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Like many other countries, South Korea has hot and humid weather from May through September. Cushion make-ups are long-lasting and some have ingredients to absorb excess sebum that help to provide a solution for this. Many of the innovative products for air cushion have been manufactured by Amore-Pacific (brands: Iope, Laneige, Hera and Lirikos, Innisfree, Sul-wahsoo) and LG Household and Health Care [2]. The cushion concept is also expanding to overseas markets, with the product being available in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the United States.

n ro c on

Cushion Make-up was first launched in March 2008 in South Korea and has many technical similarities to Blemish Balm or Beauty Balm (BB) Cream and Color Control/Correcting (CC) Cream technology. The BB Cream concept originated with a dermatologist in Germany, Dr. Christine Schrammek, to protect her patients’ skin after facial peels and surgery. It became popular in South Korea and Japan in the mid-1980s. [1] Cushion make-up is essentially a liquid foundation that is im-mersed within a sponge. The sponge is special designed ure-thane foam to contain and preserve liquid make-up. The color saturated sponge is packaged in the lower compartment of an air tight compact case together with an applicator puff. Together, they improve and provide a smooth finish on the skin. The product provides color within a make-up base and UV protection containing additional benefits: skin whitening, luminosity, pore control, anti-aging, cooling effect, and new forms of botanical and mineral moisturizers. Cushion prod-ucts are designed to feel lighter on the skin and provide a more natural appearance which helps to satisfy consumers’ needs. It is estimated that about 55-70 million units of cush-ion make-up have been sold worldwide. (Fig. 1)The consumer first presses an applicator puff onto the founda-tion sponge to dispense the liquid make-up. This puff is then patted and pressed gently onto the face until the desired effect is achieved. The consistency of the product and the puff makes it easier to create a more natural look. The sponge prevents spillage and contains the liquid product in a unique form. This is convenient for the user because it allows them to touch up their color throughout the day. This product form provides a clean and more precise deliv-ery. It is an alternative to other forms of foundation make-up while retaining the properties of a lightweight liquid.

A Technical Overview of Cushion Foundation Make-upE. Bartholomey, S. House, C. Mercado, J. Saintcatherine*

a s rac

The concept of cushion foundation make-up originated in Korea and builds upon conventional sunscreen, skin care and decorative color technologies. These products are similar to BB/CC creams, but with some key differences, including upscale

packaging with a unique application system, more coverage, and greater UVA/UVB sun protection. The technical design is a water-in-silicone or multiple phase emulsion with pigments, sunscreens, microspheres, and skin care ingredients. The compact contains a cushion that is saturated with liquid make-up and a puff that provides a more precise application of color and mul-tiple benefits to the skin. The products are multi-functional in the sense that they combine these ingredients all within one formula and package which helps to save time and effort for the consumer.

Cushion foundation make-up: Left – A cushion that lies with-in the compact and immersed in the liquid reservoir, Upper right – Applicator, Lower right – liquid make-up reservoir

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personal care|cushion foundation make-up

lar es an erences

BB Cream technology is generally a coupling of three tech-nologies: skin care, foundation make-up and sunscreens. The difference between BB and CC creams is subtle. CC generally stands for “color correcting” and the products are meant to address issues such as redness or sallow skin tone [3]. This is usually accomplished with light-diffusing micro-spheres or iridescent platelet particles.BB/CC creams are generally lower in their sunscreen claims, but some do claim up to SPF 50 and broad spectrum protec-tion. In some products there may be no SPF present at all. However, the cushion foundations are generally SPF 50 and also PA++ or greater claiming UVA/UVB protection. The BB/CC creams contain less titanium dioxide (about 1 %–6.5 %) and zinc oxide (about 1 %–3 %) than cushion foundation make-up. Although many BB/CC creams incorporate tita-nium dioxide and zinc oxide, they generally rely on organic sunscreen ingredients for UVA/UVB protection. The BB/CC creams are more sheer and have lower coverage than cush-ion foundation. BB/CC creams and tinted moisturizers usu-ally come in only a few shades, while foundations can come in over twenty shades ensuring a more exact skin match.

ons er ene s

1. Multi-tasking: Multiple skin ingredients and benefits are combined in an all-in-one product that helps to eliminate multiple steps of applying a sequence of products. Make-up application becomes a one step process.

2. Perfect coverage: the more precise application method provides a more even distribution of the color onto the skin and helps to cover minor blemishes or imperfections.

3. Moisturization: combinations of moisturizers and emol-lients are used to deliver and retain moisture in the skin, as well as helping to draw water from the surrounding air with humectants, glycerin and glycols. Moisturizers in the form of botanical extracts, such as aloe vera and many others are combined with hyaluronic acid, trehalose, or other unique ingredients.

4. UVA/UVB protection: the most commonly used sun-screens in this category are titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and octyl methoxycinnamate. The inorganic sunscreens, TiO2 and ZnO are mild to sensitive skin, yet effective for UVA/UVB protection.

Special Effects:

1. Skin brightening is important to the Asian market and can be delivered by ingredients that brighten and whiten the skin by physical and biological processes: niacinamide, vitamins and derivatives, arbutin, botanicals, mother of

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M A R I L I A N C EReduces neurocutaneous sensitivity

Extract from the single-celled microalga Rhodosorus marinus2 in 1 soother: double actionSignificantly reduces skin sensitivityLowers the irritation threshold of skinIncreases skin comfort

marine

neuro-

soother

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pearl, Vitamin C, iridescent titanium dioxide/mica or other platelets that possess color travel effects.

2. Optical effects, such as light diffusion, are accomplished with the addition of inorganic and organic microspheres. Silicone elastomers can provide additional cushion upon application and also help to diffuse light. Multilayer pearlescent pigments can provide iridescent and subtle, glowing effects.

3. Cooling: some of the cushion products contain menthol, alcohol, mineral clay water or other cooling ingredients to give the skin an icy feel upon application and to constrict the pores. Claims are made to improve the condition of the pores with patent pending ingredients, such as Siberia Peptide 6 from Amore Pacific.

o pos on

We analyzed well over a dozen products on the market to ex-plore the similarities and differences in this genre of products. The cushion foundations are generally all water-in-silicone or multiple phase emulsions.

Water-in-Silicone Emulsions

An external silicone phase has advantages for the product design of cushion foundations. Silicone emulsions provide ex-cellent lubricity on skin application and are water-resistant. They can be easily formulated to optimize their viscosity range from thin liquids to thick creams by varying the concentra-tion of the internal aqueous phase. The inclusion or exclusion

of gellants to the external silicone phase will also allow the formulator to modify the viscosity. Thin liquids are required for cushion make-up that utilizes a stamp pad type design. The reservoir of color is held within the capillary design of the sponge and is transferred to the applicator with precision.For liquid foundation make-up in squeezable tubes or tottles, the water concentration can be approximately 35-45 %. For more fluid, liquid foundations, the concentra-tion of the internal aqueous is less than 35 % [4]. They may also contain butylene glycol or other glycols which improve preservation. All of this helps to support the tech-nical cushion formulation design where the sponge is only semi-protected from the surrounding air and may be prone to addition of bacteria from the applicator coming into contact with it on a repeated basis – sometimes multiple times within a day.

Ultrafine Pigments

Micronized dispersions of color and sunscreen pigments are needed to permit absorption of the liquid foundation into the pores of the cushion within the compact. This same pigment technology favors smooth application and translates to a thin layer of make-up on the skin. These pigment dispersions con-sist of surface-treated pigments ground together with a dis-persant and a liquid silicone, ester, or an oil. These dispersions may be chosen based upon compatibility with the overall sys-tem. Surface treatments will enhance the dispersibility and stability of these colors in solvents, oils and esters.

Sunscreen Agents

Higher SPF and PA claims are made for many of the cushion foundation make-ups. SPF50+ and PA+++ are com-mon. Concentrates of ultrafine sunscreen dispersions, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, are available from manufacturers, such as Kobo Products. For cushion foundation make-up, the total amount of inorganic sunscreens ranges from about 6.5 %-17.0 %. Octyl methoxycinnamate ranges generally from 5 %-7 %. Antioxidants and bioactive compounds are also used to boost the UVA/UVB protection. [5]

Microspheres

Microspheres with a high degree of porosity ab-sorb oil (sebum) from the skin thereby improving the overall finish of the skin throughout the day. Importantly, they aid in application of the make-up onto the skin because of their ball bearing effect. They also diffuse light and create a soft focus ef-fect upon the skin. Sebum control powders are in-gredients in cushion foundations and claim to take care of excessive sebum and oil on skin to suppress greasiness for a shine-free effect. A semi-matte fin-ish is desirable for cushion make-up.

Gloss measurements of films cast from water-in-silicone emulsions con-taining shine control/soft focus ingredients at a 5% level.

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ne on rol

Microspheres such as silica (MSS-500), polymethyl methacrylate (BPA-500), and spherical composite materials like talc (and) ethylene/methacrylate copolymer (and) iso-propyl titanium triisostearate (SPCAT-I2) are utilized for their soft focus effect in cush-ion make-ups. However, they also have the capacity to absorb skin oil throughout the day which helps to keep the color true and the finish from becoming oily. Some of the cushion foundations claim the use of trans-parent pore elastomers that trap oils such as excess sebum into its structure, minimiz-ing greasiness and protecting skin by form-ing a smooth layer that conceals pores. We measured a series of materials in-vitro to observe their effect on preserving the finish from becoming oily or greasy. Five percent (5 %) of each powder was incor-porated into a water-in-silicone emulsion base containing inorganic sunscreens simi-lar to a cushion make-up. A film of each was cast upon a substrate that was coated with a small measured amount of synthetic sebum and dried complete-ly prior to testing.Multiple measurements were performed with a tri-gloss meter and an average reading determined for each ma-terial. Many of these materials were able to reduce the gloss of the make-up film by absorbing the artificial sebum and by creating a more diffuse reflection overall. Silica, ethylene/methacrylate copolymer, nylon, and polymethyl methacrylate all scored well.

onal an a e an e

Though the larger cosmetics brands can offer cushion foundation make-up in 10 to 20 or more shades, smaller cosmetic lines may limit the number of shades to 4-6 variations. The approach is similar to BB/CC creams which offer just a few shades. We measured a wide range of shades of foundation make-up available in the mar-ketplace to see where a smaller line of 4 cushion foundation shades would fit with regards to LCH color space. The four shades favored skin tones that show a more yellow hue and are somewhat higher

in chroma value (less black, less white). Though these shades are available in the U.S. market they tend to favor Asian skin tones. Although the cush-ion foundation is well accepted for its unique ben-efits, a limited shade selection as described can be an issue for Caucasian and Afro-American skin. Since cushion make-up is originally a Ko-rean innovation the more limited shade lines will appeal to Asian women and may fit well enough into the color mapping to be worn by some other women as well, similar to BB creams. The lightest shade in the line mapped above does not completely capture the tone of Caucasian light skin consumers as it is gen-erally darker and with more color. Asian and Hispanic skin tones match up better with this line of four shades. The cushion foundations tend to have medium coverage. However, it does depend upon the user and their overall touch with regards to ap-plication of the product. Some of the products have higher coverage than others. Titanium diox-

Color measurements of a basic shade range offered in the U.S. for Cushion Make-up (Light, Medium, Medium Dark, and Dark) relative to the larger shade category of foundation make-ups.

Trade Name INCI Name

KOBOMICA L-24 Mica

ASO-I2Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate (and) Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate

KAOLIN 2747 Kaolin

BPD-500HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer (and) Silica

BPA-500 Polymethyl Methacrylate

TR-1 Nylon-6

MSS-500 Silica

SPCAT-I2Talc (and) Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer (and) Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate

SILICA SHELLS Silica

a Trade and INCI Names for Shine Control and Soft Focus Materials tested

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ide ranges from about 4 %-10 % and zinc oxide from 1 %-10 %. These inorganic sunscreen pigments are used in combination with each other in most of these foundation products and the total concentration is about 6.5 %-17.0 %.

or la ons

On pages 49 and 50 are examples of two cushioned make-ups: a radiant blusher and a liquid foundation. Both formulas are water-in-silicone emulsions incorporating micronized pig-ments, inorganic sunscreens and iron oxides, as well as shine control and soft focus ingredients.

ac a n

Packaging for cushion make-up is very innovative. The sponge is made of urethane foam and set in the lower compartment of the compact and holds the reservoir of liquid make-up. The sponge is highly porous and can have up to 800,000 individual pores. The foam sponge helps to prevent the sedimentation of the lower vis-cosity formulation which can be less than 1000 cps. A polyure-

thane puff is placed in contact with the cushion to transfer the liquid foundation to the skin by patting or gently stamping. This is similar to the process one uses to create an ink stamp which is partially where the cushion make-up innovation originated.This type of puff has a higher capacity for holding water than synthetic latex and can give off a slight cooling effect de-pending upon the composition of the formulation. Some of the puffs are made with antimicrobial properties that inhibit growth of mold and bacteria.In general, these products are packaged with a refill unit of the cushion containing liquid make-up and a new applicator. The compact has a second compartment in the lid for the puff to be kept to prevent the foundation from prematurely drying out and to keep the foundation fresh. The compact is designed for refills to be added, which are sold to replace the old cushion with a new cushion, when the product expires after 12 months or as the cushion dries out.

oncl s on The cushion concept has broadened its appeal from origi-nally foundations, now to blushers, concealers, eyeshadows

Kobo Cushioned Liquid Foundation KLF-105APart Ingredients INCI Name Percent

1

CSF-3100@20cSt Dimethicone 45.88

TNP50T7-ATB C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate (And) Titanium Dioxide (And) Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil (And) Alumina (And) Methicone (And) Tocopheryl Acetate (And) Polyhydroxystearic Acid (And) Bisabolol

18.00

FAS65UTBTitanium Dioxide (And) Cyclopentasiloxane (And) PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone (And) Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate (And) Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone (And) Disteardimonium Hectorite (And) Tocopheryl Acetate

11.85

CPF-3300@20cSt Phenyl Trimethicone 3.50

FAS65YTB Iron Oxides (C.I. 77492) (And) Cyclopentasiloxane (And) PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone (And) Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate (And) Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone (And) Disteardimonium Hectorite (And) Tocopheryl Acetate

1.80

FAS65RTB Iron Oxides (C.I. 77491) (And) Cyclopentasiloxane (And) PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone (And) Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate (And) Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone (And) Disteardimonium Hectorite (And) Tocopheryl Acetate

0.30

FAS65BTB Iron Oxides (C.I. 77499) (And) Cyclopentasiloxane (And) PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone (And) Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate (And) Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone (And) Disteardimonium Hectorite (And) Tocopheryl Acetate

0.17

Propyl Paraben Propylparaben 0.10

2

Deionized Water Water 12.00

Butylene Glycol Butylene Glycol 2.00

Sodium Chloride Sodium Chloride 0.65

Liposorb® L-20 Polysorbate 20 0.40

Methyl Paraben Methylparaben 0.15

Trisodium EDTA Trisodium EDTA 0.10

Allantoin Allantoin 0.10

3 MSS-500W Silica 3.00

Total 100.00 %Procedure:1. Into a stainless steel beaker add the ingredients of Part 1 at room temperature. Mix with a Silverson homogenizer until the pigments and silicones/esters are fully dispersed and the color has developed. 2. Add the ingredients of Part 2 into a stainless steel beaker and mix with a Lightnin’ or similar mixer until the preservatives are in solution.3. Add Part 2 to Part 1 using a Silverson homogenizer at 3000-3500 rpms and mix until uniform.4. Add Part 3 to the batch and continue to homogenize at 3000-3500 rpms.5. Convert to mixing with a side sweeping blade. Mix until uniform.

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Shade selection is of great importance to the consumer. Cushion foundation lines that offer a wide variety of shades are likely to fit a higher percentage of skin types and tonal variations. However, more limited shade offerings in other cosmetic brands also have the potential to capture a fair share of the marketplace.

Bibliography

[1] Experts at Garnier, Huffington Post, BB Cream: The Next Big Thing In Beauty?

(2012)

[2] Kanokpom Chanasongkram, Bangkok Post, Cushion the Beauty (2015)

[3] Cheryl Wischover, Fashionista, The Difference Between BB, CC and DD Creams

(2015)

[4] Dow Corning Corporation, A Guide To Formulating With Silicones, Dow Cor-

ning 3225C Formulation Aid (1984)

[5] Yun Shao, Pascal Delrieu, Edward Bartholomey, David Schlossman, Practical

Tools for Boosting Sunscreen Efficacy, Sunscreen Symposium (September 2015)

and other complementary products. Though originally a Ko-rean innovation, the technology is making its way to Europe and the U.S. Formulation relies upon prior BB/CC cream formulation technology as its basis, but with improvements such as higher sunscreen protection and more defined col-or and coverage. Its innovative packaging and conceptual marketing from Korea has spawned a new generation of products that enable consumers to complete their make-up

application with fewer products and easier ap-plication.Shine control and soft fo-cus are important to cush-ion foundation make-up. Ingredients such as silica, ethylene/methacrylate copolymer, nylon, and polymethyl methacrylate can deliver benefits to the skin to preserve the fin-ish and create a soft glow through light diffusion.

cushion foundation make-up

Kobo Cushioned Radiant Blusher KBL-020 Part Ingredients INCI Name Percent

1

CSF-3100@20cSt Dimethicone 18.00

CM3K40T4 Cyclopentasiloxane (And) Titanium Dioxide (And) PEG-10 Dimethicone (And) Alumina (And) Methicone

15.00

CSF-3100@350cSt Dimethicone 10.00

CPF-3300@20cSt Phenyl Trimethicone 5.00

CSS-7300 Cyclopentasiloxane (And) PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone 4.00

CXG-1103 Cyclopentasiloxane (And) Cyclohexasiloxane (And) Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer Dimethicone

2.00

FAS65UTB Titanium Dioxide (And) Cyclopentasiloxane (And) PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone (And) Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate (And) Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone (And) Dis-teardimonium Hectorite (And) Tocopheryl Acetate

1.60

FAS65RTB Iron Oxides (C.I. 77491) (And) Cyclopentasiloxane (And) PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone (And) Iso-propyl Titanium Triisostearate (And) Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone (And) Disteardimonium Hectorite (And) Tocopheryl Acetate

0.36

FAS6050R6SIRed 6 Lake (And) Cyclopentasiloxane (And) PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone (And) Triethoxycaprylylsilane

0.20

Propyl Paraben Propylparaben 0.10

2

Deionized Water Water 30.49

Butylene Glycol Butylene Glycol 4.00

Sodium Chloride Sodium Chloride 0.65

Liposorb® L-20 Polysorbate 20 0.40

Methyl Paraben Methylparaben 0.10

Trisodium EDTA Trisodium EDTA 0.10

3 TR-1 Nylon-6 3.00

4KTZ® COLORSET RedGold

Titanium Dioxide (And) Mica (And) Carmine 5.00

Total 100.00 %Procedure:1. Into a stainless steel beaker add the ingredients of Part 1 at room temperature. Mix with a Silverson homogenizer until the pigments and silicones are fully dispersed and the color has developed. 2. Add the ingredients of Part 2 into a stainless steel beaker and mix with a Lightnin’ or similar mixer until the preservatives are in solution. 3. Add Part 2 to Part 1 using a Silverson homogenizer at 3500 rpms and mix until uniform. 4. Add Part 3 to the batch and continue to homogenize at 3500 rpms.5. Convert to mixing with a side sweeping blade and add Part 4. Mix until uniform.

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Edward Bartholomey | Principal Research ScientistStacey House | Applications Lab Manager Catherine Mercado | Applications Lab ChemistJulie SaintcatherineApplications Lab Manager (Kobo Products SAS) Kobo Products Inc.

Tel: +1 908 757 0033 www.koboproducts.com

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