The Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors (ICMAD) Association hosted more than 100 professionals from the cosmetics and personal care industry at the annual Cosmetic Technical Regulatory Forum held yesterday at the Island Hotel Newport Beach, CA.

A packed room of business leaders from major beauty brands around the country received a "year's worth of information in a single day" from panel discussions and interactive sessions led by 15 acclaimed experts with unique knowledge in domestic and international regulations and litigation. In a new format, these experts navigated a product's journey through composition, labeling and marketing.

Craig Weiss, ICMAD Chair of the Technical Regulatory Committee and President of New Jersey-based Consumer Product Testing Company, moderated the daylong Forum, which covered topics from current legislative issues, complying with California Regulations and selling products in Canada to labeling do's and don'ts and claims and advertising.

ICMAD President and CEO Pamela Jo Busiek opened the Forum reporting on legislative impacts on the industry and how ICMAD is helping to shape legislation, specifically in supporting H.R. 4075, to help empower and protect small and entrepreneurial cosmetics companies and consumers.

"Attendees left with a wealth of current practical and specialized information that they can apply immediately and effectively to their business," said Busiek. "ICMAD is extremely proud to provide this forum in response to members who continually seek education and expert assessments on the latest issues."

The 2016 roster of ICMAD Cosmetic Technical Regulatory Forum experts consisted of Dr. Robb Akridge, ICMAD Chairman of the Board, Clarisonic; Howard Baker, Product Integrity Laboratory; Sharon Blinkoff, ICMAD Secretary and General Counsel, Locke Lord LLP; Pamela Jo Busiek, ICMAD President and CEO; Bart Desmedt , BIORIUS; Peter Duchesneau, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP; Carl Geffken, Carl Geffken Consultants; Ed Glynn, Locke Lord LLP; Frédéric Lebreux, BIORIUS; Regina McClendon, Locke Lord LLP; David Steinberg, Steinberg & Associates; Rob Ross-Fichtner, Focal Point Research; Debbie Waite, Steinberg & Associates; Craig Weiss, Consumer Product Testing Company; and Holly Young, H&Y Regulatory Graphics Consultants.

Special thanks to sponsors who helped make the ICMAD 2016 Cosmetic Technical Regulatory Forum possible: BIORIUS, Ithos Global, Inc., Focal Point Research Inc., Product Integrity Laboratory, NSF, Coptis Software Solutions, and Webpackaging.

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