More than 6,000 attendees flocked to Chicago from all over the country for Face & Body Midwest 2016, surpassing numbers from all previous years. The reason—attendees knew that this was their one-stop-shop for high level education, networking, the latest in products and cutting-edge treatments.
High Level Education
There are many choices in the spa industry for professional education, but the Advanced Education Conference at Face & Body Midwest 2016 provided robust, unbiased education that is critical to elevating the knowlege of the esthetician and spa owner. This year, that education was broken up into a Wellness Track, a Business Track, a Science Track and a Treatment Track, with full information on each in the links above. However, kicking off the conference was Lotions and Potions: Deciphering Formulation and Chemistry, a panel of four chemists that was moderated by Skin Inc. managing editor Katie Anderson and cosmetic bioevangelist Rebecca Gadberry.
The four panelists—Perry Romanowski, Gina Cosby, Kelly Dobos and Tom Lehman—all came to the table with experience and knowlege in cosmetic chemistry. Romanowski started off by noting that recent marketing efforts have touted "chemical-free" products, when chemicals are the building block of all food, water, plants, etc. He then introduced the three classifications of cosmetic ingredients (functionals, claim ingredients and esthetic modifiers), which the panel then explained. The panel went through ingredient labels for a number of different products, explaining how to read those labels, note what ingredients are present and determine at what levels they are included. The panelists discussed ingredients that have been questions in recent years such as petrolatum, parabens, polyethylene glycol and foraldehyde donors. Lehman noted that while many believe all parabens to be estrogen disrupters, they are safe and effective. He added that the study referenced in most anti-paraben reports was not even tested with a control. There were a number of audience questions for the panels, including subjects such as gentle surfactants, safe lighteners for darker skin, stem cells and more.Networking
There are many opportunities to network at Face & Body Midwest 2016. During the Advanced Education Conference, a Networking Luncheon was held for that specific purpose, graciously sponsored by PCA Skin. Attendees mingled over a delicious, healthy lunch and were able to take a fun quiz, with the winners receiving a gift bag from PCA Skin. Holly Amson, national educator for PCA Skin, spoke to attendees about the need for retinol for skin rejuvenation.
Attendees also had the opportunity to network on the trade show floor, both with other attendees, with industry leaders and with product and device manufacturers. Skin Inc. spoke exclusively with a number of industry leaders at the show. Here you will find an interview with Eminence president Boldijarre Koronczay, but check back with us for more exclusive interviews with industry leaders in the near future.
New in Products and Ingredients
When it came to learning the latest in product launches, Face & Body Midwest 2016 provided a myriad of options. Attendees could attend the Supplier Classes, where industry companies presented their latest products, techniques and ingredient information. For example, Sara Lewis of GlyMed Plus discussed understanding the science of peptides, while Ben Johnson, M.D., discussed permanent skin change by feeding the skin.
Attendees also had the opportunity to walk the show floor and learn about new product launches. Lira Clinical debuted its new skin care line for the body, Lira Spa, at the show, while Eminence showcased its new VitaSkin Targeted Treatments, among many others.
Cutting-edge Treatments
There were a number of cutting-edge treatments taking place at the show. Many attendees took interest in Casmara's Algae Peel-off Masks, which the company was demoing at their booth. The mask comes in 11 varieties such as vitamin vegetable, sensitive mask, gold mask and green mask. Borboleta demonstrated their different eyelash extention types. Jindilli showed attendees how a massage with its BoomaGlam tool works, and Hydrafacial demonstrated the power of their system. Skin Inc. recorded many of these videos. Look out for exclusive videos of demonstrations from Face & Body Midwest in the near future.
There were also a number of treatments demonstrated in the Advanced Education Conference, such as a #multimasking treatment demo by Susanne Schmaling, among others.
Did you miss Face & Body Midwest 2016? Don't worry, there are still two more Face & Body events this year in Atlanta and San Jose.
