After a very successful debut appearance at in-cosmetics in Paris this year with our personal care publication, Pure Health Magazine, we were convinced that we’d got the balance right: we were talking to the right companies and were covering the interests of this fast-moving industry.
But, as I started to appear on more and more PR mailing lists, I noticed a growing number of stories and treatments that did, indeed, fall within the beauty and cosmetic sector, but were not related to finished products. And, I thought, are we missing a collective trick here?
It all started with an enquiry about safer cosmetic surgery … and whether I thought it was relevant to our audience. I had to scratch my head for a while, then came to the unsure conclusion that PHM was an “ingredients and raw materials publication,” as opposed to a “surgery and procedures magazine.”
But where do we draw the line? Let’s look at Botox, as an example. The application of botulin is certainly a procedure …but isn’t the toxin, per se, an active ingredient? It’s certainly natural!
More food for thought reached my inbox when Indiba announced its Deep Beauty Proionic Body Care System, a regenerative radio frequency treatment that uses high frequency currents to raise the internal temperature of human tissue to rejuvenate the face and body. “Having combined cutting-edge technology with greater therapeutic efficacy, the treatment offers visible results from the first session,” claimed the release, fitting perfectly with my editorial remit of providing a pain-free solution for skin rejuvenation, but without an active, excipient or bulking agent in sight.
And, did you know, in the UK, more than 50% of brides-to-be and 39% of soon-to-be grooms consider cosmetic surgery or an aesthetic treatment of some sort to boost their confidence and feel good on their wedding day? So says, goodsurgeonguide.co.uk. High on the list of treatments are liposuction, breast/chest augmentation and our old friend, Botox. Beauty, personal care and surgery are merging in the minds of consumers.
And, even if PHM and in-cosmetics remain purely ingredient-focused, I believe it’s our duty to address the issues of safety and regulation in the broader cosmetics industry. Plus, shouldn’t we be asking ourselves, why do people feel that "regular" cosmetics don't fulfil their needs and requirements … and turn to surgery? A poor product is a bad investment: a poor procedure is a scar for life.