WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO REFORMULATE A COSMETIC PRODUCT?

Dott.ssa Mariagrazia Lo Sacco

Behind the scenes of BeC’s Research & Development laboratory

When we use a cosmetic product we love every day — a cleanser, a cream, a serum or a body product — we often recognize it immediately: by its texture, its scent, the way it feels on the skin, how it applies and the result it leaves after use.

But what happens when that product is reformulated?

At first glance, from the outside, little or nothing may seem to change. The product keeps its identity, its effectiveness and its pleasant sensory experience. Yet behind that continuity, there is a long, precise and complex process.

Today, we are taking you behind the scenes of BeC’s laboratories to explain what it really means to reformulate a cosmetic product.

What does it mean to reformulate a cosmetic product?

Reformulating a cosmetic product means rethinking an existing formula, modifying one or more ingredients while preserving everything that makes the product recognizable and appreciated.

The goal is not to completely transform the product, but to optimize it.

A successful reformulation should maintain, as much as possible, the key characteristics of the original cosmetic product:

• effectiveness;
• gentleness;
• texture;
• fragrance;
• colour;
• skin feel;
• formula stability;
• pleasantness during and after application.

In other words, a reformulated product should feel familiar to those who have been using it for a long time, while also being improved, updated or made even more consistent with new formulation needs.

Why reformulate a cosmetic product if it already works?

This is a very common question: if a product is already effective and loved by consumers, why change it?

The answer is that cosmetics are constantly evolving. Formulas are not static: they evolve alongside scientific research, ingredient innovation, skin needs and consumer expectations.

A cosmetic reformulation can arise from several different needs.

It may be linked to the desire to improve formula stability, refine sensorial qualities, update certain ingredients, make the product more performing or align it more closely with a specific formulation philosophy.

In other cases, reformulation may be necessary because a raw material is no longer available, because more suitable alternatives exist, or because the laboratory wants to further optimize the product while preserving its original identity.

So, reformulating does not mean correcting something that “wasn’t working”. It means allowing a formula to evolve with care, expertise and method.

Cosmetic reformulation in BeC laboratories

This is exactly what we do every day in Research & Development at BeC.

In our laboratories in Forlì, our work on formulas begins with observation, knowledge of raw materials and continuous testing and verification.

At the moment, for example, we are working on the reformulation of a cleanser, with the aim of preserving its effectiveness and gentleness, while finding the right balance between performance, formula stability and pleasantness of use.

When it comes to cleansing products, every detail matters: the product must cleanse effectively while remaining gentle on the skin. It must have a pleasant texture, a consistent colour, a balanced fragrance and an enjoyable sensation during use.

The final result should feel simple. But getting there requires many trials.

Why isn’t it enough to simply replace one ingredient?

One of the most complex aspects of cosmetic reformulation is that every ingredient can perform several functions within a formula.

An ingredient may contribute to texture, stability, sensoriality, performance or the final appearance of the product. This is why, when one ingredient is changed, it is not enough to simply replace it with another.

The entire formula needs to be rebalanced.

Even a small change can affect consistency, colour, foam, fragrance, long-term stability or the way the product feels on the skin.

This is where laboratory work comes in: testing, observing, adjusting and testing again. Every modification is carefully evaluated, because the goal is to obtain a product that preserves its identity while becoming even more optimized.

From formulation to efficacy testing

Research & Development work does not stop at creating the formula.

In BeC’s laboratories in Forlì, we also conduct efficacy tests and evaluations on volunteers, in order to observe not only the product’s performance, but also key aspects of the user experience.

When a cosmetic product is used, effectiveness is important — but it is not the only factor that determines perceived quality.

Sensoriality also plays a central role.

For this reason, during evaluations, several aspects are observed, including:

• fragrance;
• texture;
• colour;
• ease of application;
• skin feel;
• pleasantness during use;
• perception after application or rinsing.

These tests help us understand whether the reformulated formula maintains the desired characteristics and whether the user experience remains consistent with that of the original product.

The balance between effectiveness, stability and sensoriality

Reformulating a cosmetic product means finding a balance.

On one side, there is product performance: what the product is designed to do and the result it should deliver. On the other, there are formula stability, safety of use, sensory pleasantness and consistency with the product’s identity.

In the case of a cleanser, for example, it is important to evaluate cleansing ability, gentleness, foam formation, ease of rinsing and the sensation it leaves on the skin.

All these aspects need to work together.

A formula may be technically correct, but not yet perfect from a sensory point of view. Or it may have a pleasant texture but still require further adjustments to achieve the desired stability.

For this reason, reformulation is a process made of trials, comparisons, observations and small successive improvements.

The value of cosmetic research

Behind every cosmetic product there is much more than what we see in the bottle.

There is the selection of raw materials, knowledge of ingredients, stability assessment, texture control, attention to the skin and listening to the experience of those who use the product.

Cosmetic research allows a formula to evolve without losing its identity.

It is a quiet kind of work, often invisible to the consumer, but essential for ensuring products that are always up to date, performing and pleasant to use.

At BeC, every reformulation starts from this approach: combining formulation expertise, laboratory testing and volunteer evaluations to obtain a product that remains faithful to its history, while becoming even more optimized.

A product that looks the same, but is even more evolved

The greatest challenge when reformulating a cosmetic product is this: obtaining a product that looks and feels the same as always, while being the result of even more careful work.

Those who use it should recognize the texture, scent, sensation and effectiveness they already know. But behind that familiarity, there are new trials, new tests, small adjustments and many evaluations.

Reformulating therefore means respecting the identity of a product while supporting its evolution.

It is a process of precision, balance and continuous research.

And this is exactly what we do every day in BeC laboratories.

Reformulating a cosmetic product does not simply mean changing an ingredient.

It means rethinking a formula as a whole, preserving what makes it unique and working to improve it even further.

From the selection of raw materials to stability tests, from laboratory trials to evaluations on volunteers, every phase contributes to creating an effective, pleasant product that remains consistent with its identity.

Because the true goal of reformulation only seems simple: to obtain a cosmetic product that feels like the one you have always known, but in an even more optimized version.

Learn more about our Laboratories: https://www.bec-natura.com/en/pages/bec-natura-research-laboratories-scientific-innovation