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If a nasal infection were to travel downstream and block this junction point (a condition known as intracranial thrombophlebitis-say that three times fast), you’d have big problems. Some doctors call it “the triangle of death.”

Use a special nose hair clipper; it’s a great present and a clue to a loved one.

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CONTENT

MEDICALSPAS®

Canadian

The Healthy-Aging Business Review TM

THE MEDICINE ENVIRONMENT OF THE FUTURE

3 25 33 39

FALL 2014 V0L 3 NO #3

CONTRIBUTORSDr. Richard EllenbogenMindy TerryKen IngramDoug Colburn

James KnightDanné Montague-KingJenny HoganDr. Mariusz J.A. Sapijaszko

Luke GirouxCarell ZaborskiCheryl Whitman

$60 $40

8 issues)4

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Ask OzFacial ReshapingGlobal Spa & Wellness SummitFour Seasons Hotel Milano Shanghai: The tip of the icebergPreservation SocietyNot enough Lashes? Latisse®7 Reasons to see a DermatologistThe Spa MenuGrowing your business IntelligentlySet up a Win-Win Company CultureParabens in PerspectiveGlobal fight against Antibiotic ResistanceDebunking The Biggest Medical Spa MythsThe Back of the Bottle


Beverly Hills, CA -- In the back of our minds, we all have a secret wish of how we could reshape our bodies and faces to match our ideals of what we think of as “beauty.” The face is one of the first physical signs that we, and others see as an expression of our youth, vitality and health and it is no surprise that many popular plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures are still requested from the neck up. One of the industries top plas-tic surgeons, Dr. Ellenbogen of Beverly Hills, explains his specialty in facial re-shaping with insight into this surgical trend and achieving a natural look.

Q: What are your specialties and some of the key considerations when it comes to facial reshaping procedures?

Dr. Ellenbogen: I now consider all facial operations I do either for reversal of aging or to improve the appearance -- essentially facial reshaping. One of the most obvious and popular procedures is rhinoplasty, or reshaping the nose. Interestingly, I’ve presented to the Rhinoplasty Society, composed of the top nose surgeons in the world, and in many cases, simply reshaping the nose is not enough to create beautiful facial proportions and the inherent qualities of beauty that we are genetically pre-disposed to look for in a friendly face or a mate, namely symmetry. Beauty is tied to balance, and a key part of reconstructing the nose also involves balancing -- injecting fat in the cheek-bones and under the eyes in many cases so the nose looks more propor-tioned. All surgeons have known for years that a retrusive (recessive) chin makes the nose appear larger. I have found through my surgical practice, that other aspects of the face need ad-

MedicalThe Art of Facial ReshapingLeading Plastic Surgeon Discusses The Keys to Facial Reshaping

And Achieving a “Natural” Look

By Dr. Ellenbogen

justment to create a harmony between facial features. Important aspects of fa-cial reshaping also involve lowering the high forehead or raising the low forehead and filling in the temple hollows with fat to achieve a less gaunt appearance. The same applies to that a flattness under the eyes, which can also make the nose ap-pear out of proportion.

Q: Tell us about additional surgical options and considerations for achieving a youth-ful appearance through facial reshaping.

Dr. Ellenbogen: The most youth restor-ative operation in my opinion is to fill in deep upper eyelids in a woman or man showing deep aging or previously unsuc-cessful procedures to restore youth to the face. This technique, of carefully placing fat in the face, is the most important to attain optimal results, and it’s not gener-ally practiced, but should be. Fat can be injected to create high cheekbones, full-er cheeks, a more prominent chin, and a more aesthetic jawline. I am considered the “father of fat grafting” and have 30 years of experience reshaping the mid-face and the lower face.

Additional important facets of facial re-shaping include the chin and the angles of the jaw, which can be altered to a pa-tient’s preference. Common complaints, such as, ears that stick out, will by op-tical illusions created by imbalances between the facial structures. These are easily repaired.

Probably the most important advance-ment in facial reshaping is the use of adipose stem cells (ASC), which not only change the shape, but have a restorative and reparative effect. We have been using stem cells to augment our operations for

years. It appears from what I said that all I use is fat, but fat is the most versatile and most natural. I do use also implants in the chin, cheeks, jawline, and nose whenever necessary. I also use fillers including Juve-derm, Artifil, Restelyn, and Sculptra when the are indicated.

Q: What innovations in facial reshaping have you been responsible for/involved in?

Dr. Ellenbogen: I started Facial Fat Graft-ing in 1978 and taught it to hundreds of doctors to use in reshaping. I have taught courses on this and nasal balance in the face. I introduced volumetric facelift in 2000, and published the first combina-tion of facial fat grafting along with actual facelift surgery. I won the award from the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Sur-gery (ASAPS) for correcting asymmetrical, high, and low nostrils, a technique to im-prove rhinoplasty. Since symmetry is the basis of all beauty. Besides making noses symmetrical, I also published on creating eyelid and facial symmetry.

Q: What makes your techniques/ap-proach so revolutionary?

Dr. Ellenbogen: To my knowledge, I was the first to publish my techniques for fat grafting in a peer-reviewed journal. I was the first to use true stem cells in the face. A technique many surgeons are scram-bling to add to their repertoire. I was the first to add fat to improve rhinoplasty re-sults and facelift results as well as eyelid surgery results. Also I was a student of Leonard Epstein, MD, who revolutionized facial surgery by popularizing the buccal lipectomy or “chubby-cheeks” operation. I use it in conjunction with lower facial jow-els or the chubby-face.

Q: How do you achieve such natural re-sults? Why is that such an important goal for you and your patients?

Dr. Ellenbogen: I think that my great skill is being able to translate my artistic train-ing to surgery. I studied portrait formally at the University of Florida when I was an


About Dr. Richard Ellenbogen

Dr. Richard Ellenbogen has served as a consul-tant and guest plastic surgeon on numerous television programs, including: The Oprah Win-frey Show, Dr. Phil, The View, CNN, Doctor 90210, The O’ Reilly Factor, Good Day LA, Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra and The Early Show (CBS).

Dr. Ellenbogen is a ongoing contributor to a va-riety of print publications and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Newsweek, Time Magazine, The Aesthetic Surgery Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Business Journal, WebMD, Cosmetic Surgery Times, Ask-men.com, Forbes.com, People, GQ, Bloomberg.com, Healthday.com, Los Angeles Family Maga-zine and Angeleno Magazine. Awards and recog-nitions are viewable at:http://www.beverlyhillsbody.com/awards.html.

Media Clips

**Dr. Ellenbogen’s Activated Stem Cell Face Lift sur-gery was filmed live and featured on:Fox National News: Fox News Stem Cell Face Lift Activated Link: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4409445/looking-younger- with-stem-cell-facelifts

**Dr. Ellenbogen featured performing surgery re-vision and facial restoration, including Activated Stem Cell injections:ABC’s News Nightline: Plastic Surgery one hour spe-cial (18:00 to 42:00)Link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/195894/abc-nightline- celebrity-surgery-gone-too-far

**Dr. Richard Ellenbogen was recently featured discussing plastic surgery corrections in October’s Good Morning America segment, featuring Lisa Rinna, Heidi Montag and Kim Kardashian.Good Morning America-ABC News:Link: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/cos-metic-procedures-wrong-celebrities-regret-plas-tic-surgery-11811278

undergraduate as well as sculpting. As a student, I did portraiture in Miami and worked as a published cartoonist. I un-derstand the balance of the face as well as how lighting accentuates the features. Only a trained artist knows this. I show every patient on the computer what their result will look like. And I have extreme confidence that I can duplicate what I achieve on the computer. Through com-puter imaging, I can translate the image to actual surgical results. The course I used to teach (“faster healing operations”) has almost totally eliminated pain, and post operative bandages and bedrest.

Q: How does restoring a youthful appear-ance to the eye fit in with facial reshaping and how is your approach different?

Dr. Ellenbogen: Restoring youth in the eyes has been a passion of mine for years. To effectively de-age the “windows of the soul” we have to add back in what was lost – the fat. Many of the current meth-ods for eyelid surgery actually make the aging around the eyes look worse. As we age, the skin becomes lax and wrinkly in the upper eyelid, and most plastic sur-geons remove the drooping skin, usual-ly with some underlying muscle and fat. This results in a deep-set eye that in fact creates an eyelid identical to that of an aged woman’s eyelid. For years, women and some men, have depended on the plastic surgeon to help make their eyes appear younger but have unfortunately accelerated the process through surgery. As a woman ages she loses the fullness from the loss of fat in and under the up-per eyelid, the same mechanism by which the face loses fat and sags. Her eyes get deeper and hollower. They look old due to loss of fat. My operation carefully replaces the lost fat, almost identically simulating the appearance of a younger woman’s eyelid. Not only can it be used to reverse aging but also to repair a deep hollow eye secondary to surgery. It is as dramatic as a good facelift.

Q: How is your eyelid surgery performed?

Dr. Ellenbogen: The operation can be performed under general or local anaes-thesia. There is no actual cutting just in-jection of a patient’s own highly purified fat. It requires experience and extreme precision in the placement of the fat and I have yet for a patient to require pain medication. There is no bandage and the early swelling is generally gone by

2 weeks. Other procedures can be per-formed at the same time such as facelift, lower eyelid surgery and any other body and facial surgery

For more information, before and after photos, testimonials please see: Beverly-HillsBody.com. An extensive compilation of Dr. Ellenbogen’s media appearances and articles at http://www.beverlyhills-body.com/articles.html.

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New York, NY – September 16, 2014 – Over 45 nations gathered at the 8th annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) in Marrakech, Morocco last week, shining a spotlight on the future of the US$3.4 trillion wellness industry. The conference’s future-looking agenda tackled topics including architecture and design’s influ-ence on experience and sustainability, the seismic generational and gender shift, the impact of technology on human interac-tion, Africa’s role in wellness and more.

“This year’s GSWS agenda included futur-ists, marketing gurus, and, of course, spa and wellness experts,” said Susie Ellis, chair-man and CEO of the GSWS. “The journey we took together into our future was full of game changers, and we’ve identified ten major shifts that will impact how we will ap-proach wellness in the future.

Architecture and Design Reboot For decades, the spa industry has relied on Asian-influences to guide not only spa menus but also the look and feel of its fa-cilities. Dutch architecture maverick Bjarke Ingels told delegates: “You not only have the ability, you have the responsibility to change the spaces we live in.” His enve-lope-pushing designs promise to inspire a complete re-think in how to approach spa architecture and, importantly, create sus-tainable designs that increase, rather than decrease enjoyment. Ingels’ waste-process-ing-plant-cum-ski-slope is a case in point.

Authenticity in OverdriveAuthenticity, the seeking of local, indige-nous experiences, has long been a rallying cry in spa and wellness treatments but mass urbanization and the rise of the Millennials have ratcheted up an insistence for “can’t get anywhere else” experiences.

BusinessGlobal Spa & Wellness Summit Identifies Ten Major Shifts Set to Impact InudstryKey takeaways from conference in Morocco include architecture and design reboot, generational and gender seismic

shifts, the loneliness epidemic and the rise in wellness tourism

“Increasingly, it’s not the destination that matters, it’s the experience,” said Peter Greenberg, CBS travel editor. “Generic lux-ury no longer satisfies most of us; there is a growing desire to find the heartbeat of a place and culture and then share it with the rest of the world on social networks.” Green-berg noted that this social, “experience one-upmanship” creates a buzz that tradi-tional marketing can’t and, ultimately, the experience itself markets the destination.

Outsmarting Your Genes: Personalized Preventative Medicine

“Predictive, personalized, preventative healthcare will transform the landscape of healthcare over the next decade,” said Dr. Nasim Ashraf of DNA Health Corp. “Epigen-etic testing is essentially the science of out-smarting your genes.”

Dr. Asraf pointed out that much of our wellbeing is not destiny and can be influ-enced by environment. And as personal-ized genetic testing continues to get not only more sophisticated but also more af-fordable, it’s possible to know what chronic diseases and conditions (cancer, heart dis-ease, Alzheimer’s, obesity, etc.) individuals are prone to and then prescribe not only the right treatments, but, importantly, the lifestyle changes that can prevent their ex-pression. Epigenetic testing is already be-ing performed at medical and destination spas around the world.

Generational and Gender Shift to Youth and Women

Spa and wellness marketers need to cast a wider net by focusing more on emerging generations – Millennials and generation Z (for want of a better term)–that are differ-ent than the aging, time-rich Baby Boomers most wellness marketers have focused on to date. (For example, generation Z is the

first to have never lived without the influ-ences of social media and technology.)

A massive demographic shift from male to female is also occurring. Due in part to their longer lives, and increasing wealth and ed-ucation (70 percent of students in univer-sities today are women), women will grow rapidly in influence.

“The population of women in cities is mas-sively on the rise and wealth is being trans-ferred from men to women,” Kjell Nordstrom, the Swedish economist and co-author of Funky Business, told delegates.

Urbanization to Supersede Suburbanization

The future will have a marked move away from suburbanization to urbanization, and in 2030, 80 percent of all people will live in urban settings. Nordstrom told delegates that the perception of the world as 200 countries will quickly shift to one of 600 cities, and, in a world ruled by cities, inhab-itants will crave nature and simplicity but also extreme fitness, beauty and wellness.

The Loneliness Epidemic “We used to die of old age, soon we’ll be dying of loneliness,” said Nordstrom. Urban-ization,technology and demographic shifts are driving an overarching sense of “alone-ness” that spa and wellness centers will help abate. Thirty years from now, 60 per-cent of households will be single. (In Stock-holm, 64 percent of households are already single and in Amsterdam, 60 percent.) As an industry of touch, spas can combat this trend, delivering connectedness in a world that has created a dependence on screens for company.

Wellness Tourism Momentum Continues Less than a year ago, the GSWS and long-term research partner SRI International launched the concept of wellness tourism to the world. Today, governments and com-panies are embracing this key market seg-ment with an estimated value of US$494 billion and growth of 12.5 percent year-on-year[1]. Unique approaches to wellness tourism are being seen across the globe: VisitFinland markets silence as its biggest

resource, and a Congolese safari company promises to put a child through school with each booking.

Authentic African Renaissance Indigenous and authentic experiences will lead many travelers to countries they’ve never experienced before, and Africa, a continent most of the world has little un-derstanding of and is often associated with disease and chaos by the mainstream media, will be at the heart of this wellness tourism explosion. This will be furthered as there becomes a clearer recognition of the cultural identities and unique approaches to health, wellbeing and beauty in the over 50 countries that make up Africa.

Spa revenue in Africa is already on the rise with new data showing a staggering 186 percent growth from 2007 to 2013 in Sub-Saharan Africa. African panelists warned delegates not to subvert Africa’s unique spa and wellness identity in a spa like sheen.

“Don’t bring your Swedish massages to Af-rica and ask us to ignore the healing tradi-tions we’ve had for thousands of years. Af-rica has its own health, beauty and healing arts that must be respected,” said Magatte Wade, a Senegalese entrepreneur named one of the 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa by Forbes and awarded the first-ever Leading Woman in Wellness award at this year’s Summit.

The Moroccan Agency for Tourism Devel-opment (SMIT), the host country spon-sor of this year’s Summit, has put spa and wellness front and center in its tourism initiatives. With US$253 million in annual spa revenues, the country ranks 2nd in the MENA region.

Technology on Fast ForwardAccording to Paul Price, keynote speaker and retail and marketing expert, for good or bad, technology will not only remain at the forefront of our world but it will embed itself even deeper, altering the way we do everything–from how we shop to how com-panies market to us. Price told delegates: “Don’t be seduced by bright and shiny

objects and don’t let the technology drive your decisions. Instead, consider moving your tech department into your marketing department so the IT team is driven by the marketers and not the other way around.”

Price also noted that new currencies will be developed, 3D printing will deliver prod-ucts on demand, wearable technology will shape wellness, and location specific mar-keting will push offers. Breakthroughs in new materials will change how our world is shaped and artificial intelligence will change how we interact. And, at some point, information overload will send peo-ple looking for a health and wellness con-cierge to assist in sifting through all the in-formation and to simplify our choices.

During the conference, a “Tech Jam” ses-sion was held for sharing personal, well-ness technology – highlights included a breathalyzer that plugs into a smartphone and a HAPIfork that monitors eating habits. Simultaneously with GSWS, Apple Watch launched, providing a unique platform for personal monitoring. “This platform deliv-ers a great opportunity to help people un-derstand how technology and wellness can be integrated,” said Ellis.

Wellness Communities Make Comeback Before the economic downturn there was a lot of talk of “spa real estate” but many of these projects crashed and burned right along with the economy. Now whole com-munities – and even whole cities – are be-ing designed and branded with wellness at their very core. (Research released at the 2014 Summit showed that this market is now valued at US$100 billion.) Mixed use properties, the combination of hotels and residences, have emerged as a potentially viable financial model in this sector, though one that still requires careful planning and understanding of its nuances.

Serenbe, a community outside Atlanta, GA, has been designed from the ground up with well-being informing every decision–creating a new kind of community with sus-tainability, green building, organic farming, culture, arts and fitness at its core.

Delos Living is leading the charge with its WELL Building Standard, a building stan-dard that focuses on seven “wellness” as-pects (air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind) and is being embraced by the mainstream medical community. Delos has teamed with the Mayo Clinic on a WELL Living Lab, whose research will focus on the interaction between health, well-ness and the building environment.

About the Summit: The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) is an international organiza-tion representing senior executives and lead-ers joined by a common interest in driving economic development and understanding of the spa and wellness industries. Delegates from diverse sectors, including hospitality, tourism, health and wellness, beauty, finance, medical, real estate, manufacturing and technology attend the organization’s annual Summit, held in a different host country each year and attracting delegates from over 45 countries. After just seven years, the GSWS is now considered the leading global research and educational resource for the $3.4 tril-lion spa and wellness industry. It’s known for introducing major industry initiatives such as the Global Wellness Tourism Congress, whose global forums bring public and private stakeholders together to chart the course of the fast-growing wellness travel sector, and WellnessEvidence.com, the world’s first online portal to the medical evidence for common wellness approaches. For more information, visit www.gsws.org.


The Number One Address in Milano for any season

Written by James Knight

Call me an old smoothie if you want! Yes we will, I hear you say! Four Seasons Hotel Milano is the perfect atmosphere; a fit-ting place for old smoothie like me, to write an article. Sitting in the lobby on a July evening at Four Seasons Hotel Milano, you learn what style is all about. Milano, the luxury brand capital of the world, the people here are sleek and live the style. It was a pleasure I will always remember. I was invited to write about Four Seasons Hotel Milano and stay at the num-ber one destination in town. It was my first visit to Milano and everything I have been told about the hotel is most cer-tainly true. I can truly say a real five-star hotel. Luxury shops are on the doorstep of the hotel. It is like a treasure trove of luxury brands; a real experience for fashionists. Black is the color of the day. George Clooney would be well at home; wearing his Italian-style suites. During my stay I had a meeting with Olivier Gerber Director of Sales and Marketing, who has been at the hotel for fifteen years. He has a mind of information of Four Seasons globally. He spoke to me about the hotel and I had a VIP show around of the facilities, which is excellent when you are writing an ar-ticle to have such an authority to help you with information.

Finest Threads of HospitalityVery good hospitality, it’s like when you go and have a tailor made suite fitted for that special occasion. It the threads of hospitality that make it that perfect fit for your visit. This is Four Seasons at its finest. You feel relaxed the moment you arrive. The way luxu-ry hospitality should make you feel. It’s what you come to know…what you come to expect. It is like this throughout the hotel. Light colors reflect the hotel. It breathes sun-shine. It is the design of the hotel where the sun shines through the reception, making it very light in color, where you can sit and relax in this peaceful corner of Milano after your sightseeing expedition. The hotel is down a side street next to the impressive luxury shops and apartments. The area is quiet so you can relax and take in the Milano atmosphere.


Spa of Serenity, Sooths away the Stress

The spa has been open just over a year and has built-up an excellent reputation with guests of the hotel and local residents. I entered the spa via a cream marble staircase, which matches the lobby. In order to reach the treatment rooms you walk down a wooden staircase, which has been designed in such a way that you feel like you are not descending. The Spa of Four Seasons Hotel Milano is a welcom-ing space, tranquility and warmth for the benefit of hotel guests and walk-in clients. It is the creation of renowned Spanish designer and architect Patricia Ur-quiola. With singular vision, Urquiola developed a place of serenity and relaxation that is true to the Four Seasons concept. The design project was based on detailed study and an in-depth research of materials sourced exclusively in Italy and refined for use in Four Seasons Hotel Milano. All materials were either utilized through traditional application or modified through techniques such as la-ser, excavation and serigraph to create a strong impact through quality and distinctiveness, ceramics, pow-er-colored bas-relief, beige herringbone, technical vi-nyl, and smoky-hured Travertine. Contemporary style, pureness and emotion are among the tailor-made qual-ities of the wellness space, resulting in an impeccable self-care experience that calms and captivates by turns.I have never seen the design, which is on the wall as you walk in. Serigraph is a term describing the silk-screen process for fine art, often hand-printed by the artists, normally limited edition. The spa has seven treatment rooms, roomy and com-fortable with the latest equipment, including a spa suite. The relaxation area is next to the pool, where you get a reflection of the water which makes you want to sleep or just relax, such a peaceful existence.The treatment menu is very diverse, one of the brands in use is Australian Sodashi, which I had featured at another Four Seasons hotel, in England. There is a number of treatments, one of which is the SODASH MARINE MINERAL FACIAL. This combines ma-rine algae and plant extracts. This facial ritual offers

both detoxing and oxygenating properties - revitalizing the skin while improving blood circulation. Your com-plexion appears more hydrated and clear and firmer. The world-famous Swiss brand is used at the spa La Prairie. How about a CAVIAR FIRMING FACIAL? Luxurious caviar treatment is designed to life and firm. Your skin immediately appears smooth, silky and well toned. The Caviar pearls nourish the skin, enriching it with precious ingredients and creating beautiful results. How about the SWISS CELLULAR FOR MEN you say? Specially designed for men, a re-balancing facial treatment designed to resort youthful freshness to the skin, while offering a calming, smoothing effect. The combination of active principle ingredients softens and firms the skin; reducing redness and eliminates im-purities. The skin quickly rediscovers its natural equi-librium and comfort. Now to energize me, I had the ENERGIZING MAS-SAGE. This induces a restored feeling of wellbeing and energy with a deep tissue massage that stretch-es the muscles and release tension. I then enjoyed a peaceful walk of the city. It really made such a won-derful difference. REBALANCING SERENITY MASSAGE is a relax-ing warm and nurturing massage with gentle move-ments intended to restore your body’s proper balance and equilibrium, I was told by a patron that it was ex-cellent and also very relaxing. La Prarie is a world-famous international brand. Es-tablished a number of years ago, it believes in Switzer-land’s scientific approach to beauty.L’approccio scientifico svizzero alla bellezza SARAH CHAPMAN LONDON-BASED RANGEThe latest addition to the spa is the London-based facialist, Sarah Chapman. She offers exclusive an-ti-ageing facials. The Skinesis: Signature Anti-Ageing Treatment. The facial is a unique mix of personalized massage techniques with concentrated cosmeceutial serum to repair, lift, firm and improve skin health. Sar-ah has over twenty years of experience. She has a real passion for the love of beauty.


Luxury for all Seasonsat Four Seasons Milano

Four Seasons Hotel Milano has three buildings arranged around a cloistered courtyard with Milan’s Quadrilatero della moda. The hotel was opened in 1993. It is housed in a former fifteen-century convent, which has been restored and in keeping with the many properties of the areas. My flat had archways, which you would associate with the convent, on three floors. My flat is very stylist in Moorish stone and colors. The hotel has 118 rooms and suites. The hotel is under constant redevelopment to keep up with modern-day business and the needs tourists/travellers come to know and expect. The foyer I have spoken about earlier in the article is chic. The La Veranda restaurant serves unique aware-winning Italian cuisine overseen by Executive Chef Serio Mei. There is also the Chocolate Room created entirely in chocolate. I could not see the room while I was there, as they had not started to work on the theme for the room. Sounds like a chocolate delight. The 15th century convent was the headquarters of General Radetzky during the Aus-trian occupation and private residence of one of the city’s most important families. It was not until Four Seasons began converting the 18th century Palazzo de’Adda into a hotel in 1987, that the extent of the building’s historical significance was discovered. The lobby, white walls have portions of them restored and has exposed brickwork, vaulted ceilings and elegance to the spacious rooms. The decor is contemporary yet with a combination of Murano lighting and mirrors, which I have featured before in other articles. Fortuny fabrics and modern mosaics adorn the cocktail tables & elevators. There are four junior and executives suites, which are located in the quests areas of the hotel. They offer views across one of the near courtyards of Santa MariaVia Gesu. Residential touches including Irish wool rug and polished parquet floors. Some of the suites preserve original character such as higher ornately painted ceilings. Step-out balancing or direct access to the cloistered courtyard garden. The other suites are the Renaissance Suites. They are bright studio rooms with 17th century stucco ceiling and three large windows overlooking the main courtyard. The predominately white room has a wooden canopy bed and spacious lounge area. The suites are in a wonderful enclosed area with flowerpots on the outside of the balcony. It is like a home apartment you would find it in city, a very homey feel, and in keeping with the area, most certainly an area that is very popular. The Fashion Suites and Royal Suites have been designed and restored by Pierre Yves Rochon; the world-famous designer. Respecting the original room structures and de-cor while blending them in with the rest of the building. The Fashion Suites, while in keeping with the fifties and sixties style and with furniture designed by Saarinen, updated with a striking color of green. Black was also used, which most certainly is outstanding. The Royal Suite comes in soft beige and shades of white and has that residential feeling to it. There is a library area that has different furniture styles. A winder grader is added and this opens on to a wonderful sun tarp terrace of 35 sq. m 377 sq. ft. A beautiful garden overlooking the rooftops of Central Milan, the views are magical and breathtaking. Most certainly anyone would love to stay there.


Milanos Gallerie Vittorio Emanuele II

I have been to many shopping malls in the world, none compare to the four-story double arcade in Central Milan. The Galleria is named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It was designed in 1862 and built by Giuseppe Men-goni between 1865 and 1877. The architecture is magnificent, consisting of two glass-valuated arcades intersecting in an octagon cov-ering between the streets Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scale, two very famous areas of Milan. An amaz-ing glass and cast iron roof covers the streets. This also was the design of the famous Burlington Arcade in London, many other arcades followed including Saint-Hubert Gallery in Brussels. The central octago-nal space is topped with a glass dome. It is still consid-ered a major development in shopping malls around the world today. There are many designer shops in-cluding Louis Vuitton, Prada, Mercedes Benz and Gu-cci. It is a huge tourist attraction. It was very busy on the day I visited the Galleria. This is a must on your tourist trail; take in the atmo-sphere and architecture.

Cathedral, Which is a Pinnacle of Milano

If you like wandering around cathedrals there is none better than the Milano Cathedral, Dumo di Milano. It is the cathedral church of Milan (bella) Beautiful place. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to com-plete; it is the fifth largest cathedral in the world and the largest in Italy. In 1386 Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began con-struction of the cathedral. Three hundred employees led by first chief engineer Simone da Orsenigo, was responsible for the building of the cathedral. It was completed in 1805 when Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy. He said that all expenses would fall on the French treasurer. In the following years arches and spires were constructed. The Duo-mo’s main facade went under renovation from 2003 to 2009. The original marble Candoglia is now in full view to see. The history and background could fill an article on its own. I have just scratched the surface in giving you a brief background, stunning building.

Concierge Most Helpful The concierge team, they are the people to help you. They are the best of the best of anywhere I have found of any property on my many travels around the world. They are knowledgeable of the city and events, you might say terrific (fantastico) customer care.

For business there are seven rooms, ranging from 2 to 400 guests. In addition to the ballroom and foyer there is an open sunken patio on the lower courtyard, set within the peaceful courtyard garden. For larger functions the hotel can facilitate the hire of the many beautiful palazzos in Milan. While I was there a number of cooperate events were taking place.


Nothing like an Opera at the World Famous La Scala

The La Scala is world-famous as one of the world’s leading opera houses. The original house was built in 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal Dutch Theatre alla Scale. The pre-miere performance was Antonio Salieri’s Europa Riconosciuta. Italian famous opera artists and many fine singers from around the world have appeared at the La Scala, during the past 200 years. Today, the theatre is still at the forefront of opera. A fire destroyed the original theatre, the Teatro Regio Ducale in 1776. A group of ninety-wealthy Milanese wrote to Archduke Ferdinand of Austria Este asking for a new theatre and a pro-visional one to be used while completing the new one. The La Scala was originally illuminated with 84 oil lamps mounted on the palcoscencio and another thousand in the rest of the theatre. To prevent the risks of fire, several rooms were filled with hundreds of buckets of water. Oil lamps replaced the gas lamps then electric lights in 1883. Many famous operas by Verdi were previewed at the theatre. Today this is a remarkable landmark in Milano located in the Piazza Scala. All within an easy walking distance. Within a short walk away there is three architectural beauties for your eyes to behold. Piazza Duomo in my opinion is one of the most inspiring squares piazzas, I have ever seen. The Duomo Catherdral is a must to visit. It is eye-catching with the glistering sun shining upon of the building. Gallerie Vittorio Emanuelle shopping mall (of pre luxury) is the pinnacle of shopping malls.

Another must see is Santa Maria delle Grazie, the 15th-century monastery that houses Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper (L’Ul-tima Cena-II Cenacola Vinciano). Take a map with you, I find the streets are close together and it is very easy to get lost (as I did). The restaurants in courtyards are hidden gems of architecture, and can be found here, so put on good walking shoes and be inspired by Milano. It still keeps its old buildings and converts them into the modern world of commerce and real estate.

Are you ready to Hop-on, Hop-off...

Another good way of seeing Milano is the Hop-on-Hop off bus tour. There are four routes and this in my opinion is an-other great way of seeing Milano. Stadio Giusseppe MeazzaCommonly known as the San SiroSAN SIRO SOCCER

If you love your soccer/football, you must is to visit the world-famous Stadium San Siro the home of the two Italian giants Milan and Inter Milan which opened in 1926. It is one of the most well-known stadiums in the world. While in the stadium why not visit San Siro Museum? Not only soccer/football takes place, pop concerts are on the musical note with appearances from Madonna, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen to the Rolling Stones, just to name a few of some of the leading acts of the world to perform their musical talents. Hop-on-Hop Off Bus Route will take you to the stadium. There are many leading business shows including, Milan Fash-ion Week, Salone International Del Mobile which is the largest furniture show in the world. This is a hospitality address to visit. All your cares are handled in a professional manner. In my opinion, the number one ad-dress in Milano for any Season.

Best city hotel in Italy Travel and Leisure 2012, World Readers Awards, just awarded best hotel in Italy by Travel and Leisure.

The nearest airport is Linate, Milan Airport which is about 20 minutes from Four Seasons Hotel. London, with British Airways.


I was asked to be a keynote speaker at the beauty Exhibition this November and our Chinese Agency in Beijing stressed that this was an important and pivotal exhibition, due to the general feeling in China that where Shanghai goes, so goes the nation!

I was totally unprepared for the levels of or-ganization put behind this exhibition when I arrived. The pomp and circumstance of the opening ceremony alone rivaled any major rock star concert held on the planet. I had to make a five minute speech on an huge and elaborate open air stage in front of thousands of people, many of whom were the general public walking around down-town Shanghai—a unique way of promo-tion that I have always approved of—after all, the professionals and the public are go-ing to interact at some point anyway—why not put them all together at exhibitions at some point? (Private lectures available only to professionals of course)

Imagine being escorted down a pathway lined on one side with dozens of men in native costumes beating on drums and playing stringed instruments at top vol-ume—and on the other side, dozens of beautiful girls in cheer leader outfits wav-ing pom poms and cheering and a lineup of tall, professional models in the classical high necked, long silk gown with the slit

up the side, all in red and gold with drag-on embroidery! At the same time, someone is barking slogans into a loudspeaker after which the crowd would chant and repeat the slogans and then burst into applause. And there you are, knowing about 3 sen-tences in Chinese, not having a clue to where they are taking you, then being sat with a lineup of VIP’s until you are thrust up on a stage with your interpreter facing a suddenly deathly still audience waiting to hear your “inspirational” speech!

That is what I went thru—and I did not have a clue what I was going to say to all of these people who appeared to know who I was somehow. All I could think of was how big the Hong Kong Cosmoprof Exhibition was every year with hundreds of western and European visitors coming in—and Hong Kong to me, over a 40 year period, had long ceased to be really Asian and was more like New York City.

I did not see one western face in the crowd before me, yet the ceremony was so full of excitement, over-the- top presentation and passion that I said it was my hope that the Shanghai Exhibitions would grow much bigger than Hong Kong so the entire world could experience what a wonderful and multi-cultural city Shanghai really is!

Well I must have said all the right things—because I was ushered into the private of-fice of the organizer of the entire exhibi-tion, Chairman Li that afternoon.

Chairman Li is a youngish man with the en-ergy of a Jack Russell Terrier. He is a master of the “multi-task” answering cells phones, giving orders to staff members, glad hand-ing clients, putting out fires that are always part of big events and handling a dozen other things at the same time while still being able to look at you in the eye and make you feel you have his full attention. I admired his classic Chinese black suit—he said he would give me one— and I told him I meant what I said on the stage and would use any and all of my journalistic privileges’ to help promote his Exhibition to the rest of the world. He had a journalist in the room in

five minutes- taking photos and interview-ing me. I became exhausted just watching this tornado of a man. And all the while he kept smiling and smiling—his eyes spar-kling with intelligence and humor. Quite unlike the tense and often cranky people behind the scenes at other exhibitions I have attended.

I must have said FURTHER things that were right, because suddenly I was invited to participate in ALL the ceremonial activities and an entourage of China’s best educators were presented to me—the people who appear to run everything in the profession-al arena, (all of whom attended my lecture the next day)

Chairman Lee has the right idea and the right vision— but so far the exhibition itself though huge, is a mix and match of stands offering items like candy and fruit to make up, machines, TCM items and a bit of this and that modeled after Western products but made in China. There was very little Western influence there— which is a shame inasmuch as the floor of the exhibition (both floors) were packed like sardines ev-ery day—the attendance was overwhelm-ing. There is conspicuous consumption going on all over Shanghai, despite world economy. Every store packed with peo-ple buying, every restaurant and bar over filled and people dancing in the streets to local orchestras’ playing 1940’s dance mu-sic. Any European company or American Company booking exhibition space would do enormous business! Of course there are the major hurdles of the Chinese Govern-ment to overcome, to get all products etc, registered for import into the country—it IS a massive headache (as I well know) but

worth the time trouble and expense.

I was especially proud of Mr. Bourne Shi, our Distributor in China—his stand was a mira-cle of nearly space age technology and de-sign—assisted by our Australian marketing company, mark8. Somehow Shi managed to convey airy and vast, flow thru space with his stand—focusing on education rather than commercial sales and sophisticated prestige at the same time. The DMK staff, all in their carefully tailored uniforms, were es-pecially wonderful—each one committed and dedicated (and passionate) about fur-thering aesthetic education in their coun-try. Many of them have been with us since their late teens and early 20’s, some coming from far off provinces to Beijing looking for work and advancement in their lives. Sev-eral worked nearly 24/7 for very little pay while they focused on educating them-selves in the sciences, including anatomy, physiology, chemistry and histology—all the requirements to be a REAL advanced skin practitioner. I find this quite common in China—which is why their infrastructure is getting stronger and stronger.

Possibly do to the fact that nearly anything can be made cheaper in China (and their standards’ are getting much higher) Spas are getting more and more popular. Spas are natural to Chinese society anyway, in Beijing for example, nearly all middle to upper class business people meet friends at “clubs” where they have massage, herbal drinks, various methods of Traditional Chi-nese Medicine treatments, dinner and re-laxing while socializing with friends. Some even become so relaxed they stay over-night! I have been to massive, marbled floor spas with acres of treatment rooms, salons for the ladies who want their hair done af-ter treatments, special areas for men, huge amounts of employees who stand at at-tention at the door and several spas with plastic surgeons ON the premises with fully equipped operating theatres.

This does not mean that every type of treat-ment is effective; many are pale copies of European Treatments where the owner of the establishment went to England or Ger-many and took a short course or two with-

out any real conceptual understanding. But this is why providing education in China is so fulfilling— they Chinese are quick learn-ers, willing to study 24/7 and have a great deal of equipment, accessories and staff potential at their disposal at a fraction of what it would all cost here. Like the Shang-hai Exhibition, they put a lot of emphasis on presentation and “face”. But behind the “face” has to be real substance and long term benefits to the clients. In a world where the internet shows everything to e everybody, the Chinese are becoming more aware of what works and what does not. This is where The Best of the West Comes in—and challenges that is well worth the effort to overcome.

In wrapping up the Shanghai experience to me, to have such a wonderful stand and team representing DMK International was more about setting standards rather than making money Shanghai, being an ex-tremely modern melting pot of a city with all of its cross cultures, eclectic architecture and European flair is a city that could host an exhibition that would be the template of ALL exhibitions in Asia—move over Hong Kong!

ShanghaiThe Tip of the Iceberg!ShanghaiThe Tip of the Iceberg!Written by Danné Montague-King


Perhaps the first salvo fired at the preser-vative industry came from, of all places, the beer industry. Back in the 1970s, Miller Brewing Company came out with the wildly successful Miller Lite and beer-bellied men in gin mills across America rejoiced, and why not? After all, here was a beer that tast-ed great and was less filling, too.

But the folks at Miller also included the line “no additives and no preservatives.”

If you’re gulping pilsners at a prodigious rate, why would you possibly care if that mug o’ suds contained preservatives? Al-cohol is a toxin! Nearly 40 years later, and the preservative-free angle still doesn’t make sense—whether you’re talking about beer or BB cream. Especially with concerns about product contamination on the rise.

“I think the bad guys are winning. Unless there is decisive action from FDA, we are losing the battle,” warned industry expert David Steinberg, president, Steinberg Asso-ciates. “Bloggers are winning the hearts and minds of the consumer.”

Tal Green of Sharon Laboratories, agreed.

“The greatest impact is not from regulatory changes, but from pressure groups that use public relations instead of robust science to denounce ingredients, especially preserva-tives,” he told Happi.

Bloggers and NGOs are winning in state houses, too. Last year, the Minnesota leg-islature voted to ban formaldehyde and formaldehyde donors (such as DMDM hy-dantoin and quaternium-15) from children’s toiletries. The ban is set to go into effect for manufacturers in August and retailers will have until August 2015 to sell products.

Luckily for industry, a levelheaded politi-cian is fighting back. According to Stein-berg, a Minnesota Assembly member, who just happens to be a chemist, is drafting legislation to repeal the ban.

Hans Hummel of Lonza Hygiene & Preser-vation said the regulatory landscape has become increasingly restrictive for some common preservation chemistries and fragmented too, as various regions, coun-tries, and US states enact their own laws.

Legislative bodies often take action based on the perceived hazards of a pre-

servative rather than evaluating the risks and benefits.

“This has resulted in a complex landscape for suppliers and formulators to navigate,” he noted. “Lonza is reaching out to legisla-tors and other key stakeholders as well as collaborating with customers to address these possible restrictions.”

“But while industry looks for allies in legislative aisles, the

damage may already be done,”

worries Steinberg, who insists Minnesotans haven’t been able to purchase effectively preserved wipes or cleansers since the ban went into effect. What’s worse, Steinberg worries that consumer product companies won’t be able to toughen up GMP stan-dards to make sure contamination won’t take place during manufacturing process.

“If manufacturers can’t raise the draw-bridge, they may lower the river in order to pass the test,” he warned.

With contamination and health risks on the horizon, it’s no surprise that suppliers take seriously the war on preservatives. Ac-cording to Linda Sedlewicz of schülke, the regulatory and public pressure to eliminate whole categories of preservatives has put an enormous amount of pressure on for-mulators over the past several years.

“This pressure comes with little, if any, thought as to alternatives that may be used or the health risks of unpreserved or under-preserved products,” warned Sedlewicz. “Marketers’ eagerness to use ‘free-from’ claims as an easy way of differ-entiating their products raises consumer concerns about chemistries that have been used safely and effectively for decades. This forces formulators to substitute newer, less tested preservation methods.”

An International IssueIssues surrounding preservatives are by no means a US-only problem. According to Laura Szymczak-Frye of Lonza Person-al Care, there is much discussion among

multiple personal care organizations about limiting or banning many well-known and well-documented ingredients that have been used safely for years. What is hap-pening is that the safety data available is being looked at with an increasingly pre-cautionary approach and the opinions of certain personal care organization boards are changing. A consistent trend can be observed toward the removal of selected chemistries from the market. Such restric-tions may be based on a legislatively driven review by regulatory bodies or be voluntary on the part of formulators based on a con-cern for public perception of the safety of individual preservatives.

“This is of particular concern in the EU, which operates a positive list of allowed preservatives under Annex V of the Cos-metic Regulation,” she told Happi. “It is in-creasingly apparent that few new actives are added to this Annex and those present are under increasing pressure. Thus, the palette of available preservatives is being severely restricted.”

Not only that, but more customers prefer to have preservation technologies which are globally accepted or broadly available, noted Hummel, who added that the com-

bination of constantly evolving regula-tions and customer preferences has made the job of developing global formulations very challenging.

Yet, not every new regulation has the same impact on preservative suppliers, their cus-tomers or the end-consumer, according to Green, who told Happi that the bans of quaternium 15 in the EU, and benzyl, pen-tyl and phenylparaben did not affect the beauty industry whatsoever since these in-gredients have almost never been used in cosmetics. Also, the restriction of CMIT/MIT to rinse-off products has had little effect.

“The banning of the isoparabens makes lit-tle difference for those who use the blends that contain isobutylparaben, because there are straightforward replacements like Sharon’s phenochem NIB, Sharomix 824 and many others,” said Green.He went on to explain that the future for MIT is in question, as it seems likely, but not yet certain, that a much lower maximum concentration will be permitted in the EU.

Multifunctional BenefitsInolex develops mainly multifunctional materials that are viewed positively by regulatory agencies, according to Dan

Winn, since they have much milder toxico-logical and environmental effects as com-pared to biocides.

“So, from this perspective, the regulatory situation is positive,” he explained. “On the other hand, for those cosmetic companies that prefer to use biocides the situation is becoming more difficult.”

Schülke, too, has a long history of blending different chemistries to develop optimized preservative system.

“Our non-traditional, multifunction-al systems are tested to the same high standards as our traditional preservative blends,” explained Sedlewicz. “Our sen-siva PA 40, launched last year, is effective enough to allow high SPF sunscreens to pass challenge testing without the use of a traditional preservative.”

This blend of natural Zemea propanediol, with a nature-identical fragrance com-pound and a gentle synthetic moisturizer can be used alone or in combination with a chelating agent at levels very similar to more traditional preservative blends, ac-cording to Sedlewicz.

MedicalPreservation SocietyThe war on preservatives continues... until the next outbreak of contaminated products

affects consumers, anyway. Read on to find out how the industry is fighting back.


With the traditional preservative palette growing more limited, Winn warned that it the end of an era of using traditional bio-cides as cosmetic preservatives.

“There is now a once-in-a-generation shift away from biocides to using the “hur-dle technology,” glycols, acids and other multi-functional materials with secondary benefits as preservatives,” he explained.

Salicylates and Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. (SCPL) has launched four paraben-free, formalde-hyde-free and isothiazolinone-free preser-vatives with multifunctional benefits, ac-cording to Krishna Sarvaiya. Saliguard EHG (ethylhexylglycerin) ismultifunctional ingredient with applica-tions as skin conditioning agent, a deodor-ant agent and a preservative/preservative booster. Saliguard EHGP (ethylhexylglycer-in/phenoxyethanol) provides broad spec-trum protection against bacteria, yeast and mold. Saliguard EZ (ethylhexylglycerin/1, 3 propane diol) acts as an emollient and a sol-ubilizer for various extracts. Finally, Saligu-ard EU (ethylhexylglycerin/undecylenic acid) acts as a versatile skin care ingredient.

Green noted that the negative press sur-rounding traditional preservative systems has created a substantial market for nat-ural and/or alternative preservatives. He warned, however, that natural preserva-tives must often be used at high concen-trations to be effective preservatives, which can cause color, odor, or texture issues to the end products. Even at high concentra-tions, most natural preservatives are not as effective as traditional synthetic preserva-tives, Green maintained.

“Whether natural preservatives are safer than traditional preservatives is still under discussion; naturals have not been as ex-tensively tested for safety as synthetic pre-servatives,” he observed. “The new trends become critical when some companies use a very mild, unsuitable preservative system, unwittingly taking risks. Unsuitably pre-served products can cause skin irritation, infections, blindness, and even death.”

Preservative-Free and Die?It may not carry the same cache as New Hamp-shire’s State Motto, Live Free or Die, but more than a few marketers take pleasure in touting their formulas as being “preservative-free.”

The negative press over traditional preser-vatives has caused some manufacturers to seek natural, green, or “preservatives free” alternatives, noted Green of Sharon Labo-ratories. This movement against traditional preservatives has created a substantial mar-ket for natural and/or alternative preserva-tives—even when there are drawbacks.

“Natural preservatives must often be used at high concentrations to be effective preser-vatives, which can cause color, odor, or tex-ture issues to the end products,” explained Green. “Even at high concentrations, most natural preservatives are not as effective as traditional synthetic preservatives.”

Whether natural preservatives are safer than traditional preservatives is still under discussion, he added, noting that naturals have not been as extensively tested for safety as synthetic preservatives.

“The new trends become critical when some companies use a very mild, unsuit-able preservative system, unwittingly tak-ing risks,” observed Green. “Unsuitably pre-served products can cause skin irritation, infections, blindness, and even death. We take a more responsible approach; all our blends are based on intensive research be-cause we understand the big responsibility we are facing.”

Some AnswersSuppliers, then, struggle with keeping products safe for consumers, answering marketers’ demands for “preservative-free” label copy and fending off scientifically un-sound legislation. Keeping all these balls in the air is quite a juggling act, indeed, but forward-thinking suppliers are offering a range of solutions for formulators of per-sonal care and household products.

Last month at In-Cosmetics, Lonza Personal Care launched Rômacil V, a multifunctional cosmetic ingredient that imparts a delicate fragrance to mildly enhance the attributes of a personal care product. In addition, it of-fers broad-spectrum antimicrobial capabili-ties to add an additional level of protection in order to maintain the product’s integrity.

“Rômacil V was developed to respond to formulators’ desires for products that offer multiple benefits, that simplify the formula-tion process, and that offer consumers key desired effects,” explained Szymczak-Frye.According to Hummel, Lonza’s current focus is to evaluate its existing portfolio of preser-vation technologies and develop new and innovative combinations that can potential-ly increase effectiveness while mitigating customers’ concerns.Protameen introduced Pro-Aqua Isostea-reth 200 linoleate, which Manny Balsamides described as a unique, water- soluble ester.Inolex continues to launch solutions based on its multifunctional chelating agent, CHA. The most recent additions include two sys-tems for cold-process applications: Spectra-stat OL and Spectrastat OEL.“We did extensive research on their abil-ity to preserve wet wipes and found them to be extraordinarily effective,” explained Winn, who added that market response has been superb.

Blends Meet Global DemandsFollowing the growing worldwide demand for milder and greener cosmetic formula-tions, Sharon Labs developed a wide selec-tion of unique broad spectrum preservative solutions which provide answers for the marketing demands and at the same time give full protection to end products.“Some of our new synergistic blends are based on well-known preservative ingredi-

ents which meet global trends,” explained Green. “Others contain ingredients that have preservative activity, yet are not listed on Annex VI, which is a list of preservatives permitted in cosmetics sold in the EU.”

In 2012, the company launched the Sharon Biomix line and added two new products last year. Just last month, the company in-troduced Sharon Biomix Free C and Sha-ron Biomix Free H. These liquid blends are based on unique natural organic citrus ex-tracts and do not contain ingredients which are listed on Annex VI, according to Green. They are paraben- and formaldehyde-free, broad spectrum, soluble in water, odor-less, may tolerate elevated temperatures, and work in a wide pH range. The recom-mended use level of these products is less than 1%, ideal for leave-on and rinse-off products, according to the company. Coast Southwest distributes Sharon’s preserva-tives.

At schülke, euxyl K 900 is the latest addi-tion to its family of boosted preservation systems. Like its sister products, euxyl PE

9010 and sensiva PA 20, euxyl K 900 uses the preservative booster, ethylhexylglycer-in, to provide a broader spectrum of pre-servative activity. According to Sedlewicz, schülke’s patented stabilization process for ethylhexylglycerin provides consistently high quality, without the risk of color and odor changes.

“Our extensive safety dossier provides con-fidence that our quality of ethylhexylglyc-erin can be used even in products for sensi-tive populations,” she added.

With the high costs associated with devel-oping preservative systems, industry ex-perts expect any new product activity to be dominated by multifunctional blends.

“It’s too expensive to create new preserva-tives just for cosmetics,” noted Steinberg, who pointed out that Kathon was original-ly developed for the agricultural industry. “The cosmetic markets are too small to warrant the R&D costs. Plus, there is the added cost of product approval and then, the NGOs come after you! As soon as a company comes out with a new chemical structure, you can be sure that somebody will come along to tear it apart.”

With opponents like that, it’s enough to drive a formulator to drink—perhaps some-thing a bit more potent than light beer!


Medical7 Reasons to see a Dermatologist

By Mariusz J.A. Sapijaszko

Why would you ever think that you need to see a dermatologist? There are plen-

ty of those who will tell you that they know how your skin works, what is wrong with it and how to fix it when problems arise. The fact is that nobody knows the skin like a dermatologist does.

I know it is tempting to settle for an advice from and “expert” friend or a cosmetic’s counter representative but here are the rea-sons why you should not settle for anything but the best.

The following list outlines 7 key reasons why you should see a dermatologist for your skin care needs:

Dermatologists are skin experts – lets put it plainly – Dermatologists are the most knowledgeable about both normal and abnormal function of the skin, nails and hair. There is no other medical or surgical specialty that dedicates as much time and effort to the study of the skin. Others may have taken courses and seminars but let’s not be fooled; dermatologists dedicate their careers to the study of the skin. In ad-dition, this study continues each and every year they are practicing.

Safe time – others may take several visits and tries to finally diagnose what you need or how to treat your skin, while dermatolo-gists are frequently able to precisely diag-nose your concerns right at the first visit. Each visit is time that you need to take out of your schedule. The correct approach to the management of your skin has to do with the proper initial analysis and diagno-sis. Diagnosis does not relate to abnormal skin but rather to any skin condition: nor-mal or abnormal. Frequently, one visit is all that is needed to start you on the right path. Without proper and accurate assess-ment, you will be treating something that you do not have. For example, there are different forms of acne and all have to be treated differently.

Safe money – this is truer now than ever. Were you ever recommended treatments for your skin condition that did not work? Sometimes, patients have purchased doz-

ens of creams and lotions that others rec-ommended but that did not resolve the skin condition. These patients frequently say that they used “everything” to treat their condition without success. The fact, in many cases, is that their skin condition was not diagnosed properly and, conse-quently, the treatments did not address the problem. We all know that having to buy multiple creams gets to be expensive and frustrating. Once again, it is time to see a dermatologist and have a fresh start with proper assessment that is the foundation of any successful therapy.

Have effective medical treatments – many skin conditions look alike. Eczema, psoria-sis, nummular dermatitis and fungal infec-tion can all look very similar. Those who are not familiar with subtleties of these diagnoses frequently confuse them. When that happens, you will be treated with in-effective medications. These treatments can have side effects and you can be using them without much success. You will not only waste your time and money but also have to suffer unnecessarily. Only when the diagnosis is accurate, will you be given treatments designed to do the job right.

Have effective cosmetic treatments – have you noticed more and more “cosmetic” experts these days? Well, lets face it, cos-metics have to do with our outward ap-pearance where skin, hair and nails play a prominent role.

You know what comes next – dermatolo-gists know the skin, nails and hair and they

can recommend treatments that can make you look your best. In addition, it is worth-while to note that most of the medical grade cosmetic treatments such as lasers, chemical peels and liposuction have been developed and popularized by dermatolo-gists. When in doubt, ask your dermatolo-gist for suggestions about the ways to look your best.

Have effective preventative examinations – dermatologists not only treat diseased skin but also recommend maintenance treatments for your skin including appro-priate sun protection, chemical peels, IPL rejuvenation and retinoid cream treat-ments. Preventative visits are critical in spotting early signs of trouble and can save time, money and even lives. Have a visit with a dermatologist once in a while. If ev-erything is well, you may not see one for a while but when concerns are spotted, you may be asked to return in a shorter time.

See the one who is often imitated but nev-er duplicated – dermatology is a specialty designated by national accreditation agen-cy. In Canada, dermatologists are accredit-ed by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Be sure that you ask the doctor or a receptionist for the confir-mation of correct accreditation. It is your health and you want to be sure of it.

You have one body and one skin – look af-ter it as best as you can with the advice of those who know it the best – your neigh-bourhood dermatologist.

Longer, thicker, darker lashes are a visible sign of beauty, health and vigor. It is no wonder that the choices of mascara and other lash enhancing products are so huge. Studies show that the eye region, includ-ing eyelashes, is one of the most important factors when judging the attractiveness of a person. At last, there is a product that is approved for growing thicker, longer and darker eyelashes. Latisse® is truly a breakthrough product that can predictably grow eyelashes. The article below discusses La-tisse®, its benefits and risks.

What is Latisse®?

Latisse® is the first preparation approved to grow eyelashes, making them longer, thick-er and darker. It is a topical preparation that is applied daily directly to the upper eyelid eyelashes. It is truly a revolutionary product and it is the first of its kind. Maybe imitated but never duplicated. Latisse® is the REAL THING! Other products claim to do what Latisse® does but Latisse® is the only one that actually does it! It can make eyelashes longer, fuller and darker.

How does it work?

Latisse® is thought to work by prolonging

Medical

the growth phase of the eyelash hairs. All our hair grows in cycles and phases. Among the cycles and phases are the growing phase and the resting phase. The longer the growth phase, the longer the hair. In addi-tion, it is thought that Latisse® makes more hair enter the growth phase rather than re-maining in the resting phase. All these ef-fects result in hairs being longer, fuller and darker.

Are there any side effects to using Latisse®?

Yes - The most common side effect while using Latisse® is an itching sensation in the eyes and/or eye redness. In addition, some patients can experience some skin darken-ing, eye irritation, dryness of the eyes, and redness of the eyelids. Should any of these symptoms occur, please contact the physi-cian that prescribed Latisse®.

Could Latisse® change the color of my eyes?

Before Latisse® was formulated, the same ingredient had been used for the treatment of glaucoma (an elevated intraocular pres-sure). At that time, the active ingredient was applied directly to the eyeball. In some patients, there was increased brown pig-mentation of the iris. In the clinical studies

of Latisse®, there were no cases of changes in eye pigmentation. Nevertheless, patients should be advised about the potential for increased brown iris pigmentation which is likely permanent.

Could Latisse® darken the edges of my eye-lids?

Some patients experience some darkening of the areas along the edge of the eyelid where the product is applied. This is due to increased production of melanin (natural pigment in the skin). If that occurs, it is re-versible in most patients after the product is stopped. Some patients like this effect as it produces an outline of the upper eyelid edge.

Can I use Latisse® with mascara?

Yes – Latisse® can be used with mascara. Latisse® is used to make your lashes lon-ger, fuller and darker. Mascara can be used to further enhance your eyelashes as need-ed.

What happens when I stop using Latisse®?

Stopping Latisse® will make your eyelash-es return to their previous size, length and color. This usually happens over several weeks to months.

The bottom line is that Latisse® gives us a new and exciting opportunity to help our patients in achieving their desired look – longer, thicker and darker eyelashes.

Not enough Lashes? Latisse®

the breakthrough treatment for enhanced eyelashes is here


MedicalThe Spa Menu: Do’s, Don’ts and Tricks of the Trade

By Mindy Terry

President and Found, Creative Spa Concepts

Just as a restaurant menu gives the initial impressions of a dining experience, the spa menu serves as an introduction to re-laxation. Though, is your menu causing guests more stress than relief? What does the spa-goer expect, want and need from a menu of services?

Through more than 14 years of creating treatments and developing menus for doz-ens of the world’s leading spas, I have creat-ed a slew of menus. In fact, creating menus is one of my favorite parts of being a spa consultant.Creating an effective spa menu is a bal-ancing act. To give a very specific formula is difficult as there are many nuances to consider such as the type of spa, location, clientele, etc. In this article, I am giving you general rules of thumb and a sample out-line. Though, keep in mind to not get too caught up in the logistics that your intuition is blocked. If you do the proper homework, you can trust your instincts.

THREE STEPS TO SUCCESS – THE FEAST So, how do you get started? The three steps to success…

1. Do your homework

2. Know your guest

3. Develop a concept-driven menu

Due diligence includes conducting market research to determine local demographics, area competition/comparable businesses and pricing, as well as your guest profile. Doing your homework helps you know your guest. Before working on your menus, it’s important to pinpoint your guests’ basic statistics (male/female, education, family status, earnings, etc.), local culture and per-sonal priorities (relaxation, stress relief, get work done, etc.)

With the knowledge of your market re-search and a clear understanding of your spa’s vision, values and philosophies, you are ready to develop your spa concept. Your

concept will help to guide you in the right direction towards selecting the appropri-ate products and services for your menu. In creating that concept, be sure that it will resonate with your guests. For example, is your spa Asian influenced, focused on alter-native therapies or based around seawater? Are your clients in a lavish resort on vaca-tion or do you operate a day spa that caters to locals who need to get work done? You need to know these answers before you put pen to paper in creating your menu.

PICK YOUR SIDE ITEMS… Next you pick your products. Product lines are critical. I truly believe the most import-ant part of the spa experience is the treat-ment. If a guest has an amazing treatment experience, they will forgive almost every-thing else. To determine the best products for your spa, analyze:

Will this product appeal to our guests and is it priced correctly?

∞Does this product reflect our concept?

∞Is this product line broad enough to sup-port the range of services we offer and the type of experience we are trying to create?

∞What small niche lines might we need to supplement with in order to meet the needs of our guests?

∞How much sales, marketing and training support will this product vendor provide to my business?

Now you can put together a skeleton menu and decide the treatment categories (nails, hair, face, body, men, pre- and post-natal, etc.) you want to offer. Then pick the appro-priate types of treatments (detox, anti-ag-ing, cleansing, hydrating/skin repair, etc.). For help, the Get Spa Smart section of www.creativespaconcepts.com offers a list that is free of charge.

Look at time durations. You’ll want a mix of 25-, 50-, 80- and 100/120-minute treatments. Make sure your menu has an appropriate selection of different treat-ments at varying durations that appeal to consumers in your market. For exam-ple, if your spa is located in a busy ur-ban area, you’ll want a nice selection of

25-minute treatments that can be done on a lunch break.

Next, begin creating treatment protocols. A mix of 75/80% vendor protocols and 20/25% signature protocols is a good rule or thumb. And, consider all senses – sight, sound, smell, taste, touch – when creating treatments.

Finally, pricing. Market research helps de-termine appropriate pricing. Conduct a survey to determine the low- and high-end price points in your market. Also, consider the cost of goods per treatment. Averages to follow include 1% for massages, 8-12% for facials and 6-10% for body treatments. You may also want to look at pricing ser-vices for time vs. pricing per treatment. Not only does this process offer more flexibility for the guest in packaging, it helps to even out bookings and also allows the oppor-tunity to exceed the cost of goods on key treatments areas.

How long should all of this take? Ideally, you should start developing your menu six months out. At a minimum, 90 days out. Involve staff in the process – if the staff dislikes a line or a treatment - it won’t stick around long.

THE ICING ON THE CAKE You’ve done your homework, you know your guest and you have a concept-based menu. Congratulations! Though, don’t let things go stale. If your clientele is transient, such as at a resort, the need to reinvent the menu is not as significant. With day spas, you should update more often, such as every six months. At the least, review your menu annually and always keep your core/most popular treatments.

Consider some packages. Packages simpli-fy the selection process for guests and are ideal for special occasions such as bridal parties and girlfriend getaways. On an op-erations side, packages increase use of less popular treatments and allow better distri-bution of bookings.

People always want to know what’s trendy. In menus, as well as throughout the entire

spa industry, wellness is huge. We are work-ing at crazier paces than ever before and with technology, we are never turned “off”. Help your guests ease out of the work world by thinking of ways you can prepare their minds before their treatment begins (iP-ods with guided meditation, water circuits, etc.). The treatment should begin as soon as a guest walks into the facility though music, lighting, ambiance, aroma, etc.

ABOUT THE AUTHORAs the Founder and President of Creative Spa Concepts, Mindy Terry leads a team of con-sultants who represent more than 75 collec-tive years of experience in the wellness and hospitality industries. Creative Spa Concepts stands out from all other spa consulting firms because each consultant has developed, led or been an integral part of guiding spas to national “Top Ten” status including the rank-ings in Condé Nast Traveler, Luxury SpaFinder and Spa magazines Terry is also a licensed cosmetologist, aesthetician, yoga instructor and certified infant massage instructor. Read more on www.creativespaconcepts.com.


Community & Society

Innovation & Embracing

ChangeTechnologyEmployees

Internal Systems

& Processes

Marketing & SalesCustomer

ServiceFinances

Do you suffer from Stratgophobia?

Strategic change is hard work. It is risky business and requires that you leave your comfort zone. It sometimes even requires that you make decisions that are irrevoca-ble. Strategic change takes intensive intro-spection. So are you up to the challenge to take a journey with me into your business? Like any journey you need to start with an understanding of your current situation in order to build on the existing foundation.

We call this an organizational appraisal to discover how well you are performing in eight key areas.

1. Finances

2. Customer service

How are you going about growing your business intelligently? Written by Ken Ingram President and professional business coach www.tac-coaching.com

3. Marketing and Sales

4. Internal systems and processes

5. Employees

6. Technology

7. Innovation and embracing change

8. Community and society.

After this is done, the next important as-sessment is to rate your performance on a scale of 1 to 10. Where do you need to im-prove?

Now you need to understand how external trends in seven areas could impact your business. Understanding unfolding trends is the essential factor in managing risk. You need to be a catalyst of change, not adapt after the fact. Give some thought to these

topics: 1. Demographics: what’s happen-ing to the population? 2. Economy: what’s happening locally and regionally? 3. Envi-ronment: what’s happening in the environ-ment that could have an impact on your business? 4. Government: what’s happen-ing in terms of policies and procedures? 5. Market competition: how is our industry evolving? 6. Society: what’s happening with regards to the attitudes and behaviours of our clients? 7. Technology: how is technolo-gy driving where we are currently to where we need to be in the future?

The next step is to unearth what values will guide your businesses behaviours. This may seem obvious, but in the many businesses we have had the privilege to coach, it often proved to be a big eye opener. The reason is that we often take many things for granted. You may feel that the customer is engaged but you may be surprised to learn that you failed to communicate your core values and the result is, they have taken their business to a less competent SPA.

Every business has products and services that provide superior return and some that do not. It may be a good time to look at your different customers segments and the products/services that you offer and evaluate the return on investment. Are you satisfied with what you are currently do-ing? If not it may be time to re-examine the market opportunities available today and down the road.

Finally, remember that success is a journey, not a destination. I have taken you through a process that is intended to help you un-derstand where you are now and where you need to go. Now plug those coordinates into the GPS for your business and get to work developing a success plan. Do you have the audacity to become the master of your own destiny? If so then lets get start-ed. I’ll be waiting for you at the fall 2010 and spring 2011 ESI show.

Ken Ingram Professional Business Coachwww.tac-coaching.com (514) 668-2320 Growing Your Business Intelligently

Business BusinessSet Up A Win-Win Company Culture

Use Established Policies & Procedures To Create Clarity In Your Spa Business

By Jenny Hogan

While no one really wants to spend time thinking about topics like pricing struc-

ture worksheets or employee accident reports, setting up established policies and procedures in your spa business will ultimately free you to spend time on more stimulating activities – like chatting with your clients or catching up on the next big beauty trends! Lauren Gart-land is the founder of Inspiring Champions, a business training and coaching company working in the professional beauty industry. Gartland regularly instructs salon and spa owners and managers on how to create a no fail process for setting up policies and proce-dure guidelines for their businesses.

Establish A Code Of HonorGartland shares, “Established policies and proce-dures are designed to provide your employees with a better understanding of the culture of your business. These policies are guidelines for your employees to follow, so that they have clar-ity of what they can expect from you and what is expected from them. In this way, both employee and employer are set up to win!” Through the In-spiring Champions training programs, Gartland offers standardized policy and procedure forms that address every basic need of salon and spa industry employers and managers.

To begin, employers or managers should clearly state their company mission, purpose, core values and philosophy. Gartland notes, “Clearly define who your company is and what you stand for. Let your team members know that they are a valuable member of your team. Let them know that they supply a vital link in your client service chain to provide extraor-dinary service, conducted under the highest standards.” Create a powerful and cohesive team through the use of shared values such as trust, respect, integrity and excellence. At your team meetings, review the guiding prin-ciples that your business adheres to and treat them as a code of honor. They should include things like treating others as you wish to be treated, not gossiping or making excuses, being responsible, striving for excellence and upholding the values of the business. Much like the Marine code, establishing this kind of system holds team members accountable, holds them to a team standard and gives other members permission to call them out if they fail to honor it.

Create Your CultureEvery business has its own culture, with its own value set and distinctive way of operating and your policies have to consider these specific elements. Gartland says, “By thoroughly iden-tifying the culture of your spa and creating open communication for all the team mem-bers, you discover any roadblocks the business is encountering and can work to resolve and remove them.” Those roadblocks can include everything from common challenges like im-plementing spa systems on retailing, booking appointments, front desk operation and cus-tomer service to communication skills and in-terpersonal problems within the business.

Involve your entire team in collectively cre-ating your culture. People will support what they create! Have your team members de-scribe, in a perfect world, how they would like the business to be? Ask them to list the benefits of things like better communication and teamwork. Have them identify their indi-vidual as well as group responsibilities. What they are really doing is creating their own work culture, one they will feel ownership and pride in. Gartland shares, “The idea isn’t necessarily to compromise, but rather to syn-ergize. In science there is a saying that there is no wrong or right, only what works or what doesn’t work. Now add, ‘what works better?’ Ask yourself what is working and not working in your business and what could work better.” By creating a strong vision and culture and in-volving and empowering your team, you not only ensure clarity in your policies but also offer a transformational experience!

Document Your ProceduresYour company handbook of policies and pro-cedures should include your core values and code of honor and they should also be posted in your business where employees can regu-larly review them. Your handbook should in-

clude the basics of your employer-employee agreement, explaining workplace rules and regulations, sanitation and safety policies, emergency procedures, client preparation and confidentially responsibilities. Your payment compensation structures should be thorough-ly documented as well as your company cover-age of health insurance, disability, holiday, va-cation and sick leave, maternity leave and any continuing education and training programs.

Document your policies on harassment, equal opportunity, drug use, absenteeism, disci-plinary action and termination procedures. If you have a dress code or expectations of your employee’s image, carefully detail what you ex-pect. Explain your procedure for performance appraisals and create employee job descrip-tions for all of your positions. Finally, have standardized forms for employee applications, interviews, employment agreements, accident reports, performance evaluation forms, edu-cation agreements and termination notices. Before implementing your policies and proce-dures manual, you should carefully review your manual with legal counsel in your area, to en-sure that your local laws that govern employ-ment and the beauty industry are honored.

Remain FlexibleYour manual will always serve as a general guideline and should be as complete as rea-sonably possible, yet it will be necessary to regularly review and revise your policies to remain flexible to new circumstances as they arise. “Your policies and procedures should help to build a synergistic and positive rela-tionship with your employees. Encourage your team to share their thoughts and ideas, since your continued success depends on you working together to achieve your planned goals and objectives!” Gartland says.


MedicalParabens in Perspective: An Introduction

Parabens are probably the most vilified ingredients currently used in cosmetics today. Why? That is a huge question but, first of all, let me explain what parabens actually are:

Parabens are esters of parahydroxybenzoic acid (see where the paraben comes from), and are more correctly referred to as “par-aben esters”, although it is rare to see this these days. The parabens of interest in cos-metics are:

methylparaben

ethylparaben

propylparaben

butylparaben

plus, to a much lesser extent:

isobutylparaben

isopropylparaben

Some of these are also used in their sodium salt form – listed on the label as, for example, sodium methylparaben. The vast majority of the comments made about each paraben will

apply equally to the equivalent sodium salt.Many commentators refer to parabens as though they were a single entity, but they are not – each has its own chemical and toxicological properties and, whilst there may be some similarities in certain prop-erties, there are also significant differences.

Parabens are used as preservatives in cos-metics, and they are extremely effective at controlling the growth of fungi (yeasts and moulds) at low concentrations and they also have activity against many bacteria, al-though they are primarily fungicidal. They have been used as preservatives in cosmet-ics since the 1920’s. As with all other “true” preservatives, being biologically active, they have some small potential to cause ir-ritation to skin and, in rare cases, an allergic response. Amongst the general population, this is a truly rare event, and parabens are consistently reported as being amongst the lowest rates of skin problems in dermato-logical patients.

Despite more than 80 years of apparently

safe usage in cosmetics, in the past 12 years a few studies have been published that ap-pear to throw the safety of all or some para-bens into doubt.

This article is intended to serve as the intro-duction to a series of further articles on par-abens, in each of which I will take one sci-entific study and critique it to examine the reality of the claims it makes and its place in the wider debate over the safety of par-abens. There is such a wealth of data avail-able, much of it generated only over the last 12 years, that it is impossible to assess every study, so I will focus entirely on those studies that have had the most impact in this debate.

It is difficult to pitch articles on scientif-ic studies to the right level for everyone’s understanding, but I intend to try to put across the science in as clear and simplified a manner as possible without appearing condescending. So, if I appear to be conde-scending, please remember that this is not my intention!

I said at the beginning of this piece that parabens are probably the most vilified cosmetic ingredients, and it almost seems as though there is a concerted campaign against their use, and one which resorts to using any source of (mis)information as long as it is negative towards them. It is as though there is a Ten Commandments for the anti-parabens lobby:

1. Thou shalt never mention “parabens” without including the words “toxic” or “car-cinogenic”

2. Thou shalt not check the veracity of the information sources used to make negative claims about parabens

3. Thou shalt not accept that some para-bens exist in nature

4. Thou shalt only seek out “parabens-free” labelled products

5. Thou shalt accept without question the Skin Deep information on parabens, even though it is incorrect

6. Thou shalt claim that “parabens make you fat”, despite this being an incredibly outrageous claim

7. Thou shalt claim that your tumour was composed entirely of parabens (yes, this has actually happened!)

8. Thou shalt stubbornly ignore any evi-dence in favour of parabens, no matter how compelling

9. Thou shalt proudly proclaim “preserva-tive free” (for manufacturers) despite thy products containing preservatives

10. I can’t think of a 10th, so just repeat number 9.

A little lightheartedness never hurt anyone.

To close this introduction, perhaps it would be useful for me to add a “declaration of in-terest” to combat the almost inevitable ac-cusations that my articles will attract. I am writing these articles as a private individu-al. I am not being paid for this work, and I do not write in my employer’s time. I have worked in the field of cosmetic preserva-tives since 1981, having been employed by one of the 3 major parabens manufacturers for 10 years (part of my role, ironically, was to extend their range beyond just the par-abens!), and I am currently employed by a company that acts as a distributor for one of the other major parabens manufacturers but, again, I have most of the parabens al-ternatives in my portfolio as well as many “secondary antimicrobials” that are also be-ing touted as alternatives.

What I am trying to say is that I don’t need to sell parabens to survive; I am equally happy with selling the alternatives, but decisions should be made on the basis of facts, not internet myths and misinforma-tion (myth-information).


Business

Boston: Thursday 19th June 2014: Encour-aging news is emerging from the Helperby Therapeutics-Cadila Pharmaceuticals part-nership that potentially life-saving treat-ments for patients suffering with antibiot-ic resistance are in development – just six months after signing their agreement. In an industry which typically takes 15-20 years to bring a new drug to market and at costs upwards of $1bn, this brings the promise of hope to the millions who will suffer with incurable, resistant infections across the globe. This progress is promising and follows the first-ever snapshot of the burden and threats posed by antibiotic resistant germs by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s report Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States. Each year at least two million Americans become infect-ed with bacteria that are resistant to antibi-

otics and at least 23,000 die each year as a direct result of these infections. Many more people die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant in-fection. Helperby Therapeutics, a spin-out of Brit-ain’s St George’s University of London and one of the few pioneers globally working to overcome antibiotic resistance, has discov-ered that combining its patented resistance breakers with obsolete antibiotics can pro-duce effective microbial kill rates with sig-nificantly lower or no toxicity to the patient. The partnership is developing a potential treatment against the world’s most deadly superbugs, gram-negative carbapenem-re-sistant organisms. The last line of defence for patients critically ill with this deadly or-ganism is colistin - an antibiotic with seri-ous side effects and to which resistance is already beginning to emerge.

The drug discovery company has entered into collaboration with India’s Cadila Phar-maceuticals, whose USFDA-approved facili-ties are at the forefront of the fight to bring antibiotic treatments focused on providing affordable treatments to patients. “The Helperby-Cadila Pharmaceuticals partnership is an ideal match for both or-ganisations enabling high quality, highly regulated development of potential anti-biotic resistance breakers,” said Helperby’s Chief Scientific Officer, Professor Sir An-thony Coates. “Cadila Pharmaceuticals is a developer and manufacturer focused on a market with a critical mass of patients who are suffering from incurable infections and we hope to deliver potentially lifesaving therapies which will address this worrying global menace.” Antibiotic resistance has seen more and more antibiotics becoming obsolete and this is creating a crisis which threatens to be bigger and more urgent than the Aids epidemic of the 1980s, according to the World Health Organisation – as “everyone is potentially in danger”. “While many reports have been written, urgent and coordinated action on a global scale is required as unfor-tunately the pipeline for antibiotic develop-ment has run dry,” added Professor Coates. Helperby Therapeutics continues to discov-er potential antibiotic resistance breakers with its scientific team, led by Dr Yanmin Hu, identifying over 300 small molecules so far. Helperby has seven other programmes at the preclinical stage for a range of con-ditions including urinary and genitourinary infections, cystic fibrosis and skin, mucosal and fungal infections. With 49 patent appli-cations in place the company is looking for further collaborative partners around the globe to help fast-track these vital drugs to market.

One of the largest privately held pharma-ceutical organisations in India, Cadila Phar-maceuticals was the first Indian company to receive Investigational New Drug approval from the USFDA. As a research and innova-tion-focused company, it has many first-in-the-world drugs to its credit, like Polycap (in

cardiovascular), Mycidac-C (in oncology), Risorine (in respiratory) and Rabeloc IV (in Gastroenterology). Cadila Pharmaceuticals’ state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities conform to the most rigorous global cGMP Standards. Its Chairman and Managing Di-rector Dr Rajiv I Modi said: “Cadila Pharma-ceuticals believes in providing affordable healthcare to patients. This collaborative effort with Helperby to develop resistance breakers will help us reach out to the mass-es who need this cost-effective treatment, especially in a country like India and other developing nations.”

For further information and to arrange in-terviews with Professor Anthony Coates please contact:

North America: Luke Giroux Tel: +1 860 280 1302 [email protected]

Europe: Pat McLaren Tel: +44 7703656192 [email protected] Centers for Disease Control and Pre-vention Report: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf

This news release contains forward-looking information regarding the plans, outlook, strategies and results for the future of both Helperby Therapeutics and Cadila Pharma-ceuticals. All forward-looking statements are based on the judgments derived from the information available to both compa-nies at the time of publication.

About Helperby Therapeutics www.helperby.com Helperby Therapeutics is a spin-out drug discovery company from St George’s Uni-versity of London and has been working for the last 12 years developing antibiotics that specifically target dormant bacteria, a technique that has never been done be-fore. This pioneering discovery by Profes-sor Anthony Coates and Dr Yanmin Hu is a unique, patented approach that has shown real promise in early studies in breaking re-sistance when Helperby’s compounds are combined with old.

About Cadila Pharmaceuticals www.cadilapharma.com Cadila Pharmaceuticals is one of the largest privately held pharmaceuticals companies in India, headquartered at Ahmedabad, Gu-jarat, India. Established in 1951, the com-pany develops and manufactures pharma-ceutical products and sells and distributes these in all major markets across the globe. It is an integrated healthcare solutions pro-vider with a comprehensive therapeutic basket including oncology, pulmonology, neurology and cardiovascular.Cadila Phar-maceuticals is a research and innovation driven company and has collaborations with premier academic and research-based organisations across the world. Cadila Phar-maceuticals was the first Indian company to get IND approval by USFDA for clinical trials to be conducted in India. Subsequently, the company has filed 5 INDs with the USFDA.

Hope on Horizon in Global Fight against Antibiotic Resistance Helperby Therapeutics – Cadila Pharmaceuticals Partnership responds with the world’s first resistance breaker.


The health and wellness market is a $500 billion industry made up, in part, by a 500% boost in the number of aesthetic proce-dures performed in the last five years. Peak demand for medical spas, cosmetic medical centers, wellness centers and age manage-ment institutes is on the horizon and those who are prepared will be ahead of the curve - and have the potential to set the standard for excellence.

While your attention should be fully en-gaged with your patients, there is still the matter of the business you are running. Not only is it important that you have a business plan and a marketing blueprint, among other business related specifics, but also adhere to each and every board, ruling, regulation, registration, licensing, and rec-ommendation in order to be in compliance and protect your patients and your facility from reprisal.

Myth:

“Medical spa” means instant revenue

Reality:

Like anyone else who starts a new business, you have a 50/50 chance of succeeding.

The number one reason most businesses fail is because they don’t plan properly and under capitalize their investments. In addi-tion to a significant financial investment, it will take a lot of hard work to put your-self on the positive side of that ratio. There is more to consider than just the highly sought-after services you will offer. Building a successful medical spa practice, cosmetic medical center, wellness center or age man-agement institute is a process that requires patience and serious planning to improve your chances for achieving your goals. It takes time and attention to detail to build, maintain and grow a successful practice.

Whether you are seeking start-up or expan-sion capital, or working to keep your invest-ment strong, a business plan will help take your business and organization to the next level. In fact, it is essential to the success of your medical spa or cosmetic medical practice. It is the ultimate guide for your structure, services, products, staffing, re-sources, budgeting, financial management and implementation. A solid plan helps you visualize your goals and stay on track while also keeping you from floundering in what is quickly becoming a sea of competitors.

If you are planning a build-out for your space to accommodate your services, se-cure the necessary permits and be aware of the actual time it can take to complete con-struction. Develop a Web presence so you are easy to find online. Make time for net-working in your area, as well as offering free lectures and seminars for the public. Fur-ther, open your calendar to public relations opportunities and create a budget to cover essential marketing efforts. But before you can implement any of these options, you will need to plan very carefully.

Myth:

“If you build it, they will come.”

Reality:

You won’t have clients rushing in just be-cause you have hung your shingle - even if you are an expert in your field, have the latest equipment and the most beautiful office - unless you are actively promoting your business. You have to tell your clients and prospects that your medical spa is the only place where they can receive your sig-nature services.

“One hundred percent of your aesthetic business relies on your marketing plan,” shares Anca Saladie, senior consultant with Beautiful Forever. “You must have a plan that focuses on your clients, products and services, promotion and pricing. Market-ing includes how you design and decorate your space, the Private Label and other re-tail products you provide for at-home use, and the collateral material available, such as brochures and direct mailers.”

Myth:

Once a client, always a client.

Reality:

Clients rarely stop shopping for the best services - and deals - on the market. Satis-fied customers are the key to your profit-ability, so measuring your customers’ satis-faction on a regular basis is vital. Common measurements include surveys, retention rates and customer service inquiries.

In-office consultation is an important av-enue for increased success and should be

a part of every client’s experience. Every member of your staff should be trained to follow the same procedure for every con-sultation, whether the client is seeking your premium procedure package or a simple skin assessment.

Be sure that you are providing the high-est level of satisfaction. Whether your cli-ents and * prospects find you by word-of-mouth, the Internet or in the yellow pages, it is up to you to make the most of each client contact and track them so you can identify what is working and what needs to be revised.

Myth:

If the equipment is expensive, it must be good.

Reality:

Be picky. Cost is not the defining feature of a good piece of equipment. You need to add something to your service line that can keep up with current and burgeoning demand. A clear understanding of your tar-get market’s demographics and a compet-itive analysis are important when making a purchase decision. You want the best bang for your buck, so look for a piece of equip-ment that can meet many needs and serve many different types of clients. Be sure to rate equipment choices based on proven results, “gold standard” status, broad appeal and / or application, combination therapy capability and the ability to generate high revenue. Find out who is endorsing the equipment, including major associations.

Before purchasing new equipment, you also should examine the possible return on investment (ROI). Is the equipment you are considering going to need replacement within two to three years, or will it be effec-tive for four to seven years, thus providing a better ROI? In addition, learn your financing options and negotiate the best rates.

Myth:

We can tell we are doing well because our revenue is higher than last month/year.

Reality:

Monitoring incoming dollars is always im-portant, but don’t stop there. You must stay

on top of all the factors that may be affect-ing your practice so you can correct what isn’t working - and capitalize on the best. Operational efficiencies are a key in sustain-ing profitability and ensuring not only sta-ble and solid business, but also success for your medical spa. Metrics measurements provide numbers that tell a story about where your business is headed.

Businesses in the cosmetic medical sector should use quantitative benchmarks and techniques to monitor the elements that impact the profitability, efficiency and ef-fectiveness of their business. When you rely on solid numbers and key metrics, rather than subjective measures such as hearsay and intuition, you have the edge on success. You will need to measure fi-nancial, client, consultation, demographic and lead metrics regularly to track your ef-forts on an ongoing and cumulative basis and review the results monthly or quarter-ly. Be sure to share your goals and findings with your staff so they can continue to build their skills.

Myth:

A medical spa is not much different from my successful practice. If I keep following the same model, I’ll do fine.

Reality:You are moving into a very retail-driven market that may be completely new to you. Of course you should keep your ill or recovering patients separate from your well patients, but you should be aware of some major differences. Market research shows the annual average revenue of a medspa tops $1.5 million, up to 15% of which is ac-counted for in retail sales. You will be work-ing with patients who are making elective decisions regarding aesthetic choices that are paid for in cash (or credit, including patient financing that you may offer). That said, you might need to address the issue that aesthetic services are not covered by medical insurance, so patients will not be able to make claims.

You will need to focus more on the overall experience and the ambiance and atmo-sphere, as well as retail products for home maintenance. Most clients are happiest when purchasing their skin care products where they get the rest of their cosmetic services. In fact, your patients will greatly appreciate shopping for products that real-ly are designed for their special needs in an environment where they know they will re-ceive your expert advice. Product lines and a well-trained, well-informed, professional

BusinessDebunking the Biggest Medical Spa MythsBy Cheryl Whitman


The Back of the BottleWhat is tocopheryl acetate and what does it do for the skin?

Chemically speaking, tocopheryl acetate is an ester created by mixing acetic acid and tocopherol, which is the chemical name for the most common form of vitamin E. As a form of vitamin E, tocopheryl acetate ex-hibits a high degree of bioavailability and is relatively stable. These two properties, combined with the fact that it is hydro-lyzed more slowly and completely and is less acidic than straight tocopherol, make tocopheryl acetate one of the most effec-tive forms of vitamin E used in both oral supplements and topical creams and oint-ments. I will not delve further into the ben-eficial effects of vitamin E on the skin be-yond reminding people that it is a powerful antioxidant; neutralizing free radicals and acting as a stabilizing agent with the skin’s cells. Straight vitamin E is characterized by its large oil-soluble molecules. These mole-cules, on their own, cannot penetrate deep enough into the skin to have an optimal anti-aging effect. On the other hand, when formulated with a proper delivery system, tocopheryl acetate, can penetrate deep into theskin, where it is slowly hydrolyzed

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THE MEDICINE ENVIRONMENT OF THE FUTURE

into a mixture of alpha, beta, gama and del-ta tocopherols, the combination of which, has been shown to be the most bioactive and beneficial form of vitamin E. The re-sult of this is that, properly formulated, to-copheryl acetate not only protects the skin from free radical damage and UV radiation, but also, accumulates in the skin and forti-fies the skin’s moisture barrier, assisting in keeping the skin from becoming dried out.

Please Submit your questions by email to Ms.Zaborski at [email protected]

In 1978 Ms. Zaborski founded the Corrective Skin Care Institute Inc, a pioneering medical spa, and for the past ten years has worked with an international team of cosmetic chemists and medical professionals to de-velop the System for Optimal SkinTM (SOSTM) skin correction system.

Written by Carell Zaborski

staff proficient in selling can add 30 to 40% to your total revenues.

Myth:

I can count on my staff to know what to do.

Reality:

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are the backbone of every successful business and practice, so plan your strategies and train, train, train. After you have taken the time to hire the right people for your prac-tice, keep them up to speed - or even ahead of the game - by providing ongoing edu-cation. Don’t leave anything to chance and don’t make your staff guess what you want. Put clear protocols in place for everything, including phone inquiries, consultations and every treatment you offer.

Even though potential clients have already made the decision to ‘buy’ treatment, they may still be shopping around for the best place to get it. Your goal is to show why

your practice is perfect for their needs. Do spot checks to make sure consultations are done correctly, and follow up regularly with role-playing, training and even secret shop-pers.

Myth:

Issues tend to work themselves out.

Reality:

“On a regular basis, you will need to take a close look at your practice,” says Mac Fadra, executive consultant with Beautiful Forev-er. “Or better yet, ask a professional, such as an accountant, manager or consultant, to evaluate it for you. Many practices face at least one issue that prevents them from reaching the level of success they seek, and it may cause significant damage before it is clearly recognized and handled. By do-ing some detective work, you can discover the root problems that may be holding you back. The key then is to take action and im-plement steps to correct your issues.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cheryl Whitman the founder and CEO of Beautiful Forever, a cutting-edge consulting firm, and the developer of the Medical Spa Success System, Cheryl Whitman leads the industry in helping doctors and entrepre-neurs establish and grow their medical spa business. Whitman has spearheaded the evolution of customary day spas into the re-sults-oriented concept of medical spas and is a respected guest lecturer at industry confer-ences worldwide.Contact Cheryl at [email protected] or visit www.medicalspaconsultant.com or www.medicalspasuccess.com

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