Washington State Governor Jay Inslee signed into law HB 1047 on 15 May, implementing the most aggressive cosmetics ingredient ban in the country. The Personal Care Products Council and Independent Beauty Association are concerned about a lack of alternative preservatives to replace targeted formaldehyde-releasing substances effectively and affordably and the law’s inconsistency with FDA over lead levels, among other impacts.

Sally Hansen has seen a 300% increase in shades viewed on its website, and a 120% increase in intent to buy, since it introduced Perfect Corp.’s AR-based virtual try-on tool, the beauty tech firm says. French nail-color specialist Manicurist is the latest to partner with Perfect for its Green Flash brand.

Per Lisa Hau, Bidstack’s chief strategy officer, “Gaming has an audience that is undeniable. It reaches one-third of the world's population and continues to grow.” And the average gamer is not the popularly imagined anti-social teenage male, as “45% of gamers are now female, and the average age sits comfortably at 34 years old.” It’s a compelling opportunity for beauty brands, Bidstack says.

John Villafranco, partner at Kelly Drye & Warren LLP, says the US FTC’s ability to obtain monetary relief using the penalty offense mechanism is questionable both on statutory and Constitutional grounds. Marketers faced with civil penalties – for example, for alleged inadequately substantiated health claims – should stand their ground, he suggests in a recent interview.

Amyris, Inc. is developing 30 molecules using its bio-fermentation technology, negotiating a bio-manufacturing joint venture that could yield $50m-$100m in proceeds, and simplifying its Consumer portfolio to unlock value. Cost containment and liquidity will continue to be key priorities for the synthetic biotech firm while it targets up to 100% revenue growth in fiscal 2023.

Companies that have struggled to secure quality agreements with suppliers have additional leverage and a new starting point for those discussions, namely the Modernization of Cosmetic Regulations Act. Anand Natarajan, associate counsel at The Estee Lauder Companies, provided his view in a recent FDLI webinar.