Formerly known as Personal Care Ingredients & Technology (PCITX), HBA Technical is part of the all-encompassing Health and Beauty America show, which starts on September 18 in New York.
Along with the name change comes a shift in focus, as the conference program aims to move away from generic talks and explore specific topics in greater depth.
Reflecting this approach is the announcement of a series of lectures from medical and dermatological experts on the science of the aging process itself.
Meyer Rosen, the chief scientific advisor for HBA Global Expo, said that these lectures would help to bring the medical and cosmetic communities closer together and therefore accelerate the development of the next generation of anti-aging products.
The HBA Technical Conference will also be tackling the links between the food and cosmetics industries as beauty foods take-off and topical and oral care products use more and more food ingredients such as herbs, fruits and vitamins.
Beauty foods straddle the boundary between food and cosmetics, posing regulatory questions for suppliers. Tackling these concerns will be an FDA representative, who will outline the authority's current requirements on such products as well as describing the future regulatory possibilities.
Rosen flagged up beauty foods as an illustration of how scientists working in the cosmetics industry are developing a holistic approach to beauty.
The importance of healthy living for maintaining youthful looks is leading to the production of beauty products with health benefits such as beauty drinks high in antioxidants.
Another highlight of the conferencing program is a series of lectures on developing the global personal care executives of the future.
Rosen said global cosmetics companies are facing a process of creating and marketing products that is increasingly complex and multi-disciplinary.
The lectures will help companies define the profile of the new executive who will need to have a both a technical background and understanding of global markets.
The other topics to be discussed at the conference include nanotechnology, environmental sustainability and skin care technologies that can communicate with the mind.
As well as being an opportunity for cosmetics professionals to educate themselves about the latest trends, HBA Technical also serves as a meeting place for suppliers, researchers and buyers and sees companies displaying new technologies and innovations on the show floor.
HBA Technical will also feature the HBA Safety and Regulatory Summit, which will be previewed by CosmeticsDesign.com later in the week.
