Just months after In-Cosmetics Global concluded in Barcelona, the beauty industry returned to the Catalan capital for the 33rd Congress of the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetics Chemists (IFSCC). It marked the first time the organization offered a full-fledged congress, rather than a convention, during an odd year.

The move proved popular as attendance topped 1,100 and visitors came from 44 countries around the world. Next year, the Congress will take place in Iguazu Falls, Brazil, October 15-17, 2024.

But last month, all eyes were on Barcelona. During the opening ceremony, Congress Executive Committee President Carmina Casas of DSM-Firmenich noted the 33rd Congress represents a culmination of five years of work to shine a light on the passion that is the cosmetics industry.

The passion of young chemists was on display, when Dr. Marta Gonçalves, Sungkyunkwan University, Korea, received the IFSCC 2023 Maison G deNavarre Young Scientist Essay Prize for her essay, “Evolution of Clean Beauty: Exploring the Past, Present and Future.” Also honored during the opening ceremonies were Sung Ho Lee, who received the Lester Conrad Education Prize. Finally, the IFSCC recognized a record number of cosmetic scientists (eight) with the honorary designation of IFSCC Fellow. The new Fellows are Dr. Yoshikuni Yamamoto (Japan), Dr. Miki Minamino (Japan), Dr. Philippe Auderset (Switzerland), Amy Wyatt (USA & Canada), Simon Chan, (Hong Kong), Dr. Frédéric Leroy (France), Tony O’Lenick (USA & Canada) and Dr. Randy Wickett (USA & Canada).

The passion of some of the world’s top chefs was highlighted by a presentation from the chef/owners of Disfrutar, a two-star Michelin-restaurant which was named the No. 2 restaurant in the world. The restaurant’s name means “to enjoy,” and Mateu Casañas explained that his customers come looking for more than food.

“They want sensation and emotion,” he said. The same can be said of beauty product consumers. As an aside, Spain is home to more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other country in the world.

Plant Power & Personalization

Few people are more passionate about plants than Dr. Paco Calvo, Minimal Intelligence Lab (MINT Lab) at University of Murcia, Spain. Calvo is a cognitive scientist and philosopher of biology, known for his research in the field of plant cognition and intelligence. His book, “Planta Sapiens: Thinking Outside the Box in Plant Science,” urges readers to think beyond their zoo-centric world view.

“Plants are sapiens like humans,” Calvo said. “Plants have goal-oriented growth that involves memory and learning.”

According to Calvo, melatonin was discovered in plants years before it was found in animals. Melatonin, as everyone knows, induces sleep and sleep is good for DNA repair. That explains, in part, why some plants fold their leaves at night. Similarly, chemicals that are known to play a role as neurotransmitters in animals are also found in plants; including acetylcholine, dopamine, histamine, noradrenalin, serotonin, glutamate and GABA.

Calvo also gave examples of how plants communicate, move, make decisions and more. As defender of the Plant Kingdom, the speaker called for open-mindedness in work and play.

“We must raise questions and not cower by dogma,” he concluded. “You are free to explore when you are not enslaved by science. Can beauty science question the perceived view?”

Joana Marto, University of Lisbon, provided an update on personalized beauty. She noted that customization is growing 16.4% a year through 2031. Her team used 3D printers to create personalized skincare masks that vary in size and shape, ingredients and efficacy, and design.

“We can moderate everything by changing the printing process, not just the ingredient lineup,” said Marto. For example, geometry impacts hydration efficacy.

“These data emphasize that it is possible to modulate the hydration rate and the control of TEWL by adjusting the mask’s internal geometry,” she concluded.

Elsa Jungman, founder of HelloBiome and Elsi Skin Health, turned the idea of healthy skin upside down when she declared Cutibacterium acne dominates healthy skin.

“Microbiome scores decrease with decreased levels of C. acnes, suggesting the beneficial role that C. acnes play in overall microbiome health,” Jungman explained.

What’s your skin Type?

She noted that more than 50% of consumers don’t understand their skin type. And they don’t report acne, psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. To improve consumer outcomes, her company, Dr. Elsa Jungman, offers at-home test kits that promise to eliminate the guesswork surrounding proper skincare regimens. With a quick swab, Jungman contends consumers will discover their unique microbes and the specific ingredients for proper skincare routines.

C. acnes are a driver of microbiome health, according to Jungman.

“As sebum production decreases with age, so does c. acnes, which impact skin health,” she concluded.

The session’s final speaker, Nao Tsurumi of Kosé, explained how “mixed reality” makeup can help consumers discover their individual beauty. The simulation system replicates the color and texture of makeup on skin that’s better than augmented reality, according to Kosé. MR Makeup is a projection system that adapts to any area or shape—without actual application, according to the company.

Eco-Friendly Raw Materials

In another session, presenters detailed the benefits of formulating with more eco-friendly raw materials. Audrey Carreaud, L’Oréal, warned attendees that in the next 30 years, more minerals will be extracted from Earth than since the beginning of humanity. About 60 billion tons are consumed every year, and add to pollution levels.

“We need to ensure the current uptake doesn’t impact future generations,” said Carreaud. “We must move toward more abundant materials and we need a tool to quantify that abundance.”

L’Oréal researchers developed a system to define, evaluate and assess feedstocks, and then, monitor these ingredients. Its Index of Mineral Abundance rates materials on a scale of 0 to 100 and is based on 11 criteria that take into account geological, technical, economic, environmental, socioeconomic aspects.

“It is an abundance index which reflects holistic vision despite the complexity of the subject,” insisted Carreaud.

Common materials and their scores include bentonite (79.9), kaolin (79.4) and barite (57.4)

Yang Zhang, Shiseido, explained how his company is using petroleum-free ingredients to enhance the penetration of hydrophilic ingredients. Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate (PGE) vesicles have lower surface tension and smaller contact angles than micelle and silicone vesicles, leading to good wettability and greater expansion. PGE vesicles form a relatively uniform coating on skin and show promise for enhancing active ingredient efficacy—especially for products that promote an even skin tone and acne formulas that promote clearer skin.

This research is expected to not only help satisfy the consumer demand for effective skincare, but should also be broadly applicable to other areas including, but not limited to, the household and food industry,” concluded Zhang.

Sensorial Properties

In an afternoon keynote, John Jiménez of Belcorp explained how music may be incorporated into marketing programs to enhance the consumer’s experience with beauty products.

“When we have sensory experiences with cosmetics, we get physiological responses,” Jiménez noted. “The cosmetics industry has a great opportunity to create products based on music and art.”

He walked the audience through a sound characterization of skin. Jiménez pointed out that sound waves mirror skin texture with peaks and valleys. Low frequency waves are far apart, high frequency waves are closer together. With that in mind, he invited the audience to “listen” to the skin of 22-year-old and 52-year-old subjects.

“The 22-year-old skin sounds like a high-pitched ‘ohm.’ The 52-year-old skin sounds more complex,” he explained to the audience. Jiménez then demonstrated how the application of a moisturizer to older skin produces a flatter “sound” than skin without moisturizer.

“These results will open the door to a new world of sensory claims,” he predicted.

In the olfactory field, he suggested perfumes can be created for people with autism. Notes to be included in a fragrance include rose, lavender, vanilla, tea, vetiver and cedar. Notes to be avoided include cinnamon, chocolate, coffee and lemon.

“According to the International Federation of Aromatherapists, the use of essential oils can improve anxiety, insomnia and promote social interaction,” explained Jiménez. “A study found that aromatherapy based on lavender improved some communication skills in children with autism. They were calm and settled. (They exhibited a) decrease in hyperactivity, anxiety and attention deficit.”

Olfaction was the topic of a presentation by Aline Robert-Hazzote of Shiseido. She noted that body odor conveys information about the sender, including identity, age, genetic compatibility and, of course, fear.

“You all can describe the smell of fear, but what about the smell of joy?” she asked. “Positive emotions are underestimated and less studied. Happiness can be as contagious as fear.”

For example, after a positive body odor experience, subjects had a decreased heart rate. Furthermore, in the cognitive performance test known as Duncker’s Candle Problem, the group exposed to positive body odor solved the problem faster than the group exposed to neutral odors.

“These studies provide new perspectives when developing fragrance products,” observed Robert-Hazzote. “We must create fragrances that don’t interfere with natural human scents.”

Industry also needs to create acceptable fragrances for Gen Z consumers. According to Robert-Hazzote, about 75% of the population uses deodorant on a daily basis; in contrast, just 59% of Gen Z consumers use deodorant every day! 

For more on the IFSCC Congress, visit Happi.com. 

IFSCC Call for Papers Organizers have issued a call for papers for the 34th IFSCC Congress, which will take place in Iguazu Falls, Brazil, Oct. 15-17, 2024. The Congress theme is Biodiversity and Cosmetics: Reaching Sustainable Technologies. Podium and poster presentation topics are: Skin & Hair Science Safety, Efficacy, Sensory & Neurosensory Evaluations Formulation, Application & Microbiome Sustainability, Biodiversity & New Ingredients Deadline for submission is Dec. 31, 2023. For information, including abstract submission, visit www.ifscc2024.com And for those making long-range plans, IFSCC 2025 Congress is set for Cannes, France and the 2026 Congress will take place in Adelaide, Australia.

IFSCC Praesidium Elected for 2023–2024 The new 2023-24 IFSCC Praesidium was introduced during the opening ceremony of the Congress. They are: President, Carmina Casas (Spain); Vice President, Prof. Dr. Vania Leite (Brazil); Immediate Past President, Dr. Tony Gough (UK & Ireland); Treasurer, Peter Tsolis (US & Canada); Honorary Secretary, Dr. Andrea Weber (Germany); Chair of the PR/Benefactors Committee, Dr. Sung Ho Lee (Korea); Chair of Communications Committee, Dr. Remo Campiche (Switzerland); Chair of the Scientific Committee, Dr. Tomoko Sekine (Japan); Chair of the Publications Committee, Nicola Lionetti (Italy); Chair of the Education Committee, erry Romanowski (US-Canada); Committee Member Number 2, Robert McPherson (Australia); Committee Member Number 3, Dr. Isabelle Castiel (France); and Secretary General, Mary Lynn Halland.

Shiseido and Mandom Researchers Win Awards More than 700 attended the closing banquet and awards gala of the 33rd Congress of the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) in Barcelona. During the evening, three researchers were recognized for their outstanding podium and poster presentations. Aline Robert-Hazotte, Shiseido Group Europe Innovation Center (France), won the award for best podium presentation, basic research for “Deep dive in emotional communication in humans: study of the transmission of positive emotions through body odors.” Ryushi Fukuhara, a researcher at the Shiseido MIRAI Technology Institute, won the top award for the podium presentation applied research category. His paper, “Novel design strategy for mineral sunscreens: dynamic homogenization of inorganic UV filters on the skin for enhanced UV protection and visual transparency.” The Johann Wiechers Award, given for the best poster, was awarded to Takeshi Hara, Mandom, for “Next generation antiperspirant technique: controlling the contraction of human eccrine gland.”