A full day free conference to dive into claims in beauty. How do they vary, how are they substantiated, what makes claims credible, and more! Happening May 4th from 8am-4pm ET.

While this event is free of charge, our attempt is to make all of our summits top tier, competing with the highest quality conferences. From our experience, these conferences are generally very expensive and inaccessible to many independent professionals. Our free e-conference initiative is our attempt to democratize accurate information in cosmetics to anyone who wants it. Interested in supporting what we’re doing? Please share!

If you're a company who usually works with corporate conferences as a sponsor, please consider working with us for one of ours. To learn more about how you can get involved, reach out to us at info@theecowell.com

Registration is now open!

What your registration includes:

• Access to the live e-summit

• A replay link to your inbox following the e-summit

• A link to our e-book summary to your inbox once it’s ready.

Agenda topics

A 101 for Groundwork on Navigating Cosmetic Claims and Social Media Marketing. Presented by Annika Lagut PhD from Coherent Beauty.

A 101 on Claims Development. Presented by Theresa Callaghan PhD from Callaghan Consulting.

A 101 on Hair Care Claims. Presented by Crystal Porter PhD from Mane Insights.

A 101 on Sun Care Claims. Presented by AJ Addae from SULA Labs.

A 101 on These Claims Don’t Mean What You Think They Do. Presented by Javon Ford from @javonford16

A 101 on Clinical Claims & Their Substantiation. Presented by Rania Ibrahim PhD from SkinScience Analytics.

A 101 on Subjective Claims & Their Substantiation. Presented by Denise Herich from The Benchmarking Company.

A 101 on Green Claims. Presented by Allyn Stern from Beveridge & Diamond PC.

A 101 on Navigating Ingredient Supplier Claims. Presented by Lanesa Mahon from @raya.faces.

A 101 on Influencer Claims. Presented by Avril Love from K&L Gates.

A 101 on the Claims to Consumer Feedback Loop. Presented by Michelle Wong PhD @labmuffinbeautyscience and James Welsh.

A 101 on “Truthful” Claims & Legal Implications. Presented by Ronie Schmelz from K&L Gates.

A 101 Case Study on Hair Bonding Claims. Presented by Jennifer Marsh PhD from P&G, sponsored by Pantene.

Speaker Bios

Dr Annika Lagut, PhD is an independent cosmetic science consultant at Coherent Beauty with a special interest in claims and scientific marketing. Her business focuses on leveling the playing field for small companies, giving them affordable access to analysis of state-of-the-art scientific research. She holds bachelors and masters degrees in physics and a PhD in materials science, giving her a strong STEM background. After completing her PhD, she decided to apply her talents in the cosmetic industry. In 2022, she completed the UK SCS Cosmetic Science diploma with distinction. Her essay on green claims was chosen for publication in Cosmetics Business. She has been an active observer of social media marketing trends since 2017.

Dr. Theresa Callaghan PhD is a biochemist with a PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and has extensive international experience in the cosmetics industry. After a postdoctoral fellowship at the Pasteur Institute, she transitioned into corporate skin care research. Over her 35-year career, she has held senior R&D roles at LVMH, Unilever, Marks & Spencer, J&J, Evonik (Cosmoferm), Hill-Top Research, and proDERM (SGS). In 2008, Theresa founded Callaghan Consulting International in Germany, focusing on cosmetic claims and scientific advancements, collaborating with ingredient suppliers and brands. She is a widely published author, and also known for her multi-lingual book "Help! I’m Covered in Adjectives: Cosmetic Claims & The Consumer," in its second edition, and has appeared on various radio shows and podcasts. Theresa is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Cosmetic Science and is active in a number of professional societies including SCANCOS and The British Herbal Medical Association. She mentors graduates and industry new-comers, advises TKS Science Publisher, and writes a monthly Claims Insights column for Euro-Cosmetics magazine and LinkedIn, as well as a monthly ingredient technology article for BEAUTY STREAMS. Theresa is also a Covalo Ambassador.

Dr. Crystal E. Porter PhD is a hair scientist and owner of Mane Insights, Inc., where she conducts research studying the hair and scalp of people of African descent. Dr. Porter is passionate about debunking myths and empowering others to properly care for their hair. As a former cosmetic scientist with Unilever and L’Oréal, USA, Dr. Porter was able to conduct research and study the biophysical characteristics of hair in pigmented populations. Not only has she studied, but also contributed to the scientific community by authoring scientific papers, book chapters and delivering presentations regarding ethnic hair. Dr. Porter earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Chicago State University and her Doctorate degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology in Physical Polymer Chemistry. Armed with extensive knowledge and experience, she has created a patented process that helps professionals understand their client’s hair so that they can provide customized hair care solutions. In addition to her professional work, Dr. Porter’s personal passion is educating and mentoring underrepresented youth about STEM opportunities. Part of her work with the Chicago State University Center for STEM Education and Research allows her to use her talents and training to expose students to culturally relevant research; helping them understand how STEM impacts their everyday lives.

AJ Addae is the founder of SULA LABS, and an award-winning cosmetic chemist, clinical researcher, and chemical biology PhD student at the University of California, Los Angeles. When AJ was a clinical researcher and formulator in the medical-grade skincare space, she immediately saw how underserved and under-considered Black consumers are in the R&D process, and sought out to build SULA LABS - a research-forward product development & testing laboratory that develops and tests products for Black-owned brands and dark skinned consumers, with customers in retailers including Sephora, Credo Beauty, and Ulta Beauty. AJ's dermatologic research is published in the Journal of Drugs and Dermatology, and she is a Future Laboratory Future Innovators awardee. She is ultimately driven by her innate passion for using chemistry and clinical research as a means of change for the health of skin of color.

Dr. Rania Ibrahim MS, PhD is a leading expert and thought leader in the cosmetic and personal care testing industry, with a robust academic and professional background. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Physics from the American University in Cairo, followed by a Master of Science in Biomechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. She then earned her PhD in Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science from the University of Cincinnati's College of Pharmacy, where her research focused on the transdermal delivery of drugs and products through the skin. Her education laid a strong foundation for a distinguished career. As Clinical Director of a major Contract Research Organization (CRO) for over 12 years, she worked with cosmetic companies of all sizes, gaining invaluable insight into the challenges and needs of the industry. Building on her success in the clinical testing space, she founded SkinScience Analytics in Phoenix, AZ, a cutting-edge testing lab specializing in the safety and efficacy of cosmetic and personal care products. She has also expanded her expertise by acquiring KGL Study Skin Center in Pennsylvania, a CRO that specializes in dermatological testing under the leadership of renowned dermatologists. Through her unique combination of academic expertise, hands-on experience, and leadership in both large and small-scale testing environments, Rania has become a driving force in advocating for rigorous scientific testing and responsible industry practices.

Denise Herich is co-Founder and Managing Partner of The Benchmarking Company, a bi-coastal consumer market research firm that delivers need-to-know information about the beauty and personal care buyer. From actionable insights derived from in-depth quantitative and qualitative consumer studies to 5-star consumer claims resulting from TBC’s popular beauty product testing programs, Denise and her team provide brands with critical marketing intelligence that helps them to stand out, get noticed, and sell through.Denise directs beauty product testing teams, manages custom research studies, and moderates consumer focus groups nationwide for brands such as Bare Escentuals, Benefit Cosmetics, T3 Micro, Dollar Shave Club, Algenist, Panasonic, Dr. Jart and many others. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences such as Cosmoprof Worldwide, Cosmoprof Asia, Cosmoprof NorthAmerica, The Society of Cosmetic Chemists, and Beauty Industry West, and is a regular contributor to GCI Magazine, Happi, BW Confidential, and other industry publications. Her marketing career spans more than 25 years. Prior to co-founding TBC, Denise managed research studies for a host of beauty and personal care brands as West Coast Research Director for TBC’s predecessor organization. She has also served as a top public relations executive at several regional and international communications firms. Denise earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina (magna cum laude) with a minor in marketing. She is a member of Beauty Industry West, CEW, and ICMAD.

Allyn Stern is a former regulator with 30 years experience at the Environmental Protection. Allyn uses her expertise to help businesses develop proactive environmental compliance strategies, navigate governmental regulations, avoid greenwashing claims, and successfully resolve agency enforcement matters. She advises companies on the ever-expanding universe of laws relating to plastics, packaging, and recycling including EPR, single-use plastics, recycling definitions, and minimum recycled content requirements.

Lanesa Mahon is a cosmetic chemist and 3rd year PhD student in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Cincinnati. Originally from Columbia, SC., she obtained her bachelor’s in chemistry from Vanderbilt University in 2020. After her bachelors, she decided to combine her passion for science and beauty going on to earn her Master of Business and Science in Cosmetic Science from Rutgers University in 2022. She has completed several industry internships during her academic career and does sci-comm work on her IG and Tik Tok platform @raya.faces. Her current PhD research investigates the relationship between skin ageing and fibroblast senescence.

Javon Ford is a cosmetic chemist and science communicator who’s been working in the industry for the past 6 years. He holds a Bachelors of Science in chemistry from Howard University and currently works out of Los Angeles with beauty brands to create innovative products for market.

Avril Love is counsel at K&L Gates’ Los Angeles office, where she is a member of the Commercial Disputes practice group.After spending years defending medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers, particularly in the context of recalls, Avril has considerable knowledge of FDA’s regulatory regime and enforcement activities. She has defended companies in numerous industries facing consumer and e-commerce claims based on products liability, advertising, marketing practices, website accessibility, consumer contracts, data security, and privacy issues. She also has defended clients facing regulatory enforcement over quality and import/export issues, as well as business-to-business disputes involving antitrust, fraud, trade secrets, and other torts. Avril has developed significant expertise serving personal care and consumer product companies facing these very issues. She acts as both a coach and a line of defense, observing clients’ field position to anticipate and identify risks, training internal teams to independently navigate legal and reputational risks in their daily decision-making, and proactively developing regulatory compliance and risk mitigation strategies that position clients to defend lawsuits long before they reach the courtroom.

Dr. Michelle Wong Ph.D., is a science educator and cosmetic chemist with a PhD in medicinal chemistry. She's behind Lab Muffin Beauty Science, where she explains the science behind beauty products for a general audience. Founded in 2011, Lab Muffin Beauty Science receives 2 million page views per year, and has an Instagram following of 415 000 and a YouTube audience of 370 000. Through her science education work, Michelle has worked with a range of brands on campaigns, including Proctor & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. Her work has been featured in international publications including New York Times and Chemical & Engineering News

James Welsh is a skincare enthusiast that not only reviews and tests skin and haircare products, he also takes a deeper dive in to those products, looking at ingredients and exploring problem areas for viewers helping to educate his audience on their purchases. Previously a stylist who worked for ASOS and Topman, James is your go to guy for personal grooming and self-care advice for both men and women. Alongside his social media channels James also has a podcast he hosts with his brother Robert called “The Double Cleanse”.

Ronie Schmelz is a partner at K&L Gates's Commercial Disputes practice. Ronie spent the first part of her career at an international law firm defending clients in complex litigation, including consumer class actions and disputes involving reinsurance, general commercial, real estate, and healthcare related matters. She now spends a significant amount of her time counseling clients on litigation-avoidance strategies so they can confidently focus on building and operating their businesses in a way that reduces the risk of regulatory oversight and consumer challenges. These strategies include implementing best practices for complying with regulations and standards enforced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), other Federal and State regulatory agencies, as well as the National Advertising Division (NAD), and ways to reduce exposure to consumer class actions. Ronie advises clients on a myriad of issues –including contract and intellectual property matters, privacy, automatic renewal and loyalty programs, implementation of recall procedures, Prop 65, responding to FDA Warning Letters, Notices of Action, and MedWatch Adverse Event Reports – and she continues to defend clients in nationwide consumer class actions and complex commercial litigation matters.

Dr. Jennifer Marsh PhD has been working with P&G for 27 years in a variety of roles including consumer research, product development and technology development.  Most of her early career was spent working as a technologist in hair color during which time she developed new damage technologies for our Clairol Nice N Easy Brand and a new oxidant system launched in 2008 as Nice N Easy Perfect 10.  Jennifer moved from the UK to Cincinnati in 2007 and joined the Beauty Technology Division working on hair color and hair care technologies including new actives for Pantene and our other hair care brands. She is passionate about building fundamental technical models and translating these insights into new technologies and technical product stories. Jennifer has published ~ 45 papers in the area of hair structure science and hair color and presented work at many external conferences. 

Thank you to our e-summit sponsors for helping us keep this event free and accessible to anyone!

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