The Spanish Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SEQC) has welcomed attendees to the 25th IFSCC Congress. In addition, the International Federation of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) has also awarded the Maison G. de Navarre award.
The president of the executive committee of the Spanish SCC, Joaquim Sisto, welcomed delegates in Spanish, followed by a welcome from the president of the SEQC (Spanish SCC), Ricard Armengol. Ricard commented, "It was a big challenge for the Spanish society to put this conference together, but we (the SEQC) believe that we have reached a high level of science in this conference - you be the judge." This is an important year for the SEQC to host the IFSCC, as it is the 50-year anniversary. IFSCC president Johan Wiechers welcomed attendees saying, "The IFSCC is to bring all the cosmetic scientists together, and it is important to remember that there are also those chemists who are very dedicated that, due to cost or time, they could not attend."
The Maison G. de Navarre award to Telanie Weys, a pharmaceutical graduate student at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University. Weys' supervisor, Professor Jeanetta du Plessis, won the competition in 1994. Weys is completing her graduate degree studies in the cosmetics research group of Unit for Drug Research and Development. Earlier this year, after repeatedly weighing the pros and cons, Weys entered the Maison G. De Navarre Young Scientist competition. She had to write an essay on how the cosmetic industry had changed during the 50 years of the IFSCC, and what it possibly could look like in the next 50 years.
As the only NWU-Puk who entered the competition, Weys wrote her essay on how laser therapy will become increasingly popular and safer and will progress so far that people will carry their own small laser devices in their cosmetic bags. She also elaborated on medicine deposit through the skin, that it will have fewer side-effects and that the active ingredients will reach the location of effect immediately. Her essay was adjudicated by a panel of international members of the IFSCC.
Finally, during an impressive presentation by perfumist Augusti Vidal, delegates experienced three vials of fragrance set to accompanying music. The first represented a sweet, relaxing mood, followed by a more brash, or "violent" sensation, with appropriate music accompaniments. The third fragrance was an interesting mix of the two, which delegates were surprised to learn paralleled the music and created an entirely new scent or sound by the combination of the two. To read more about the events at the 25th IFSCC Congress in addition to viewing pictures, continue returning to C&T magazine online.
