To supplement a one-of-a-kind program, a one-of-a-kind textbook is necessary.
Introduction to Cosmetic Formulation and Technology is the unique textbook paired with The University of Toledo’s Cosmetic Science and Formulation Design Program, the only undergraduate degree of its kind in the United States.
Dr. Gabriella Baki and Dr. Kenneth Alexander of the Department of Pharmacy Practice posed for a photo with their new textbook, “Introduction to Cosmetic Formulation and Technology,” which they wrote for UT’s Cosmetic Science and Formulation Design Program.
After years of planning, the degree was made official in 2014 and was the first undergraduate program of its kind. Baki and Alexander, who pioneered the program’s creation and progression, fashioned the textbook as a supplement to Baki’s courses.
The peer-reviewed text, while scientific, is basic because it is intended as an introduction to cosmetic science and formulation design. But that’s good, Baki said, because it can be easily applied to almost any similar program or course. Each chapter features key terms and review sections, making it easy to navigate the book.
Prior to the book, Baki compiled a laboratory and lecture manual from scratch for her introductory courses. Because the only programs remotely similar to UT’s degree were master’s programs, there wasn’t an introductory textbook.
“I was working on course work for three different courses, and I would find information that was relevant for one course, but not the other two,” she said. “I could find a few books, but they were for very specific topics, not a general textbook.”
Baki explained she would take a little information from each specific textbook and combine it with information she found online such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website to create manuals for her classes.
It was Alexander who suggested compiling the information into a book: “I said I would help edit it because I have the skills to do that and she is enthusiastic enough to work hard. Between the two of us, we came up with this book.”
Additionally, the illustrations were designed by Baki’s husband, Gabor Balazs. The cover depicts a variety of beakers, flasks, tubes and bottles with a mirror reflecting the final products prepared — a tube of lipstick, perfumes, mascara, mouthwash, and deodorant in their packaging.
“The ingredients are mirrored by the products to show what students are creating when they have this knowledge,” Alexander explained. “It’s the coup de grâce of the book.”
The program, which has 16 students, teaches how to formulate, produce and test cosmetics and personal care products. In addition to learning how to make these products, students learn about their design, marketing and development.
For more information, visit http://utole.do/cosmeticscience.
