NYSCC chair on ‘skinification’, ‘sustainability’, and more 2023 trends to watch
2023 is now in full swing, and with it comes a combination of excitement and trepidation for the year to come. Recently, CosmeticsDesign had the opportunity to speak with Stacey House, 2023 Chair of the NYSCC, regarding some events to look out for in the coming months, upcoming industry educational programs, and more.
As companies across the cosmetics and personal care industries begin implementing new and launches, it’s important to understand “your customers’ needs and pain points in your product development plans to target purchase intent,” says Stacey House, 2023 Chair of the NYSCC. For a closer look into her insights, enjoy the following discussion:
CD: Any closing thoughts about 2022 as we leave it behind?
Stacey House (SH): Seeing high performance ingredients and unique formulations come to the forefront in R&D as we emerged from Covid with well-informed consumers was a highlight. With in-person events kicking off this past year, it was great to get back to “normal” and be able to meet face-to-face with our members; all our events were well attended and received.
CD: What are you most excited about at the NYSCC in 2023?
SH: With the stressors that we have all experienced in the last few years, NYSCC will focus on “Reimagining Renewal & Wellness,” exploring how wellness, and eco-consciousness touches all areas of the industry including devices, home care, inside/out beauty with supplements to support beauty routines, as well as feminine and intimate care.
We plan to bring this theme to life at this year’s Suppliers’ Day event. Suppliers’ Day, May 2-3, is something that we at NYSCC look forward to every year. “Beauty Week” at the Javits Center in New York City has become the pulse of North America’s ingredients and formulations market.
This year’s event is poised to be our biggest and most interactive rendition and will be a must attend forum for cosmetic chemists, formulators, and the beauty and personal care industry. Biotech’s role in beauty is really interesting and one NYSCC will explore in its educational programs and at Suppliers’ Day as well.
Finally, NYSCC first educational program of the year is focused on Hair Care and Wellness: going beyond shampoos and hair color and looking at scalp health, hair texture, and more.
Looking at overall industry trends, consumer demand for skinification and customization of beauty and personal care products will lead to some exciting innovations. Also, sustainability never goes out of style and will continue to gain traction, including upcycling and solutions to support circularity.
CD: In your opinion, what is the biggest issue facing the industry today and why?
SH: The fluctuations in the economy and financial markets will continue to have an impact on consumer spending across all product categories. That is why understanding your customers’ needs and pain points is important in your product development plans to target purchase intent.
CD: Any other anticipated challenges in 2023, and how does the NYSCC plan to address those challenges?
SH: Every company faces challenges in recruiting and retaining talent. At NYSCC we support our members in their professional development. We have increased our outreach efforts to students and young professionals through our successful Future Chemists Workshop at Suppliers’ Day.
We have and will continue to hold on campus educational panels about Careers in Cosmetics, to let chemistry, engineering, marketing, and scientific students know about all the opportunities in this exciting and dynamic industry. Fortunately, too, because of the incredible industry support we receive from Suppliers’ Day, we are able to increase the amount of scholarships and grants that are awarded yearly to students, educational institutions, and our members.
Although not considered a challenge, as I feel we are being more conscious and moving forward is this area, is Diversity & Inclusion. Product development and innovation now needs to consider the many facets of cultural, geographical, spiritual, societal and genetic influences. We will embrace and drive DEI within our chapter as well as through our Well-being theme during Suppliers’ Day.
CD: How does 2023 fit into the NYSCC’s five-year progress plan?
SH: At NYSCC, we are fortunate to have an active and engaged board with committee members that constantly push the Chapter forward. Every year is an upward trajectory of growth for us, expanding our reach and advancing cosmetic science.
While we continue to raise the bar on the education offered, we have seen our global audience increase. We will continue to offer webinars to engage cosmetic chemists from all regions of the world, our goal is to partner with our international “sister” chapters and increase our international participation at our flagship event, Suppliers’ Day in NYC.
CD: What is your response to the recently passed MoCRA legislation, and what impact do you think it will have on the industry moving forward?
SH: As we move forward with implementation within the industry because of the new legal requirements under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA), we will see more alignment of regulations, NYSCC will look to capture learnings and plan to discuss this during our events as well as at Suppliers’ Day.
CD: Any additional comments or thoughts?
SH: As we have all experienced and are living through, nothing is certain. I look forward to another year of discovery and being agile and responsive enough to adapt and connect with our members, partners, and consumers of beauty and personal care products.
CosmeticsDesign thanks Stacey House and the NYSCC for their time and contributions to this article. For more information about the NYSCC, visit https://nyscc.org/.
