The Ecaterina Cosmetic Education Programme (EMCEP) visited the Indian Society of Cosmetic Chemists (ISCC) from 28-29 November 2018 for two days on ‘Natural and Cosmetics Formulation and Development. Mumbai was the host city and the speaker was naturals expert Judi Beerling (Technical Manager, Pertech Associates) from the UK. The programme was held at the Courtyard Marriot and was attended by 51 participants from industry and academia. ISCC President Dr Sunil Bambarkar gave a welcome address before Judi opened the first session of the workshop with an introduction to natural and organic cosmetics.

She discussed the various regulations and certifications for these products and the nuances of COSMOS, Natura, USDA and other certifications were explained in depth.

Day two started with a discussion of various ingredients used in natural and organic cosmetic formulations. Judi gave an insight into pros and cons of various preservatives, emulsifiers, surfactants, fragrances and other ingredients that can be used in these products. She also discussed marketed products and the formulation development of natural and organic formulations. The second day of the workshop saw the most interactive moments, with enthusiastic participants calculating the natural and organic components of the formulation. The worksheet solving session was most invigorating for participants where they learnt how to design and decide on the various ingredients that can be used to formulate natural and organic products. Participants also learnt how to get various formulations fit for certification in accordance with regulatory requirements. The workshop ended with a summing up and a vote of thanks by Dr Suhas Nandurdikar. Participants left the venue with a huge amount of advanced knowledge and the zeal to create natural, organic an sustainable cosmetics for the market.

The ISCC would like to thank the IFSCC for awarding them the EMCEP and the excellent speaker for the workshop. This initiative by the IFSCC is going to bring a lot of change in future cosmetic technology, enabling consumers to use safe and efficacious products.

Judi Beerling has been busy for the IFSCC. She also did an ECMEP in Romania last year along with Tony Gough.