
Benefits
At the end of the course you will have a thorough and up-to-date knowledge of raw materials and products in the cosmetics, toiletries and allied industries and be able to:
- Work with a high degree of independence making cosmetics and toiletries
- Evaluate and use appropriate raw materials, processes and equipment
- Be competent in problem identification, making decisions and developing strategies
- Retrieve information from a range of sources and critically review it
- Organise and manage your work as an individual and as part of a team

Final assessment takes the form of four formal two hour examination papers covering all the modules of the course. These exams will require the student to attend an approved exam centre which is arranged by the Education Administrator for each student and must be sat during the same exam period of an academic year (September). A deferral student may not divide the exams between years. You are given past copies of the examination papers so that you can see the style of the paper and examples of typical questions.
The Hibbott Memorial Prize is awarded to the student, who completes the course within one year, with the highest overall mark after the examinations.
There is also a prize for the best essay submitted as an assignment. The essay is published in SPC magazine.
Dr H W Hibbott was President of the Society in 1960 and 1961 and the memorial prize is awarded in his honour.
- Foundations in chemistry, physiology, biochemistry and microbiology
- Key functional roles of development, production, packaging and marketing
- Vital auxiliary services such as stability testing, microbial preservation, quality assurance, legislation, safety assessment, performance evaluation and market research
- Specific product categories such as hair, skin and oral care, colour cosmetics, aerosols and perfumes
There are four modules, some of which are accompanied by short videos on either laboratory work or aspects of production; both are areas that cannot fully be captured by the written word . You can see the full list of subjects in the course prospectus.
The first module introduces students to the basic sciences together with raw materials and safety in the workplace.
In Modules Two and Three the emphasis is on formulation and manufacture and how to make a cosmetic and toiletry product. It includes hair products (shampoos etc), skin products (moisturisers,creams etc), cleansing agents (shampoos, bubble baths, etc) and decorative cosmetics (lipsticks, eye shadows, foundations etc) together with production and packaging.
The final part is concerned more with use of the finished product and includes legislation and product safety. It also considers the marketplace, environmental impact, marketing issues, consumer research, product evaluation, statistics and claim support.
All course material is the intellectual property of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists. It is for the sole use of the named student who has been accepted onto the course and paid in full. Access must not be shared or given to another person. No course material should be copied or used other than for the purpose of completion of the SCS Distance Learning Course.