleeker curls when compared with water. Further studies revealed that the retention of curls significantly increases after a single application and has a 48 hour effect, delivering additional benefits such as conditioning and frizz control.

“Faba TONIQ® demonstrates that the beauty industry can waste less without compromising product quality or performance. “Approximately 12 million tonnes of chickpeas are produced every year, and the ever-growing popularity of hummus is prompting more and more manufacturers to yield the crop. But with mass production, comes waste. By identifying an industry that creates unused waste products, we work to help beauty and personal care brands transition towards a circular economy.”

Harry McIlwraith, General Manager, The Upcycled Beauty Company.

Quadra

Amber Powder

Amber powder is commonly used in cosmetic formulations as a natural exfoliant and skin brightener. It is made from fossilized tree resin and is rich in antioxidants and minerals that can improve the appearance of the skin. When used in skincare products, it helps to gently remove dead skin cells, unclog pores, and improve skin tone and texture. Amber powder is suitable for use in face scrubs, masks, and other exfoliating products.

We produce 5 types of amber powder. They differ in particle size (microns) and therefore in colour.

• Amber powder Micro1 - 1-50 microns
• Amber powder Micro2 - 50-100 microns
• Amber powder Medium - 100-150 microns
• Amber powder Macro1- 150-250 microns
• Amber powder Macro2 - 250-500 microns.

Cosmogen

Michel Germain

Michel Germain is the award-winning perfumer who creates luxury fragrances that invite seduction using gorgeous, natural oils. Known internationally for their natural oils, his fragrances invite closeness, create allure, and inspire love. It is this element of Michel Germain fragrances that have catapulted his fragrances to the top of the fragrance world and into a niche of its very own.

His first fragrance Sexual, was a message of love to his wife, Norma.

Michel’s new, curated fragrances, “Michel” revisit the Royal traditions of French perfumery in which every fragrance was a secret floral message of love and royal beauty.

Ground Up Eco-Ventures

Pom Pom Nordic Powders

Norm Skincare

We started our business out of the UofT startup incubator called "The Hub". I'm passionate about natural and organic products because my grandparents made products using natural ingredients and that became the NORM for me. Our customers have claimed that our Almond Balm has helped them manage their eczema and dry skin conditions as it leaves a non greasy finish when compared to other products on the market. Our biggest challenge is having a mentor in the cosmetic space. NORM​ offers a variety of products for different ethnic groups, ages, genders, and purposes. Our customers benefit from our transparency, and the knowledge that we stand for the same things they do: health, sustainability, and general kindness towards our planet and those that inhabit it. Our designs and packaging attempt to be as clear and as transparent as possible. Furthermore, our social platforms sustain our commercial objectives by providing a space to communicate openly about health- related issues and natural ingredients; this way we provide back stories about the ingredients we use. By keeping our formulas simple and not complex, we provide our customers with effective natural products at less cost than our direct competitors. My future plans for the business is to grow our company as the NORM for Canada.

- Chevon Riley, Norm Skincare Founder

CocoBerry

How We Innovate

• Bold, distinctive branding; Flamingo icon
• Designed for all textured hair; offering not tailored to specific curl types
• Scientifically proven ingredients to simplify haircare process
• Haircare process as an act of self care vs basic hygiene

The Lipstick Effect

• Even in times of economic downturn, consumers continue to favour prestige cosmetics
• Perceive indulgences as luxuries that provide an emotional lift

Princeton Consumer Research are world leaders in Clinical Testing, completing Clinical product safety testing for some of the biggest names in cosmetics globally.

PCR has the 96 hour patch tests which start at £650, their HRIPT studies which now includes “Dermatologist Tested” start at £1000, 24/48 hr Moisturisation tests from £2,500.00 and Non Comedogenic from £2,225 (based on 4 products). If you have a product and PCR can help you with a quote, please do let me know.

We regularly perform the following studies, additional studies available by request:

• HRIPT’s- Shared Panel (induction application patches for 24 or 48 hours) (Hypoallergenic, Sensitive Skin, Eczema, Atopic, Dermatologist Tested, Gynaecologist, Midwife, Paediatrician Options). Attached Price Guide.
• Primary irritation Patch Tests (24, 48 & 96 hours)
• Follicular Biopsies for non-comedogenicity
• In House Hair Salons full range of studies available
• Safety in Use (SIU) Studies
• Dermatological, Comedogenicity, Ophthalmology, Paediatric, Gynaecological
• Ocular Instillation
• SPF - Sunscreens (IS FDA Monograph, Colipa Method, SPF Water resistant, ISO 24444) see attached
• UVA Testing (ISO 24442, Broad Spectrum, ISO 24443) Boots star rating.
• Phototoxicity (PT)
• Photo allergy (PA)
• Claims
• Moisturization
• Cell Renewal - Dansyl Chloride
• Long Lasting
• Anti-Aging
• AP/Deo testing
• Dietary/Supplement Testing (in Vivo)
• Home Panel Consumer user trials
• Face Mask Trials, Long Wear, Transfer etc.

Click here for further details/PCR Brochure