The first of a series of international summits on   sustainability in the beauty industry will be held in Frankfurt on 16-17th November 2009. The Sustainable Cosmetics Summit, which is organized by business information service Organic Monitor, aims to cover the major issues the beauty industry faces concerning sustainability, natural, organic, fair trade and ecological products.

The major themes of the first edition are market & industry developments, sustainability & CSR best-practices, and developing green formulations. Like prior events organised by Organic Monitor, it aims to bring together some of the leading and most influential organisations involved in sustainability in the beauty industry.

George Korres, founder and CEO of Korres Natural Products, will kick off the summit with an opening address titled "Building a sustainable future through natural cosmetics". Korres Natural Products is one of the fastest growing natural cosmetic companies in the world, opening concept stores in Asia, North America as well as in Europe. Other speakers will be from leading natural cosmetic firms such as Weleda and Themis. A key focus of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is to give case studies of companies who have successfully met the ethical and ecological challenges.

The opening session of the summit will give an update on the global natural cosmetics industry. The latest figures on the global market for natural & organic cosmetics will be presented, as well as the major trends & developments. An update will then be given on international natural & organic cosmetic standards by leading certification agencies. Details will be given of the Cosmos standard (now scheduled to be implemented in January 2010) as well as NaTrue, NPA, and NSF. Emerging standards in Latin America and the Asia-Pacific will also be featured. A leading German retailer will give its perspectives on cosmetic standards and eco-labels, followed by ethical consumer insights by the Boston Consulting Group.

The second session focuses on CSR and sustainability best-practices. The opening presentation will show how the environmental impact of cosmetic products can be reduced. Other presentations will look at ethical sourcing, biodiversity preservation, waste reduction and offsetting carbon emissions. Papers will be given from cosmetic and ingredient companies at the forefront of such sustainability and CSR initiatives. 



With the success of beauty products largely dependent on their formulations, the third session focuses on green formulations. The opening presentation is by Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO), which will show how cosmetic products can get the much coveted Fairtrade Mark. A leading fair trade cosmetics company in Europe will then share its experiences in sourcing and using fair trade ingredients from developing countries. Other presentations will focus on some of the key technical & formulation hurdles companies face with natural and organic cosmetics. Cognis will look at the efficacy of green ingredients, whilst Dr. Straetmans will look at the preservatives conundrum. Other presentations will look at the latest developments in green chemistry and the growing use of food ingredients in cosmetics. 



Food ingredients in cosmetics are the theme of a workshop on the first day of the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit. High consumer demand for natural & organic cosmetics is leading many product developers to turn to the kitchen table for cosmetic ingredients. Led by Judi Beerling, Technical Research Manager of Organic Monitor, this workshop looks at the opportunities food ingredients provide, highlighting the technical and formulation challenges.



Also on the first day of the summit, an interactive workshop assesses the business opportunities in the ethical cosmetics market. The workshop leader will give a detailed analysis of the global market for natural, organic and fair trade cosmetic products, highlighting the major competitive, marketing and product trends. Future growth projections are given and the business opportunities highlighted to new entrants and existing participants. 



The Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is the first summit on the natural beauty industry that will give a share of its profits to charitable causes.

More details on the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is available from www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com