Cabot has developed a new grade of fumed alumina that produces effective soft focus and matting performance in a wide variety of cosmetics and personal care applications.SpectrAl PC-401™ fumed alumina is Cabot's answer to the increasing needs for differentiated novel effects to achieve wrinkle reduction in formulations.

This product is specifically designed to meet a particular performance balance in terms of the six key performance criteria important to the manufacturers of cosmetics:

• High Total Transmission: a performance diffuser particle must have a low light absorption. That's why the highest Total Light Transmitting particle yields the best overall diffusion performance. In fact, the higher the Total Light Transmission, the more natural the skin appears.

• Lowest Total Reflection: the lower Reflectance reduces the "luster" appearance of the skin.

• Best Cost: production set-up allows Cabot to provide the industry with a competitively-priced, new diffusing material.

• Oil Adsorption: fumed alumina provides oil adsorption, such as sebum, which can reduce the degradation of the applied formulation. Combined with its cationic charge, SpectrAl PC-401 can provide long lasting performance

• Best Diffuse Transmission Component: this element of the Total Light Transmission is key to obtain an even reflection of light from the skin. Evenly reflected light "visually covers" wrinkles.

• Best Scattered Refraction Component: this element of the Total Light Reflection needs to be high in order to obtain even light distribution, independent of wrinkles.

To help you understand the performance of SpectrAl PC-401 versus currently available materials, we have developed an animated star diagram. Performance improves from chart center. To compare performance results, click on each Cabot product name on the chart.

(Note: To launch the star diagram selector above, you must have Macromedia Flash software loaded.)