The conference program will be opened up 15 May with the first session entitled Introduction to Natural Cosmetics & Sustainability, while the second session will focus on Standards & Regulatory Issues.
The third session, on the morning of 16 May, will focus on Market & Product Development, while in the afternoon the fourth session will be on Formulation and Technical Issues.
Workshops focusing on regulation and packaging
On Saturday 17 May two half-day workshops will be held, the morning session focusing on the Introduction & Review of Organic and Natural Standards, while the afternoon session will focus on Sustainable Packaging for Cosmetics.
Joint conference organizers Organic Monitor and Beyond Beauty Paris believe that at the top of many delegates' agendas will be the second session, focusing on regulatory issues.
What exactly constitutes a natural or organic cosmetic product has been interpreted by a number of different certification programs, often leaving both consumers and the industry bemused.
In response to this dilemma the conference program will address ideas aimed at shaking up the certification process to make it more cohesive one of which is the incorporation of private standards, which the organizers say will provide 'a clear demarcation between pure natural / organic and pseudo products'.
The session will unveil details of major standards, such as NSF and OASIS, as well as featuring the new Whole Foods Premium Body Care Standard and an update on the harmonized European natural & organic standards.
Meanwhile, another key issue will be sustainability, a subject that will be addressed in both the very first session on sustainable ingredients, as well as the program's last session, the workshop on packaging.
Sustainable ethics
Indeed, Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda, will kick off the summit with an opening address on 'Sustainability, Ethics, and the Greening of the Cosmetics Industry'.
In particular, this first session will focus on sustainable business practices, including ethical sourcing, ecological packaging and green marketing issues, with key speakers including Weleda CEO Erk Schuchhardt and Beraca president Ulisses Sabara.
Moving on to the second day, the third session will focus on marketing issues, with key speakers including Daria Myers, president of Origins, who will look at the complexities of expanding a successful brand in the organic arena.
The fourth session on formulation and technical issues will include presentations from leading ingredients suppliers such as Cognis, Eastman Chemical and Sederma, while key speakers will include Michael Bishop, president of Active Organics.
