(174a) Engineering Skin Lotions

In this paper, we illustrate our new methodology for the development of new products as applied to skin lotions. We discuss the case of a humidifying and desquamation lotion for a specific skin disorder (ichthyosis). We will show the effect of ingredients on the different properties desired (effectiveness to cure, smoothness, creaminess, thickness, etc). We will show how the concentration of these ingredients, which can be used to define viscosity, surface tension, etc., help build a “consumer satisfaction” function that can be used to build a customer “happiness” function. Then we will show how this function is used to obtain a proper relation between price and demand, through a consumer model. Finally, we will show how manufacturing costs are used together with this pricing model as constraints of a profit maximization problem. Such problem renders the lotion ingredients and their concentration, the selling price and the capacity of the manufacturing plant simultaneously. Part of this work was presented in the AICHE 2005 Meeting. This year we will discuss several new aspects of the problem.