Stenungsund, Sweden Apply Now Apply until: 28 Oct 2026

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About the Thesis project

MSc thesis (30 ECTS, approximately 20 weeks) at Personal Care, Nouryon Stenungsund, spring 2027

Optimizing the performance of moisturizing actives in skin and hair care applications, by quantifying the penetration and evaluating the direct and long-term benefits of usage.

Emulsions for skin care are an essential part of everyday life and present themselves in many different forms; ranging from lightweight serums to heavier body butters. In their simplest form (O/W emulsion with just oil, water and an emulsifier) they protect the skin from drying out by creating an occlusive layer at the top that stops water passage. However, this is not meeting consumer expectations in combating dryness and restoring skin elasticity.

Nouryon produces moisturizing actives, ingredients that attract water when deposited on the skin and thereby effectively reverse dryness. Moisturizing actives can conversely also help combat other skin issues such as oily skin or dandruff, as many issues stem from an original problem of lack of skin hydration. Moisturizing actives also affect the sensorial properties of the emulsion, which is an important factor to consider to meet market demands. In addition to skin, they also have direct benefits in hair care as they can help remoisturize and strengthen the hair fibers.

The aim of the thesis project is to gain a deeper understanding of Nouryon’s moisturizing actives in skin and hair care applications. In particular, the aim is to quantify and measure the penetration of the actives inside skin tissues and hair fibers and the benefits of usage.

The evaluation will be performed on hair and skin substrates, using classical analytical chemistry techniques as well as cosmetic chemistry testing procedures. The work will mainly be performed at Nouryon’s Personal Care lab in Stenungsund, while some parts of the project will be carried out at the Analytical Chemistry division at Chalmers.

Supervisors: Sofia Edegran (Researcher) Nouryon Personal Care, Prof. Per Malmberg (also examiner), Dept. of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers
Contact: Sofia.Edegran@Nouryon.com
Location: Stenungsund, Sweden
Preferred time period: Spring 2027 (~20 weeks)

Great if you have

A background in Chemical Engineering or a related field
Strong report-writing and communication skills in English
An ongoing MSc education at Chalmers University of Technology (preferred)

We offer you

At Nouryon, we value the contributions of students undertaking their Master Thesis with us and offer the following compensation based on the scope of their projects:

30 ECTS Master's Thesis: For a 30 ECTS master's thesis, you will receive compensation equivalent to 60% of the current price base amount (prisbasbelopp). This reflects our appreciation for your dedication and contribution to the project. Please note that the compensation is paid upon completion and approval of the thesis by the institution.

To receive compensation, the following steps must be fulfilled:

Insurance: If you are studying at a foreign institution, confirm that you are insured through your university or college.

Thesis included in your education: The thesis must be an integral part of your academic program to qualify for compensation.

Coordination Number: Obtain a coordination number from the Swedish Tax Agency to receive payment. Payments can only be made to Swedish bank accounts.

Good to know

Students from all universities are welcome to apply. However, due to the collaboration with Chalmers, students currently enrolled at Chalmers University of Technology are preferred.

Please apply via our online recruitment system with an updated CV. We take care of your personal data (GDPR), so we do not accept applications via email as these will be ignored. Also, please respond carefully to the selection questions so that we can assist you in the best possible way.

The ad will be posted during the fall and will be removed as soon as we have found the final candidate.

As part of our selection process, the final candidate will undergo a background check before being offered the thesis project. Further information will be provided at a later stage of the process.

We look forward to receiving your application. We will review your qualifications and assess how your skills and experience match the requirements of the thesis project. We strive to get back to you as soon as possible with an update on the process.

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