What is an IFSCC Congress?

IFSCC Congresses bring together representatives from IFSCC Member Societies and others once a year to discuss cosmetic science on a grand scale…with a global perspective. It is the unquestionably the most important global cosmetic conference devoted exclusively to science.

At an IFSCC Congress you will hear the latest research findings, discuss market trends, discover new products and raw materials, share best practices, meet new colleagues and reconnect with others. Scientists, suppliers, academics, business owners and product developers will all be there to discover or display the latest beauty industry innovations.

There are parallel podium sessions at a Congress, along with hundreds of posters on display throughout the event. Additionally, there is an exhibition hall featuring the newest offerings of suppliers from around the world.

Congresses are 3 days of science. The evening before the science program starts is an Opening Gala; the evening of the last day is the Closing Gala, during which the IFSCC Awards are presented. An optional evening social event is offered, generally an outing featuring the culture of the Host Society.

IFSCC Congresses allow Attendees an invaluable opportunity to meet other Scientists from outside their usual orbit. Indeed, it is often said that chance meetings and impromptu discussions, in addition to the science presented, are the main reasons to attend an IFSCC scientific event.

Note that the last IFSCC Conference, a 2-day science event, was held virtually at the IFSCC 2021 Virtual Cancún Conference. The IFSCC Council voted in 2017 to hold only Congresses beginning in 2023.

Future Congress Venues

2025 Cannes, France • 35th Congress • 15-18 September 2025

2026 Adelaide, Australia • 36th Congress • 28 September – 1 October 2026

2027 Basel, Switzerland • 37th Congress • 13-16 September 2027

2028 Las Vegas, USA • 38th Congress • dates TBD

2029 South Africa • 39th Congress • city & dates TBD

2030 Japan • 40th Congress • city & dates TBD

Societies Eligible to Host Future Congresses

The IFSCC Praesidium voted in 2019 to allow any Society to host a future IFSCC Congress, provided they meet certain criteria. These criteria, the IFSCC Congress Hosting Guidelines, were approved by the IFSCC Council during the Yokohama Council Meeting October 2020. The criteria include projecting that at least 600 people will attend an event.

In the past, the top 15 ranked Societies were eligible to host future Congresses. While this is no longer true, the rankings do determine which Societies are guaranteed a seat on the Praesidium (the top six Societies are). The ranking of IFSCC Societies is recalculated after every Congress, taking into account the number of posters and podiums presented at the last 6 Congresses, and the number of Members in a Society.

For information purposes only, the top 15 Societies, calculated after the IFSCC 2023 Barcelona Congress are:

1. France
2. Japan
3. USA & Canada
4. Korea
5.  Brazil
6.  Spain
7.  Germany
8. UK & Ireland
9.  China
10. Italy
11. Switzerland
12. Australia
13. South Africa
14. Portugal
15. Argentina

Venue Selection Process

The IFSCC divides its Societies into 3 geographic areas: Zone 1 (Europe, Israel, Africa), Zone 2 (Asia), and Zone 3 (the Americas). The Zones vote on which Society to nominate to host an upcoming Congress in their Zone. The IFSCC Praesidium and Secretariat are not involved at this stage of the selection process.

After the Zone decides on their nomination, the IFSCC Praesidium approves the decision, then the IFSCC Council is notified of the decision at the annual Council Meeting. The Host Society of a Congress is determined at least 6 years in advance of the Congress.