Mauricio Guzmán Alonso is an industrial chemist and exploration scientist at Belcorp with 16 years of experience in R&D and innovation in cosmetic industry. He holds a masters in marketing and business management, and is also a product safety assessment consultant. Guzmán Alonso has contributed to several papers in Congresses including the IFSCC, ISBS, Colamiqc and Farmacosmética. He is the author and co-author of more than 25 publications in scientific journals; the recipient of the Jose Joaquin Perez Villalba Prize at the XX Colamiqc 2011 for best paper on natural ingredients; and the winner of the Maison G. deNavarre Prize at the XXII IFSCC Conference in Brazil in 2013. Guzmán Alonso joined Belcorp in 2007 and currently is the Green Tech & Chemicals leader and formulation scientist for skin care and personal care categories. His areas of interest in cosmetics R&D include formulation, biotechnology, neuroscience and applied natural ingredients research in hair and skin.
Kelly A. Dobos is a cosmetic chemist with ~25 years of expertise in skin care and color cosmetics, having worked for brands such as Bonne Bell, Purell and Jergens. She graduated Oberlin College with a bachelor's in chemistry, and obtained a master's in pharmaceutical sciences with an emphasis in cosmetic science from the University of Cincinnati, from which she received the GOLD (Graduate of the Last Decade) Distinguished Alumni Award.
Dobos also holds an MBA from Cleveland State University and has been a member of the SCC for 18 years, serving at local and national levels, including as president in 2019. Kelly is an inventor on four patents and has written numerous articles for cosmetic science publications, including Cosmetics &Toiletries. She is part of the American Chemical Society’s expert panel and serves as a subject matter expert for consumer magazines like Allure and New Beauty, in addition to news organizations such as NPR and the Washington Post. She has served as a judge for previous C&T Alle Awards and is currently teaching courses on color cosmetics for the University of Cincinnati.
Marie Drago is French pharmacist and the founder of Gallinée Microbiome Skincare, founded in London in 2016. Her big idea was: What if instead of killing bacteria, we would help them help you? After all, you’re 50% bacteria, that’s not an insult and you should care for them. Gallinée has 4 patents, 23 products and billions of happy bacteria. It has been part of the Shiseido family since October 2022. Drago is currently the chief creative officer for the brand.
Dr. Ezure is a top research scientist at Shiseido, having been honored with the title of “Fellow” for the first time ever in Shiseido’s 150-year history. He has been conducting R&D, especially on anti-aging skin care, leading to the development of a broad range of skincare products. He is a pioneer in the field of facial aging, having set the basic definitions and evaluation methods of facial aging, as well as clarifying various mechanisms and establishing solutions based on studies of skin regeneration. He has also developed AI-based digital technology for visualizing skin dynamics in four dimensions for the first time. At the last congress of the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC), he was introduced as the most famous researcher in the cosmetic field, based on his monumental achievement of receiving four consecutive IFSCC awards.
Mindy Goldstein, Ph.D., received her bachelor of science with honors in biochemistry, master's of science in pathology, and doctorate in basic medical sciences from New York University in the area of UV and gamma radiation damage to DNA and DNA repair. She has been credited with more than eleven publications and has been awarded patents in raw materials, encapsulation and controlled release.
Goldstein most recently held the position of VP of R&D and product development for Atlantic Coast Media Group. Previously, she served as executive director of R&D for The Estée Lauder Cos. Goldstein is an active member of the SCC and recently was president of the national society in 2020. She was editor twice for the Journal of Cosmetic Science and currently is an advisor and reviewer for the journal, as well as for Cosmetics & Toiletries. She is a member of numerous professional and scientific organizations including the PCPC Nomenclature Committee, where she is chair of the subcommittee on biotechnology, botanicals and ferments.
Greg Hillebrand, Ph.D., is an associate professor of the University of Cincinnati cosmetic science program. He has also served as a senior principal research scientist in Amway R&D’s Global Discovery department, providing technical leadership for both the beauty and nutritional categories. He has a broad expertise in skin and hair science, especially skin health, aging, photo-aging, epidemiology, biophysical and imaging clinical methods and product performance testing. His current area of focus is the skin microbiome and its role in health and disease. He has many significant publications and several of his inventions have been successfully commercialized. He lived and worked in Japan for seven years on an ex-pat assignment gaining direct experience and insight into Asian consumer needs and the Asian beauty market. He is externally focused, embracing open innovation and research collaborations with both academia and industry for new technology identification and commercialization.
Shilpi Jain is the founder of Skinveda. After completing her master’s degree in chemistry magna cum laude at the University of Toronto, Canada, she went on to work with Arena Pharmaceuticals as a Medicinal Scientist, working on antiobesity drug called Lorcaserin. In the last two decades, She has been the principal scientist for several leading skin, hair and pet care brands while working with well-known cosmetic manufacturing firms and as a consultant. In 2013, Jain saw a gap in the skin care industry to focus on psycho-dermatology, telomeres and the influence of stress on the skin. Being born in an east Indian family where ayurveda was practiced on a daily basis, and using her knowledge of the chemistry of these herbs and their efficacy, Jain spent two years working on creating highly effective formulas to help solve stress-related skin care issues including rosacea, eczema, atopic dermatitis, age spots, wrinkles, dark circles, crow’s feet, cellulite, dry skin, dehydrated skin and hyperpigmentation, to name a few. Skinveda was launched in Whole Foods in 2013, and then at several boutiques, e-commerce platforms including The Ayurveda Experience, Truth In Aging, and Amazon.
John Jiménez is a pharmacist from National University of Colombia with a master's in sustainable development and specialization studies in marketing, cosmetic science and neuromarketing. He has 30 publications in scientific journals and a book chapter in cosmetic formulation. He has been the recipient of: the Maison G. de Navarre Prize (IFSCC 2004), Henry Maso Award (IFSCC 2016) and best scientific papers at Colamiqc Ecuador 2009, Colamiqc Brazil 2013 and Farmacosmética Colombia 2014.
He also has been a speaker at various international conferences in Europe and Latin America. Since 2013, he has written a trends column for Cosmetics & Toiletries Brazil; since 2019, a column on market trends for in-cosmetics; and since 2020, a column on neuromarketing for Eurocosmetics. He also has authored and co-authored articles and served on the Scientific Advisory Board for Cosmetics & Toiletries. Jiménez additionally served as president of Accytec Bogotá (2017-2019) and currently is senior researcher at Belcorp.
Stephanie Lee is the CEO and founder of selfmade, a personal care brand changing the way consumers take care of their skin and mind. Founded in 2020, selfmade collaborates with mental health experts to create a system of tools and topicals powered by behavioral science that transform your daily rituals into sites of radical self-evolution.
Previously, Lee was at MAC Cosmetics and the White House working for Michelle Obama before traveling the globe solo for a year returning in 2019. Born in the pandemic, selfmade is a culmination of Lee's lived experiences healing from a mental health crisis and vulnerable conversations on self-worth with others around the globe.
Dr. Helen Knaggs is Head of Global Product Research and Development at Nu Skin Enterprises, Provo, Utah, USA. In this role, she oversees personal care and wellness areas, leading a diverse R&D team across multiple disciplines, based in Provo, USA and Shanghai, China. Additionally, Dr Knaggs is VP sponsor for Nu Skin’s Women Rising ERG, helping to launch initiatives that empower women within the workplace and around the community.
Dr Knaggs has over 35 years of experience in product research and development, receiving a BSc in Biochemistry and Pharmacology and PhD from the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Leeds, England, as well as an MBA from University of Warwick, England. She started her career as a research biochemist in the dermatology department of Leeds General Infirmary and then worked for Unilever in United States, Europe and Asia. She has numerous scientific publications, book chapters and patents, as well as being requested to speak at international conferences and review science publications.
Nattaya Lourith, Ph.D., is associate professor of cosmetic science, leading creative innovation for cosmetics in the phytochemicals and cosmeceuticals research group at Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand. She earned her master's degree in organic chemistry from Khon Kaen University in 2001, and her doctorate in bioorganic chemistry at Ehime University in 2004. Lourith served as research assistant and teaching assistant at Kagawa University from 2001-2004, and research associate at the Institute of Biological Chemistry at Washington State University in 2005. Her research areas focus on the chemistry of natural products and fragrances, the preparation and quality control of raw materials and cosmetic products, and herbs for cosmetics. She is the author and co-author of numerous books, book chapters, review articles and research articles, and was awarded the Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund in 2000, the Japanese Government Scholarship from 2001-2004, as the JSPS Young East Asian Researcher in 2009, as the Select lecture of WCOS2022, Commemoration of the 70th anniversary of Japan Oil Chemists’ Society, and as the Sophia University (STEC) Visiting Scholar in 2024. She is a regular contributor to Cosmetics & Toiletries.
Lorne Lucree is the founder of Quiet Coyote and has spent his career utilizing a passion for beauty combined with a constant curiosity to distill consumer insights, developments in technology and active ingredients, packaging innovations, progress in sustainability, olfactive trends, inclusion efforts, and the latest formulation techniques into blue-sky ideas that translate into breakthrough, retail-ready products that resonate with a wide range of consumers and retail partners.
Combine the consumer-first approach of marketing from Procter & Gamble and Unilever Prestige, the attention to beauty métier from L’Oréal and Estee Lauder, the entrepreneurial, creative spirit of the world of brand building at a fast growth beauty incubator like Luxury Brand Partners (R+Co, IGK, One/Size), and a deep knowledge of operations and supply chain from personal care manufacturing, and you have a snapshot Lorne’s professional background that informs his approach to concept development. Lorne's innovative concepts have garnered global recognition, winning prestigious awards such as Allure Best of Beauty, Allure Best of Beauty Breakthrough, Refinery 29 Beauty Innovator, Glamour Beauty Award, Times UK Style Beauty Award, and Nylon Beauty Hit List. These accolades are a testament to his ability to create successful and resonating innovation.
Prior to founding Quiet Coyote, Lorne held the position of Central Strategic Innovation Advisor to the Unilever Prestige portfolio of brands as well as SVP of Innovation at TATCHA. He was also hand-picked as a member of the Conscious Beauty at Ulta Advisory Board and the Product Development Advisor for the Ulta MUSE Accelerator Program, showcasing his commitment to driving innovation in the industry. Prior to Unilever Prestige, Lorne served as the Chief Innovation Officer and Head of ESG at Voyant Beauty, the largest beauty and personal care contract manufacturer in the US, along with holding product development and global marketing leadership roles at Estee Lauder, L'Oreal, and Luxury Brand Partners. Lorne has an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business focusing on marketing, leadership, and change management and a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University focusing on communications and women's studies.
Stephen Lynch, Ph.D., is associate vice president of skin care development for L’Oréal USA Research & Innovation, where he has worked since 2014. As head of scientific valorization, he leads a team that supports skin care product development from project initiation through market launch, with a critical focus on communication of scientific knowledge, selection of active ingredients, coordination of testing and substantiation of product claims. Among his team’s responsibilities are such well-known skin care brands as L’Oréal Paris, SkinCeuticals, La Roche-Posay, CeraVe and Kiehl’s.
Prior to joining L’Oréal, Lynch spent 10 years in the pharmaceutical industry conducting drug discovery research with Roche and Purdue Pharma. He holds a bachelor's in chemistry from the University of Richmond and a doctorate in organic chemistry from Emory University. He additionally has co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications across diverse fields of scientific research.
Crystal E. Porter, Ph.D. is a hair scientist and the founder of Mane Insights, Inc., where she leads research on the unique hair and scalp needs of people of African descent. As the founder and Executive Director of the Association of Professional Trichologists, she drives the advancement of trichology through education, advocacy, and professional support. Dr. Porter is dedicated to dispelling myths, empowering evidence-based hair care, and developing innovative solutions for personalized hair health. Her patented methodologies equip professionals with the scientific insights needed to deliver tailored client care.
After earning a bachelor's degree with honors in chemistry from the University of Stirling, a doctorate in organic chemistry from the Research Institute for Medicine and Chemistry, and a post doctoral position at the University of Geneva, Leslie Smith, Ph.D., joined Procter & Gamble. Following several years with P&G, he joined the fragrance industry in a number of technical management positions in Switzerland and the United States. In 2002, Smith joined Coty at their global R&D headquarters in Morris Plains, N.J., USA, as vice president of R&D, where his responsibilities included basic research, fragrance technology and development, consumer affairs, sensory, Coty Testing Institute, analytical, safety and toxicology.
In July 2011, he was named senior vice president of R&D, a role he assumed in Geneva, Switzerland. In this position, he maintained his responsibilities in the United States while establishing Coty’s newly created Global Center of Excellence for Fragrances in Geneva. Retiring in the spring of 2015, Smith founded his own consulting company (LCS2 LLC Consulting) and in 2019, came out of retirement to work for La Perla Beauty as chief scientific and regulatory officer. He has a number of publications in chemistry and perfumery, and a list of patents ranging from insect control and deodorancy to delivery systems. He also is a member of the Cosmetics & Toiletries Scientific Advisory Board.
Amy Wyatt joined CHANEL in 2006 and is responsible for leading Fragrance and Beauty Regulatory Affairs advocacy and compliance, Quality Assurance and Cosmetovigilance. She is a board member of invested US Fragrance and Beauty start-ups in the areas of biotech and green chemisty. Prior to CHANEL, she worked for 13 years at Aveda Corp./The Estée Lauder Cos., where she was the Director of Skin Care and Makeup.
In 2016, Wyatt became president of the IFSCC; she joined the IFSCC Praesidium in 2006 as Education Committee Chair; she is the co-founder of the Ecaterina Merica Cosmetic Education Programme; She was awarded the destigushed IFSCC Fellow award. She has had active reoles in the SCC including President in 2006. She was awarded the prestigious SCC Merit award in honor or her outstanding service and distinguished leadership, among various other honorable credentials. She holds a degree in biology from the University of Minnesota.
