Students from EBI's Specialized Master's in Management of Regulatory Affairs for Perfumes and Cosmetics and its partner Isipca will be taking part in the "Perfumes & Cosmetics - Regulatory Challenges" conference in Chartres on December 1 and 2. An opportunity to shed light on this little-known profession, which is nonetheless essential for consumer protection and international trade.
Little known to the general public, the job of regulatory affairs manager is of vital importance, as it ensures the safety and conformity of perfumes and cosmetics before they are put on the market. Cosmetics regulations are constantly evolving, to ensure that products are safe for human health: improving the environmental and societal performance of products via the Green Impact Index, guaranteeing consumer safety by ensuring harmlessness and compliance (endocrine disruptors, microplastics, allergens, mutagens...), integrating regulatory issues (biodiversity, recycling, industrial impacts, responsible sourcing...), anticipating changes in economic policies (regulatory requirements, import-export, technical customs barriers, international tensions) are all topical subjects that these professionals need to integrate perfectly and update regularly.
The Specialized Master in Management of Regulatory Affairs for Perfumes and Cosmetics, accredited by the Conférence des Grandes Ecoles and run by EBI - École de biologie industrielle (a private engineering school of general interest, specializing in the application of biotechnologies to the health, beauty, diagnostics and food sectors, and the ecological and societal transition), co-supervised with Isipca (a school of the CCI Paris Ile de France, and a national and international reference in the perfume, cosmetics and aromatic food industries), opens the door to a wide range of safety and regulatory professions in all areas of the cosmetics sector: from raw materials supplier to distributor in the perfumery and cosmetics fields. The two schools bring their respective skills to bear in their areas of expertise. EBI's teaching is based on the expertise of its professors, mainly in raw materials, toxicology, skin physiology and management. Isipca teaches regulations and perfumery. This year, students in this MS program will have the opportunity to take an active part in the national "perfumes & cosmetics - regulatory issues" conference in Chartres, in order to keep up to date with the regulations that concern them, to dialogue with official national and international authorities, and to meet their future colleagues working in companies.
Fully involved in the congress, they will be in charge of writing up the reports on the presentations made during the two days of conferences on the latest topics in the profession.
Organized since 2003, this congress is a European benchmark. It brings together the perfumery and cosmetics industries, ingredient manufacturers, suppliers and professional federations. On this occasion, and as every year since the creation of this congress, the MS students who have completed their course will receive their diploma at the end of the congress.
Training reform to meet international requirements
Because international regulations are increasingly stringent, EBI has updated this course in 2020, rolling it out to 80 % in English, 100 % by distance learning. International candidates can enroll via the "n+i" network, a consortium of some 50 French engineering schools that enables foreign students to find specialized training tailored to their career plans.
"We came up with this Specialized Master's program almost 10 years ago, and are proud to run it with our partner Isipca. In Chartres, all the players in the industry who take on our students as end-of-study interns, and hire them by giving them international responsibilities from the outset, are present and act as mentors and recruiters to our students. Cosmetics companies are determined to market effective products that respect consumers, biodiversity and the environment. Regulators are attuned to these current and emerging trends. They play the fascinating role of mediators between marketing, R&D, quality and production, always defending ethics and sustainability. Many of our engineers, Master's alumni and future Bachelors meet up every year at this congress and become mentors for each young graduate who chooses this profession", explains Florence Dufour, EBI General Manager.
Candidates with 5 years' higher education can follow this course directly after their studies, or after two semesters of professional experience, to acquire skills and expertise in the regulatory and safety aspects of ingredients and raw materials used in perfumes and cosmetics. The courses are taught by professionals and experts from numerous partner companies, including: Guerlain, LVMH, Christian Dior, Laboratoires M&L-L'Occitane, Chanel Parfums Beauté, IFF, Symrise, Laboratoires Ingrid Millet, Johnson&Johnson Santé Beauté France, Pierre Fabre Dermo-Cosmétique, Carrefour Beauté.
The course is completed by a 5-6 month internship research project. Students from the last graduating class have gone on to become regulatory affairs managers at a number of companies, including Alban Muller, Umanis, Groupe MUL, Pierre Fabre, Occitane and Delphic HSE Safety & Regulatory Solutions.
