TOWARD A UNITED NATIONS OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS 65 During the course of the past year, this growth of the Society continued, but manifested itself in a new and broader direction. Early in the year we (U.S.) honoured two British scientists for their work in gas chromatography by presenting to them the Society's Special Award. This Was another step into the international scope of fundamental science. Then in July and August came the outstanding event of the year 1957. The first international meetings of cosmetic chemists were held, in paris, Geneva and London. It was during the meeting in Paris that the proposal was made by the French towards the formation of an International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists. It is this International Federation and all its implications. that is the real subject of my discussion. What we do in this area will undoubtedly have far-reaching effects on the future world status of our Society and of cosmetic chemists. Therefore, it i• indeed importapt that we all give this proposal considerable thought. To put this entire questi9n into proper focus, let us go back to July 29th, 1957, in Paris wher e a meeting was called by the Soci•t• Fran•aise de Cosm•- tologie for the purpose of considering the formation of an International Federation of Societies of Cosmetology. Now get the name, Societies of Cosmetology ! You know as well as I that cosmetology has an unscientific connotation in this country. Actually it encompasses beauty treatment and the practices of the beautician. The Continental. European will tell you that cosmetology means the science of cosmetic chemistry nevertheless, we should be opposed to being identified a•s c0smetologists. We will have more to say about this later. The following countries were represented at this meeting: France, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Czechoslovakia and the United States. Mr. M. G. deNavarre and I represented the U.S., while Mr. J. Pickthall and Mr. F. Riley represented the British Society of Cosmetic Chemists. The early proceedings of this meeting revealed that some of the foreign societies had mixed memberships, including hairdressers and beauticians in with their chemists. Dr. Rovesti, of the Italian Society .of Cosmetology, said they had beauticians am.ong their members, and claimed that his society must remain faithful to their beautician members. The Belgians claimed similar mixed membership, and one felt that some of the French and Swiss had a similar problem. Please note that the Swiss members present at this meeting did not represent the group we are now sponsoring as fhe Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Switzerland. This very problem was further manifested by a proposal that CIDESCO, a society of chemists, beauticians, estheticiennes and other people engaged in the practice of beauty treatment as distinct

JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS from the scientific aspects of cosmetics, be admitted to the federation as a full-fledged member group. In expressing the U.S. point of view to this proposal, I insisted that I could see no common ground for the estheticienne and the cosmetic chemist. The American Society of Cosmetic Chemists would not be interested in a federation that included hairdressers and beauticians. This is an important point, and I feel that one of the prerequisites of such an organisation should be that the membership of the autonomous national societies include only chemists and other scientists who, by training and/or experience, meet the high membership prerequisites as are stipulated in our constitution and by-laws. Mr. J. Pickthall, speaking for the British Society of Cosmetic Chemists, and some of the German delegates had a similar point of view, and so expressed themselves. The French finally agreed that societies devoted to beauty culture be not admitted or associated with the proposed international federation. After this basic principle had been established, the French proceeded to lay the groundwork for the formation of the federation by describing nine points which constituted the purpose of this organisation. Actually these nine propositions are broad statements that do not necessarily concur with our philosophy of operation, but for the record I feel they must be mentioned. They were submitted as follows: 1. To develop research work in the fields of physics, chemistry, physical chemistry, biology and medicine, which work shall be directed towards the elaboration and the utilisation of beauty and hygiene products. 2. To ensure close co-operation among the national groups, to con- ordinate and assist their efforts to attain this common scientific goal. 3. To study all problems and questions which are subjects of their common concern. 4. To create and publish literature with an international character and to give it appropriate publicity. 5. To maintain on the international level close relations of mutual aid and of solidarity among researchers and technicians in the different scientific disciplines which border on, or affect, cosmetology, and to defend their material and moral interests. 6. Co-operation between cosmetic scientists of various countries and the safeguarding of marks and brands. Note: Point 6 was struck from the record when the British and Americans both expresqed the opinion that the federation should not concern itself with marks and brands.