Mother Dirt & More at Annual Meeting

R&D experts from Mother Dirt, Unilever, Aveda and more are among the speakers who will present at the Society of Cosmetic Chemists’ 72nd Scientific Meeting & Technology Showcase, scheduled for Dec. 11-12, 2018 in New York City. The roster includes Jasmina Aganovic, Cindy Angerhofer and Jason Harcup.


Aganovic is president of Mother Dirt, a line of microbiome-friendly personal care products focused on restoring and maintaining the balance of the skin microbiome. She works alongside researchers focused on transforming human health through products that restore Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria (AOB). A graduate from MIT, Aganovic is leading the conversation about microbiome innovations and is challenging consumers to reimagine what it means to be “clean.”  Prior to launching Mother Dirt, Aganovic held product development and leadership roles at LVMH, Fresh and Living Proof. Early in her career, she built Bona Clara, marketing skin care products without sodium lauryl sulfate, petroleum based ingredients or parabens. Aganovic also has a proven track record in manufacturing partnerships, product development and launch strategy.


Angerhofer Ph.D. joined Aveda in 2003, and currently serves as executive director of botanical research. Angerhofer and her team explore the chemistry and biology of botanical ingredients in an effort to create high performance, plant-based personal care products, with emphasis on phytochemical analysis, bioassay and sustainable sourcing. She is responsible for anticipating and responding to product development needs for biologically active ingredients and for representing the Aveda brand. Angerhofer has helped establish a research program that explores the science of medicinal herbs, essential oils, and the quality of botanical extracts. As a post-doc and assistant professor, Angerhofer taught medicinal and biological chemistry of natural substances for graduate and professional students at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy. While at UIC, she established a bioassay screening program for antimalarial natural products and received funding from NIH (NIAID) and WHO in support of this work which led to the identification of many antimalarial lead compounds.


Angerhofer directed research and product development for Tom’s of Maine, Inc. for five years, leading to the development of topical cosmetic and OTC products in addition to a novel line of herbal dietary supplements.


Dr. Harcup is global vice president for beauty and personal care research, responsible for Unilever’s worldwide research program across its $23 billion personal care businesses in skin care and cleansing, hair and scalp, deodorants and oral care. He is also global vice president for the prestige division (Dermalogica, Kate Somerville, Murad, Hourglass, Ren Skincare & Living Proof). He has ultimate responsibility for several hundred mostly PhD level scientists located in five laboratories across the US, Europe, India and China. Harcup is located in Unilever’s UK research hub. In 19 years with Unilever, he has been site leader for the brand new $70 million Shanghai R&D facility and headed Unilever’s research organization in China, growing the facility capability together with a two-dozen-strong network of Chinese Academic Institutes, as well as responsibility for a state-of-the-art Skin Clinical Testing Facility which has now processed 700,000 subjects. 


Prior to his time in China, Harcup was head of research in the US at Unilever’s Connecticut facility responsible for skin research. The teams he has led around the world have delivered a string of technologies totaling several hundred million euros of turnover in global brands including enamel regeneration in oral care (Regenerate), salivary enzyme and protein boosting in Zendium, gender-tuned antidandruff brand Clear, and Dove Nutrium Moisture, the stratum-corneum lipid replenishing No. 1 dermatologist-recommended bodywash in North America. He has earned several patents.


Harcup has been on the faculty of Health and Beauty America, a beauty disruptor with the CEW network, a member of the board of judges for the RSC emerging technologies initiative and a co-convenor of the Unilever Asian Dermatological Forum. He was made a Fellow of The Royal Society of Biology in 2016, having also been made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2015.


Additional speakers include Dr. Shuting Hu of SkinData, who is one of  13 female entrepreneurs accepted into the 2018 Sephora Accelerate program; Xavier Ormancey, chief scientific officer  of Counter Brands, who is in charge of the overall management of research and innovation, formulation, product development, product testing and also environment, health and safety; and Jeremy Riggle, chief operating scientist at Mary’s Medicinals. 


More info: www.scconline.org