The research in natural & organic cosmetics field is particularly scant, and especially in Sweden, no research has been done on the industry of natural & organic cosmetics. In consideration of the global eco-trend and also in order to overcome this research gap, this current thesis is focused on studying Swedish natural & organic cosmetics industry, which nowadays appears to be competitive and challenging as never before. Sweden is one of the most environmentally conscious countries where the consumption of cosmetics reached 15 billion SEK in 2011. There are number of companies and brands which categorize them as natural, and continuously look for ways to attract new and keep existing customers. The increased consumer demand for natural & organic products can be observed, consumer awareness coupled with willingness to purchase products that fit their principles and values, as well as consumer price-sensitivity as a result of global recession and their pursuit of making the best value of money. The requirement of natural beauty products are increasing and are available on environmentally-conscious Swedish market. The motivation behind this study is to enhance understanding about the natural & organic cosmetics industry in Sweden, and take a deeper look by over viewing some companies which are presented on this market. Understanding the industry structure is particularly important. Modified Porter’s five forces model has been used in this thesis in order to make the industry analysis.

This study seeks to confront the current Filipino cultural identity by investigating whiteness within the mass media context there.

Background: The cosmetics industry has historically been associated with women, and much research has focused on them. However, the male cosmetics market has been growing rapidly for several years around the world. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to men and their new way of life and consumption. France, which is the world’s leading exporter of cosmetic products, is struggling to convince its domestic market. Even though many forecasts predicted the French market to be one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing markets in the world, the lack of attention in the literature regarding the behavior of French male consumers motivated us to carry out a study designed to identify and understand the potential reasons that could explain the delay in the development of the cosmetics market. Purpose: The objective of this study is to understand the behavior of male consumers in France towards cosmetic products. We observed their perceptions of concepts of masculinity, what it means to be a man, body image, self-concept, and perception of brands present in the French market. This study responds to the need of the literature in which attention to the behaviors and attitudes of men consuming cosmetic products has been poorly studied despite the rapid growth of these markets worldwide. The phenomenon of grooming among men in France is still poorly understood. Method: We studied the behavior of French male consumers based on the Consumer Decision-making Process (CDP) model and its phases: problem recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision and post-purchase evaluation. We followed a qualitative methodology and conducted 12 in-depth semi-structured interviews with French male consumers of cosmetic products aged between 20 to 25 years. We used a non-random sampling method to select participants with experience with cosmetic products from our personal networks. Under an interpretivism paradigm, the results were analyzed using thematic qualitative data analysis to discover new emerging themes in the French socio-cultural context. Findings: The results show that our participants encounter difficulties in defining their conceptions of masculinity and manhood, and openly criticize the traditional masculine stereotypes in French society and the consequences they have on relationships with others. As a result, they do not recognize themselves in the brand images and promotional campaigns of major cosmetic brands because they are considered too traditional and stereotypical. Moreover, the respondents say they are exclusively interested in their personal well-being, which implies that they buy cosmetic products to meet physiological needs, without worrying about aesthetic considerations imposed by others. We also observed that our participants do not use online distribution channels because they are concerned about the human relationship of physical outlets. The men we interviewed have great confidence in the cosmetic products recommended by health professionals. Therefore, they usually buy their products in pharmacies or parapharmacy, and more generally in supermarkets for classic products for accessibility reasons. The quality and effectiveness of cosmetic products are at the heart of the participants’ concerns. This study contributes to the understanding of male cosmetic consumer behavior, which may be useful for marketers wishing to adjust their strategies based on our empirical observations.

Microtransactions is a relatively new concept within the gaming industry witha very large monetary value for businesses. Companies utilize persuasivedesign strategies such as time-based scarcity in order to incentivize players tospend money on microtransactions which in turn creates addiction towardsmicrotransactions. The purpose of this paper is to explain the addictiveinfluence limited time scarcity possesses on purchase intention for randomizedvirtual cosmetics (RVC) or definite virtual cosmetics (DVC), and which ofRVC and DVC carries the stronger influence. To arrive to a fitting conclusion,a quantitative method was utilized in order to collect the data required. Sincethis research is explanatory in nature and built on existing research, a crosssectional approach was utilized. Two hypotheses were tested, and aquestionnaire was conducted. The findings from this study suggest that bothRVC and DVC has an impact on purchase intention, however RVC proves tocarry a stronger influence than DVC.

Syftet med föreliggande alster var att undersöka huruvida utvecklingen av hur kvinnor exponeras i kommersiella sammanhang går hand i hand med postfeminism eller inte, och om det i sådana fall bidrar till att det fortfarande skapas kommersiellt innehåll utifrån den manliga blicken. Materialet som låg till grund för detta arbete var en av flera bilder från Bianca Ingrossos företag, CAIA Cosmetics, läppstifts reklamkampanj från år 2019. Metoden utgjordes, i grunden, av en semiotisk bildanalys, men med en sociosemiotisk dito som spets. Båda metoderna har likheter och har komponenter som går in i varandra, varpå båda, med utgångspunkt i en kvalitativ analys, spelade roller för mitt resultat. Analysen utfördes med följande forskningsfråga som grund: Hur förhåller sig postfeministisk teori och kommodifierad feminism till aktuell bild ur ett sociosemiotiskt perspektiv? Genom detta arbetes huvudteorier postfeminism, kommodifierad feminism och the male gaze – den manliga blicken – analyserades det valda materialet med kopplingar till pornografiskt bildspråk. Utfallet blev dubbeltydigt då kvinnan i bilden, utifrån applicering utav presenterad teori, både kunde ses som ett passivt objekt men även som ett aktivt subjekt. Makten i vald bild kunde alltså ses både som en kraft utifrån den postfeministiska individualismen samtidigt som det också kan tolkas som ännu ett fall av objektifiering av kvinnor i reklam. / The purpose with this essay was to examine whether or not the development of the exposure of women in commercial contexts correlates with postfeminism, and in such case, whether it contributes to the ongoing production of commercial content based on the theory of the male gaze. The fundamental material of this work was one of several images from Bianca Ingrosso's company, CAIA Cosmetics, lipstick advertising campaign from 2019. The method was, basically, a semiotic image analysis, but with an extending, socio-semiotic ditto as a complement. Both methods have similarities and have components that go into each other, which made both of them, based on a qualitative analysis, play important roles for the final results. The analysis was carried out based on the following research question: How does postfeministic theory and commodified feminism relate to the chosen image from a socio-semiotic perspective? Through the main theories of postfeminism, commodified feminism and the theory of the male gaze, the chosen material was analyzed with links to, and in comparison, with, pornographic imagery. The outcome was ambiguous as the woman in the image, based on the application of presented theories, could be seen both as a passive object but also as an active subject. The power in the chosen image could thus be seen both as a feminin force based on postfeminist individualism, while it, at the same time, also can be interpreted as yet another case of objectification of women in commercial advertising.

Commercial sunscreen products are used to protect the skin against hannful ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can induce skin cancer at high dosage. These products contain UV filters that can reflect, scatter or absorb UV light. The chemical UV filters responsible for the absorption of UV radiation can be photochemically modified and as a result reduce the efficacy of the sunscreen formulation. This study focused on the possible use ofplant polyphenols as potential stabilisers of photo-unstable sunscreen chemical absorbers. The photo-instability of some sunscreen absorbers results in radical formation; this prompted the use of the plant, Sutherlandia microphylla (Cancer Bush plant), as a potential photostabiliser. The Cancer Bush plant is used by the indigenous people of South Africa to treat AIDS and cancer. The radical scavenging properties of polyphenolic compounds present in the plant are possibly responsible for the plant's anti-tumour and anti-IDV properties. Therefore, these Cancer Bush polyphenols could possibly be used to photostabilise photo-unstable sunscreen absorbers. Potential polyphenolic photostabilisers from the Cancer Bush plant were extracted by means of various polyphenolic extraction methods. These extracts were analysed by gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The phenolic content and the antioxidant activity ofthese extracts were investigated by means of the Folin-eiocalteu reagent (FCR) and the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical assays respectively. Polyphenols were also extracted from various Rooibos teas and compared with those extracted from the Cancer Bush plant. Both the Cancer Bush and various Rooibos tea extracts were found to contain simple phen~lics and potential polyphenolic compounds. The Cancer Bush extracts as well as the Rooibos tea extracts together with the specific polyphenols, epicatechin and rutin, were assessed for their ability to photostabilise sunscreen absorbers. The photostability of the chemical absorbers in the absence and in the presence of the polyphenol extracts was investigated by UV spectroscopy, by monitoring their absorption spectra during irradiation with solar-simulated radiation. These extracts inhibited the photodegradation of the absorber avobenzone. The photostability of avobenzone is solventIntroduction III dependent hence the investigations were carried out in three solvents, namely, cyclohexane, ethyl acetate and dimethylsulfoxide. Additionally, the cause ofthe instability ofavobenzone in these solvents was investigated by means of DV spectroscopy, HPLC and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The oxygen dependency of the photo-instability of avobenzone was also determined. The photo-instability of avobenzone was found to occur as a result of photoisomerisation and!or photodegradation, depending on the solvent. Avobenzone photoisomerised extensively in dimethylsulfoxide and photodegraded appreciably in cyclohexane, whereas both processes occurred to a similar extent in ethyl acetate. Photoisomerisation only occurred in the presence of oxygen whereas photodegradation occurred irrespective of oxygen. The Cancer Bush and various Rooibos tea extracts as well as other polyphenols photostabilised avobenzone in ethyl acetate and dimethylsulfoxide but not in cyclohexane. This photostabilisation effect was potentially due to the radical scavenging ability of polyphenols which prevented the oxygendependent photoisomerisation, but not the oxygen independent photodegradation process from occurring. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-Chemistry-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005

The topical application of sunscreens is widely practised to protect healthy and photosensitive skins from the sun. The benzophenone-derived sunscreens, e.g. 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenone-5-sulphonic acid (or benzophenone-4) and 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy benzophenone (or benzophenone-3), were ranked as the second and third most frequently used sunscreens, respectively, by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996. These sunscreens are categorised as being 'safe' and 'effective'. However, it is well known that the parent compound, benzophenone, undergoes rapid hydrogen abstraction reactions on irradiation and is an extremely powerful radical generator. In addition, benzophenone has been shown to be a potent photosensitizer of thymine dimers in deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA). More astounding to the sunscreen industry is the recent discovery that a group of non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) having the benzophenone backbone, e.g. ketoprofen, not only form thymine dimers when irradiated with DNA in vitro, but also photosensitize double stranded supercoiled DNA making it prone to single-strand break formation. Both these lesions, if unrepaired, may contribute to mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, inherited disease and eventually cell death. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if a group of benzophenone-derived sunscreen agents has the ability to photosensitize the cleavage of DNA, whereby supercoiled DNA is converted to the relaxed circular and linear forms. The group of UV absorbers investigated in this study included benzophenone-4, benzophenone-3 , 2,4 dihydroxybenzophenone (or benzophenone-l), 2,2'-dihydroxy-4,4'-dimethoxy benzophenone sulphonic acid (or trade name Uvinul DS49) and 2-phenylbenzimidazole-5-sulphonic acid (or trade name Eusolex 232). For comparison the parent compound benzophenone and the NSAID ketoprofen, a well-known photocleaver, were also studied. Buffered aqueous solutions of the benzophenones were irradiated in the presence of DNA at wavelengths greater than 300 nm with an Osram 500 W/2 high-pressure mercury lamp in conjunction with a 10 mm thick Pyrex filter. The irradiated samples were analysed for DNA cleavage by agarose gel electrophoresis and for DNA binding by fluorescence spectroscopy. The photostability of the UV absorbers was also investigated. In addition, computational studies were conducted to obtain the lowest energy geometrical structures of these UV absorbers and hence determine if intercalation of these UV absorbers with DNA was possible. From the photostability experiments conducted, it is apparent that the benzophenone-based UV absorbers were stable to photodecomposition when irradiated with UV light. They behaved in a manner different from their parent compound benzophenone, and from ketoprofen, where substantial photodegradation occurred upon UV irradiation. This is indicative of the rapid photoreactivity of the benzophenone backbone. The relative photostability of the UV absorbers was not anticipated and was attributed to the substituents present on the benzophenone backbone. The agarose gel electrophoresis experiments however clearly showed that benzophenone, ketoprofen, benzophenone-l, Uvinul DS49 and Eusolex 232 cleave ?X174 DNA when irradiated with UV light at wavelengths greater than 300 nm, while benzophenone-3 and benzophenone-4 did not. For these UV absorbers with the exception of benzophenone-3 and benzophenone-4, the number of single strand breaks in the DNA increased compared to when it was irradiated in their absence. In addition, the supercoiled DNA was converted to the relaxed circular and linear forms, the latter of which was undetected in the absence of the UV absorbers. Binding of benzophenone, ketoprofen, benzophenone-l and Uvinul DS49 to calf thymus DNA was also detected by the fluorescence spectroscopy technique. However, this was not observed for Eusolex 232, benzophenone-3 and benzophenone-4, since they did not compete with ethidium bromide for DNA binding sites. Where DNA cleavage did occur, the mechanism of this interaction had to be determined hence the motivation for the computational studies. From computational studies using PM3 semi- empirical calculations, it was determined that the benzophenone-based UV absorbers investigated, apart from Eusolex 232, displayed non-planar geometrical structures. This indicated that DNA intercalation of these sunscreen agents with DNA would at best be very limited, since only one half of the molecule could possibly interact with the bases of DNA. For benzophenone, ketoprofen, benzophenone-l and Uvinul DS49, photosensitised type I and type II processes involving triplet energy transfer reactions has been identified in literature as being responsible for DNA cleavage. It was determined by ab initio calculations that Eusolex 232 exists in a planar structure unlike the other UV absorbers mentioned above that were non- planar. It was concluded that although Eusolex 232 has the ability to intercalate with the base pairs of DNA, it does not do so, as shown by its lack of binding to calf thymus DNA by the fluorescence spectroscopy study. Literature alludes to photooxidation by singlet oxygen in single stranded DNA via the type II reaction and type I electron transfer reactions in double stranded DNA as the mechanism responsible for DNA cleavage induced by Eusolex 232. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

This thesis represents an attempt to encourage a new perspective on health in the late-eighteenth and nineteenth century by concentrating on the ‘mundane maladies’ of the middle classes. The conventional approach to studies of urban health has been to concentrate on the killer diseases of the period. Thus tuberculosis, cholera and typhoid have all received much attention. But what about the everyday experience of health and illness? It is largely unrecorded as the occasional bout of stomach ache, constipation or chesty cough was rarely thought to be noteworthy, except by the odd hypochondriac. However, with the aid of advertisements for health and beauty products published in the provincial press, it is possible to explore the experience of less dramatic and less debilitating ailments. This study, therefore, has analysed the language and strategies employed by advertisers of health and beauty products and services to gain a clearer understanding of the middle-class experience of health and ill-health. Whilst product names and descriptions reveal the range of ‘mundane maladies’ that beset the middle classes, the language employed to sell them offers an indication of the public’s beliefs and expectations surrounding health. Attention has also been paid on how beauty products were employed to manage external appearances. As towns and cities grew during the late-eighteenth and nineteenth century, individuals increasingly judged others by their appearance. By analysing the language used to sell beauty products, it is possible to gain an insight into how members of the middle class wished to be perceived.

In order to discover the semantic implications involved in advertising in general, the present study is confined to an investigation of the names of perfumes and lipsticks, taken as representative of the broader field.

This thesis addresses how female beauty was understood in the eighteenth century and aims to build on and expand the existing scholarship from Robert Jones, Tita Chico, Tassie Gwilliam, G. J. Barker-Benfield and Naomi Baker, amongst others. Each of these scholars has discussed various areas of beauty, including taste, cosmetics, sensibility, gender and, for Baker, the opposite to beauty, ugliness. Building on these areas of study, this thesis will address the concept of beauty in both its physical and moral sense. That is, the connection of the beautiful body with the ideas or associations it has come to signify. For example, the beautiful female body usually informs readings of virtue, morality, goodness, but, in some cases, beauty can be read as wantonness, immorality and foolishness. In order to navigate these contradictory associations, the thesis has been split into category chapters and divided into two parts. The first part will examine beauty's physiognomic origins, its role in aesthetic philosophy, and its artistic expression. In the second part, with a more literary focus, the concept of beauty will be discussed in connection to its moral associations, the effects of cosmetics and health, and how concerns for reading the body are considered in the mid-century's moral novels. The evidence for the thesis will include various types of literature, including scientific and artistic treatises, fairytales, letters, advertisements, recipe books, cosmetic manuals, poetry and prose fiction. Although the scope of this thesis is wide reaching, the relationship between the body and mind, that is, the legibility of the inner qualities on the external signs of the body, remains very much at its centre. These numerous and varying examples have been chosen to demonstrate how influential this connection really was in the period, and how it informs the understanding of female beauty in the eighteenth-century.