15 January 2019
San Francisco (USA)

Masterclass Overview
Natural & organic products continue to make headway in the personal care industry. Healthy growth rates are continuing and consumer interest is rising, however there are questions about the future.

This new masterclass looks at the future direction of natural & organic products in the personal care industry. With growing M&A activity, will the future be dictated by multinationals or will niche green brands still set the pace? What is the role of standards and certification schemes? How is the palette of natural & organic raw materials evolving? What developments are occurring at the retail and consumer level? Such questions will be addressed in this new masterclass.

Morning Seminars

After an introduction, details are given of new natural ingredients that are being used in personal care formulations. A pioneering brand shares its experiences in developing certified organic skincare products.
Insights are given into how it has developed functional skincare formulations without contentious synthetic chemicals. A leading attorney gives an update on the regulatory and labeling regime for natural & organic personal care products. Guidance is given to brands on making legitimate marketing claims, and reducing litigious risks. Some fresh research is presented on buyers of natural & organic personal care products. Details are given on the typical buyers, their attitudes and motives towards such products. To conclude, an update is given on the North American market for natural & organic personal care products. Predictions are given on future growth rates, market & product developments, as well as customer behaviour.

Afternoon Workshop 
The performance of natural & organic personal care products is closely linked to ingredients. This workshop gives an update on the palette of green raw materials that can be used in natural & organic personal care products, highlighting the formulation hurdles.

An overview is given of the contentious synthetic ingredients in personal care products; details are given of permitted synthetics and allowable chemical processes for natural & organic personal care products. A rundown is given on the leading standards and certification schemes, including USDA NOP, NSF ANSI 305, NPA, COSMOS, Natrue, etc. Details will be given of green emulsifiers, surfactants, and preservative systems that can be used in natural & organic personal care products. The issues associated with using such ingredients will be discussed, as well as guidance on how to develop effective green products.

The masterclass is designed for personal care brand owners & manufacturers, formulators, ingredient suppliers, investors, certification agencies and related organizations.

Reasons to Attend
The Masterclass addresses the following questions:
> What is the future outlook for natural & organic personal care products?
> What developments are occurring in the US & Canadian natural and organic personal care market?
> Why are consumers turning to natural and organic products?
> What do we know about the profile of the green consumer?
> What are the marketing & distribution issues associated with natural and organic products?
> What are the issues when adopting natural & organic cosmetic personal care standards?
> How can brands place the USDA NOP logo on their products?
> What raw materials are not permitted by popular standards & labeling schemes?
> How do you overcome formulation issues when developing ‘chemically-clean’ beauty products?
> How can brands re-formulate to remove contentious chemicals from their formulations?
> How can natural & organic brands reduce their litigious risks?

Venue
The Masterclass was hosted at Hilton San Francisco Financial District, located near Union Square and is easily accessible by most forms of transport.