Variblend Announces Worldwide Winner Of Its First Annual Formulation Challenge

The three-in-one skin care formulation developed by Ei, A Pharmaceutical SolutionWorks™ is the winner of the first annual VariBlend Formulation Challenge, VariBlend President and CEO Robert Brands has announced. Brands also reported that the UK’s Alfa Chemicals Ltd’s duo-pump All-In-One Travel Kit was the runner-up in the international competition, which was designed to spark the creativity of skin care product developers, and underscore the market potential for the dual dispensing category. 

The three-in-one skin care formulation developed by Ei, A Pharmaceutical SolutionWorks™ is the winner of the first annual VariBlend Formulation Challenge, VariBlend President and CEO Robert Brands has announced. Brands also reported that the UK’s Alfa Chemicals Ltd’s duo-pump All-In-One Travel Kit was the runner-up in the international competition, which was designed to spark the creativity of skin care product developers, and underscore the market potential for the dual dispensing category. VariBlend is the world leader in the manufacture of custom-blending, dual-dispensing technology. Ei’s winning entry was a three-in-one Foundation Concentrate formula based upon the VariBlend VAR 40-2 dispenser.  The formula includes a variety of active ingredients, allows consumers to use one product for multiple coverage options, and represents the DIY skincare trend first popularized in the Pacific Rim. In this case, the product was designed to provide either a low coverage Beauty Balm for daily use, a medium-to-high coverage foundation for night life, or a full coverage concealer that masks dark spots and blemishes.

The UK’s Alfa Chemicals Ltd, which recently won the Society of Cosmetic Scientists’ (SCS) new Laura Marshall Memorial Award for the Year's Most Innovative Cosmetic Product, took second place for its DUO-PUMP All-in-one Travel Kit. It contains a hydric and lipidic gel, stored separately and designed to work together to produce a range of different skin care products depending on the proportions of each used. “This year’s winners of the VariBlend Formulation Challenge demonstrate our industry’s creativity in meeting the evolving needs of consumers,” said VariBlend’s Brands.  “Skin care formulations are more complex than ever, using actives and preservative-free ingredients.  Our dual dispensing platform delivers the efficacy, functionality, convenience and enhanced ergonomics that make for successful launches in market.”  Judging was conducted by members of both the international formulator and Brand Innovation Manager communities.  Prize money totaled $10,000, with $7,500 going to the first-place winner and $2,500 for the runner-up.

Open to manufacturers, contract packagers and formulators, the inaugural VariBlend program challenged entrants to devise a skin care product using the company’s 40mm dual dispenser.  This opened up possibilities in four product concept areas: A/B, Variable, 50/50, and the increasingly popular “regimen” type product that deliver a different multi-element formula ratio over time. The Variblend system, available in either airless or atmospheric, allows for precise delivery of two formulas of varying viscosities and flow rates. Simply rotating the dispenser head allows the consumer to select multiple formula strengths or color shades.  As the dispenser head is rotated, it changes the position of the actuating disc, which interacts with the pump pistons.  When actuated, this disc pushes each pump piston at different angles depending upon the selected mixing ratio. As a result, Variblend’s proprietary dual-dispensing system is an appealing alternative for products that require ingredient separation, offer strength or shade regimens, or need precise mixing and blending at the moment of application.

Source: Variblend