A Virtual In-Cosmetics Formulation Summit

Despite pandemics, climate emergencies and other disasters, the show, virtual though it may be, must go on, according to Reed Exhibitions. This year's In-Cosmetics Formulation Summit, November 17-19, will dellve into the various aspects of “good” science that can enable formulators to create products that are fantastic for both consumers and the planet, well beyond stereotyped concepts such as “sustainable,” “natural” and “organic,” according to Reed.
 
Under the broader topic of the environment and climate change, the Formulation Summit will cover six main themes including sustainability, formulation techniques, the chemistry of formulation and product design, reducing environmental footprint, microalgae and waste reduction, plus packaging and processing.
 
New to this year’s summit, visitors can select from 10 different breakout roundtables, covering topics such as green chemistry innovations, deceptive advertising of natural cosmetics, the safety of natural ingredients, and how to destigmatise certain ingredients that are deemed ‘harmful’ in formulations. Further to this, a series of 20-minute exhibitor demonstrations will take place on Thursday, November 19.

 
Climate Change and Cosmetics
Opening the 2020 In-Cosmetics Formulation Summit, Dr Barbara Brockway, director, personal care, Applied DNA Sciences, will deliver the keynote address. She will be followed by Andrew McDougall, associate director – beauty & personal care at Mintel, who will deliver an exclusive presentation on trends related to climate change, as well as COVID-19.

 
The Drive for Sustainable Beauty
Fourteen separate presentations, panel discussions and main stage interviews will drill down into the wider topic of sustainability. Brands will demonstrate how they are tackling environmental issues and the role of packaging and processing in reducing the environmental footprint of cosmetic products. Presentations will also reveal the use of microalgae as a source of sustainable and renewal cosmetic ingredients and how waste materials and bioproducts of the food industry can be effectively processed to deliver effective and natural ingredients.
 
The cosmetic sector is already playing an important role in pioneering a more sustainable approach to formulation and product development. As the opportunities for innovation in this field increase, there are also emerging formulation challenges. Konstantinos Gardikis, R&D Director at Apivita, will help attendees understand the challenges facing cosmetic manufacturers, drawing upon Apivita’s initiatives for a healthier planet, both at applied research and industrial level. 
 
Offering additional insights into the topic of sustainability, Nicolas Huang, associate professor at Université Paris-Saclay, will take a close look at innovative emulsions stabilised by biodegradable nanoparticles. Emulsions, widely used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, have been known to cause direct or indirect toxicity and environmental issues. For example, skin irritations are sometimes observed, since surfactants disrupt the skin barrier function. 
 
In his presentation, Huang will demonstrate the innovative approach developed in the Université Paris-Saclay lab, based on the stabilisation of emulsions by biodegradable nanoparticles, and their physicochemical implications. He will explain how research undertaken in the lab has proved that the presence or absence of these stabilising polymers in the nanoparticle preparation has led to very different emulsion morphologies. This work stresses the paramount influence of the physicochemical nature of the nanoparticle surface into the stabilisation of such emulsions.
 
In another session, Iguatemi Costa, senior scientific manager for natural and sustainable ingredients at Natura, will cover the vision and practices needed to innovate below 1.5°C. Through this presentation, Costa will detail case examples and practices of phytocosmetic ingredient development and their relationship to low carbon production, before inviting attendees to debate the importance of sustainability in the cosmetics industry.
 
Formulating for a Brighter Future
Delivering insights into sustainable formulations, experts will also share specific techniques that can help formulators develop products more efficiently and in a shorter time, thus decreasing the impact on the environment. This will include the use of multivariate techniques for the development of formula prototypes and the use of rheology to speed up the testing of such prototypes.
 
For consumers to use products more efficiently, thus decreasing the amount washed off into the environment, products must be designed to deliver benefits more effectively as well as in a more holistic manner. Further sessions on the chemistry of formulation will look into better skin penetration, phytochemistry, drug design techniques and neurocosmetics.
 
Other speakers confirmed to deliver presentations at this year’s Summit include: Amit Tewari, group leader – phytochemical ingredient science at L’Oréal; Neil Cunningham, founder and CEO at The Centre of Industrial Rheology; Majella Lane, senior lecturer, school of pharmacy at University College of London; and Michele Leonardi, principal research scientist – translational science & project generation at Oriflame.
 
For more information on this year’s programme, visit the in-cosmetics Formulation Summit website here. Registration is now open with early-bird rates available until October 23. Delegates gain access to the conference program, including seminars and breakout sessions, meeting invites to sponsors, delegates and speakers, and live ingredient demos.