Science-based beauty was the excitement on the recently held Personal Care Products Council’s first Leadership Summit held on the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 28 to 29.

Consumers not merely accept terms corresponding to natural, clean or sustainable — they’re digging into research to make educated decisions. “They need to know the science behind the products,” said Keech Combe Shetty, PCPC’s board of directors’ chair and Combe Inc. executive chair.

 “Our products literally touch the lives of nearly every American household on daily basis, and our constant pursuit of healthy people and a healthy planet is each good business and good stewardship,” Shetty said.

PCPC president and chief executive officer Lezlee Westine added, “Strengthening trust is an ethos for our entire industry, together with advocating for impact and fortifying partnerships.”

Sustainability, safety, transparency, DEI and ESG were the overarching themes on the conference, which drew leaders from Unilever, L’Oréal, the Estée Lauder Cos., Shiseido, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Chanel and Coty, to call a couple of. It was PCPC’s first in-person conference after greater than two years of virtual meetings.

“It’s great to bring the industry back together,” said Westine, as she greeted leaders from greater than 100 corporations representing 13 countries.

Trading the sand and surf of Palm Beach, Florida, where PCPC traditionally holds its annual meeting, for D.C. was viewed as an appropriate move based on the flurry of legislative issues within the works.

There was lots to unpack through the two days, starting from the Modernization of Cosmetic Regulation Act of 2022, or MoCRA, to the push to make the industry more inclusive and sustainable.

PCPC released its second sustainability report, a comprehensive take a look at the commitments and performance of its member corporations and the sweetness and private care products industry overall. Among the many topics were the necessity to handle climate change, alternatives to animal testing and the goal of a waste-free future.

The report was especially well-received by smaller and mid-sized corporations who don’t have the identical bandwidth as multinationals to determine sustainability roadmaps.

“We would like to share best practices inside the industry so all boats can rise,” Shetty said.

The audience, a combination of CEOs, policy makers, scientists and regulatory experts, got here able to dive into the problems.

“We’re attending to work,” said Shetty, referring to this system loaded with Washington and industry insiders.

Earlier this yr, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee voted to pass the FDA Safety and Landmark Advancement Act, which incorporates MoCRA. Nonetheless, the present House bill doesn’t include cosmetics provisions, leaving in query which riders will survive.

“We’re continuing to advocate and work with our partners to pass the language by the top of this yr,” Westine said.

A videotaped fireside chat between Westine and U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner Robert Califf touched on the laws. “That is all up within the air as we wait for what Congress goes to do. It’s imminent,” Califf said.

Throughout the interview, Califf outlined his priorities. “People have to know who’s producing products and what ingredients are in them. The FDA must have the power for mandatory recall when things aren’t going well,” he said, noting that isn’t the case. “It will help us to have a GMP process, good manufacturing practices. It at all times makes it easier to manage when you’ve gotten a regular to provide a high-quality product and when something does call for an inspection, we make sure that we’ve got access to the records.”

Pinpointing issues starting from allergens in fragrances, animal testing and PFAS, Califf said the industry must “come to grips with these topics.” Califf also called for special attention to the challenges smaller corporations face who don’t have the resources to take care of the regulatory systems. “We want to have a distinct regime for small business to operate.”

Bruce Mehlman, partner in government relations firm Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen and Thomas, said, “Time is ticking for the laws, especially with other issues on the docket. It could possibly be tough, but doable to pass.” Mehlman predicted a big turnout for the mid-term elections and a giant crop of recent faces in place next yr.

Sustainability was on the front burner, especially with regulations percolating on the state level that would spread to other states. For instance, California is eliminating the “chasing arrows” icon on plastic packages, citing the label will be misleading. There are also complexities coping with ingredients like PFAS and CBD.

A panel moderated by industry veteran Pamela Gill-Alabaster delved into the facets of ESG and the necessity for corporations to organize now for legal risks down the road. “There may be migration from voluntary best practices to regulatory — reputational risks versus legal risks,” said Dan Feldman of Covington & Burling.

The necessity to curb excessive use of plastic and to be wary of greenwashing claims are also gaining momentum. “Make sure that you may substantiate your green claims,” said Laura Kim, partner in Covington & Burling.

Despite the intricacies of ESG — and a few chatter about ESG backlash — consumers want more sustainable products from socially aware brands, in keeping with research from The NPD Group.

“Between 34 percent to 44 percent [of consumers] value sustainability and social responsibility from the businesses and types,” said Larissa Jensen, vice chairman, industry adviser at The NPD Group. Consumers, especially Gen Z, gravitate toward refillable makeup products, clean ingredients particularly in skincare (interest in “clean” is up 17 percent, per NPD) and types that support social causes.

The hair care category is fertile territory for Black-owned brands, which Jensen said are the fastest growing within the sector, backed by expanding retailer support driven by the hunt to supply products for all customers.

Dovetailing with inclusivity moves on shelves, Esi Eggelston Bracey, president of Unilever U.S. and CEO of Unilever Personal Care, N.A., spearheaded a discussion on how diversity is vital for business and government.

The panel included Heba Mahmoud, senior manager of inclusivity and variety at MITRE Corp., Katie Williams, chief marketing officer at Haleon U.S. and a Zoom appearance by Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-California), the primary Latine person to serve on the House Committee of Ways and Means and the House Judiciary Committee. She ticked off advancements driven by the rise of ladies in Congress corresponding to a task force to rectify disparities including the upper maternal mortality rates for Black women — which is nearly triple that for white women.

Citing parallels between government and business, she explained that it is crucial to have a various workforce that reflects the population. “Should you don’t have people in your organization who appear like your consumers, you aren’t going to give you the subsequent products your consumers want or need. They aren’t going to have an understanding of where the market trends can be,” Sanchez said.

People of color represent 40 percent of Americans, said Eggleston Bracey, who was honored with the second annual Madam C.J. Walker Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “Of the numerous roles I play, DE&I champion is one I treasure,” she said. “The business of diversity is the final word team sport; it takes all of us. We modify the narrative of beauty.”