The Society of Cosmetic Scientists (SCS) Annual Conference is the leading cosmetic science event in the calendar in the UK. Taking place online from 6 – 8 July, this online conference is a key platform for the exchange of new ideas and research.
The event brings together hundreds of people from all parts of the category, from formulation chemists to regulatory experts, academics to marketing managers and raw materials experts to packaging technologists.
The theme of this year’s conference is Naturals in Cosmetic Science – Saving Our Planet. For this event the SCS has brought together leading scientific experts and opinion formers in the field to help attendees navigate through this very complex area. The aim is for people to leave the conference feeling excited and inspired to do more to promote environmental sustainability, but also to have solid scientific evidence and processes on which to base their actions. The cosmetics industry needs to change to meet environmental sustainability challenges. This conference will, we hope, help cosmetic scientists deliver these changes.
The programme for the event can be found at www.scsannualconference.com.
Saving our planet – a call to action
Change is coming to our industry, and many organisations are already thinking about how we can shape our own futures. In this session we will hear about the important strategy paper recently published by the British Beauty Council titled ‘Courage to Change’, and how we can deliver a more sustainable beauty industry. We will also hear about the B Corp revolution that is poised to sweep across the industry, that helps companies deliver better corporate responsibility and environmental sustainability. Finally, we hear from that key part of our industry, ‘the consumer’. How do consumers’ attitudes to natural and sustainable weigh-up versus what we are trying to do as an industry? The aim of this first session is to describe the bigger picture and to leave attendees inspired to learn more. It is a ‘call to action’.
Sustainable sourcing of materials
The materials that we choose to make our cosmetic products, form a key decision in achieving the levels of sustainability and environmental protection that we desire. The four speakers in this session bring different perspectives, firstly considering existing technologies and feedstocks and evaluating their impact whilst also considering how the purchase of existing feedstocks can be managed to provide societal benefits. Speakers will also be presenting new and emerging technologies for personal care as well as a more challenging session to consider whether the industries efforts can have a true impact or simply be considered to be greenwashing.
High performance natural & sustainable ingredients
Natural ingredients and sustainability claims are on the rise both in the UK personal care market and across the world. This conference session will consider specific materials available to the market and demonstrate the levels of performance that can be achieved from natural materials. Information on biotechnology and fermentation will also be shared as potential next steps on the journey for achieving high performance sustainable cosmetic products.
Designing environmentally friendly cosmetic products – formulations and packaging
There is much to consider when designing environmentally friendly cosmetic products. The consumer is keen to check that the products they buy meet their needs in the context of the environmental profile. It is the formulation and the packaging which are probably the most visible to the consumer in the first instance. In this session delegates will hear from experts in the field of ingredient selection, sustainability, eco-responsibility and the environmental impact of the packaging. Delegates will come away with ideas to guide them in ingredient selection, examples of the important practices to consider when embracing sustainability, suggestions on how to be eco-responsible in their formulating and an understanding of the challenges of reducing the environmental impact of plastics used in cosmetic packaging through sourcing and design.
What is natural what is sustainable – regulation and accreditation
Sustainability and natural origin are rapidly becoming the most looked for traits in cosmetic products for consumers. With this heightened focus and subsequent scrutiny of products, consumers are seeking assurances around the credibility of the claims made and credentials of the brands making those claims around sustainability and natural origin. This brings the development of accreditations that brands can use to convince their customers of these credentials and regulations to ensure that there is compliance and guidance when making claims in this area. This session will explore how these accreditations and regulations are evolving and developing and what we can expect to see in the future.
Cosmetic brands – Making it happen
Saving Our Planet has no silver bullet; a collection of actions is needed. Cosmetic brands take on the big responsibility from the consumer for positive changes to the personal care industry. As previous sessions have demonstrated, brands have several directions to take to have an accomplishment towards a sustainable future; selecting the best packaging, formulation consideration, avoiding non-renewable sources, traceability of ingredients etc. all of which will change the balance of brands being successfully sustainable. Communicating a brand’s ethos of sustainability and honesty is also crucial to gain consumer buy-in and loyalty. In this session hear from brands that pioneer sustainability at the core, and their successful approach to this difficult, multi-faceted problem.
Register Now
Taking place online the annual conference is a perfect opportunity to be fully informed with all aspects relating to the world of naturals within the personal care and cosmetic industry.
The Delegate fee starts from £60 (inc VAT). To register for your place at the event please visit www.scsannualconference.com.
