Small particles are becoming a big business for the world's personal care products manufacturers according to an analysis of world patent activity published today by the IP Solutions business of Thomson Reuters. The new report, Can Nanotech Unlock the Fountain of Youth?, finds that the beauty industry has begun to make an aggressive foray into nanotechnology, using tiny molecular compounds to improve the performance of creams, sunscreens, shampoos and other personal-care products.
The report tracks unique inventions published in patent applications and granted patents from 2003 to 2009, along with trademark data from 2000 through 2009, to identify the companies and areas of nanotechnology innovation showing the sharpest growth in this industry. The findings include: