A knowledge-based ingredient formulation system for chemical product development in the personal care industry

The formulation of personal care products involves a trial-and-error approach to testing different combinations of chemicals. Specific knowledge plays an important role in creating the desired product properties. Without knowledge support tools, the formulation process becomes iterative. Furthermore, personal care products cannot be designed without analyzing market needs, and their development thus involves the collaboration of the formulators and the marketing teams. Miscommunication can reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of the process. This paper presents a knowledge-based ingredient formulation system for supporting chemical product development in the personal care industry. Case-based reasoning is used to solve ingredient formulation problems with reference to how similar past problems have been solved. The system also acts as a collaborative platform for sharing knowledge among the various stakeholders. A case study confirms the viability of the system, and the results show that the system provides formulators with key knowledge, enabling effective product formulation.