The 77th Society of Cosmetic Chemists' (SCC) Annual Scientific Meeting (SCC77) kicked off today in New York at the Sheraton Times Square; the event will be held. Dec. 11-13, 2023. The day opened with welcoming remarks from SCC President Mark Chandler, followed by a fireside chat from L'Oréal's Sanford Browne. In addition, four prestigious industry award presentations were presented: the Green Star award, Joseph P. Ciaudelli award, Hans Schaeffer award and the Young Scientist award.
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Honoring Innovators
Alexis Forbes-Moorehead, of Divinity Cosmetic Labs, LLC, was presented the Green Star for the product submission, "Eco Botanical Hair Conditioner Pod." The award, sponsored by Colonial Chemical, recognizes a formulator of an outstanding green, sustainable formulation developed during the past 12-month period.
Roger L. McMullen, Ph.D., and Timothy W. Gillece, both of Ashland, received the Joseph P. Ciaudelli award, sponsored by Croda. The award honors the best article appearing in the Journal of Cosmetic Science on the subject of hair care technology. The co-authors won for their article entitled, "Enviromechanical Assessment of Fixative Hair Fiber Composite Films."
The Hans A. Schaeffer Award, sponsored by the SCC, went to Paul Lawrence, Ph.D., of Biocogent, LLC, for last year's (SCC76's) presentation entitled, "Reviving a More Than Century-Old Technology for Modern Skincare." The award recognizes the most innovative paper presented at the preceding SCC Annual Scientific Meeting.
Finally, the Young Scientist Award, sponsored by Surfatech, was presented to Allison Garlet, of BASF Corp., for the SCC76 presentation, "Addressing Hyperpigmentation in Melanated Skin." The award honors the best paper by a scientist under the age of 40 presented at the preceding SCC Annual Scientific Meeting.
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Drivers of Change
The second session of the day focused on drivers inspiring change in cosmetic product development. Topics included biology and epigenetics for anti-aging; using AI with visual search and social analytics to understand consumers — in particular, exploring the influence of their being familiar with ingredients, e.g., vitamins, before these ingredients appear in products; and the use of technology and digital tools to ensure product development meets regulatory requirements.
On the biology front, for example, Nadine Pernodet, Ph.D., of The Estée Lauder Cos., presented, "The Future of Skincare: Harnessing Epigenetics, from Anti-Aging to Age Reversal." According to Pernodet, approx. 25% of the aging process is related to genetics while some 75% is linked to epigenetics. Furthermore, under given stimuli from the environment, lifestyle choices, pollution, sleep patterns, etc., the expression of genes can be modified to influence the way we age — and by understanding these epigenetic signals, we can support desired outcomes.
The first session wrapped up with a welcome happy hour sponsored by Biocogent. Follow along as we watch the next two full days of sessions and exhibition unfold.
