UC Irvine Extension Presents "Sales and Marketing Trends in Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals for Spas"

Intensive Two-Day Course Teaches Spa Professionals How To Cut Through the Hype, Select the Best Products, and Make the Most Out of Marketing

IRVINE, Calif. – April 6, 2006 – UC Irvine Extension will launch an important elective course for spa and hospitality management professionals desiring an extra edge by offering products that really work. “Sales and Marketing Trends in Cosmeceuticals and Nutraceuticals for Spas,” taught by two highly credentialed experts with long histories in their respective fields, will take place 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7, 2006 at the UCI Learning Center in Orange. UC Irvine Extension’s Spa and Hospitality Management Program is the first program on the West Coast established to provide real-world curriculum to meet the demands of the bourgeoning spa market.

The innovative course will provide spa owners and managers a clear understanding of nutraceutical and cosmeceutical trends in an effort to help them choose products and services best suited for their business and clients. One session will be dedicated to nutraceuticals (supplements, foods and beverages with health or therapeutic benefits) with a strong emphasis on spa cuisine and approaches, functional foods and beverages for spas, total body wellness beginning from within and effective dietary supplements and how to market them.

“More and more nutrition products claim they have beauty or therapeutic effects. Some of these products may work, some may not, and some may even aggravate the condition they were meant to treat,” said Anthony L. Almada, M.Sc., who has co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed nutrition research publications on nutraceuticals and will be teaching the nutraceutical segment of the two-day course. “This class will help students cut through the hype and learn how to identify the genuine article.”

The second session will focus on cosmeceuticals (products touted to influence the biological function of the skin), with emphasis on the FDA’s view of cosmeceuticals, exciting hot trends, claims manufacturers and spas can and cannot make, natural vs. chemical ingredients and selecting effective cosmeceuticals with age-fighting ingredients, including retinol, vitamin C, peptides, antioxidants and sunscreens.

“This class will be a great tool for anyone seeking an extra edge in the spa industry,” said Rebecca James Gadberry, a seasoned professional who will be teaching the cosmeceutical session of the two-day course. “Not only will I give students some easy-to-understand analogies so they can explain ingredient info to consumers, but I’ll teach them how to be a media resource and arm them with important questions to ask manufacturers when finding out if their products really work.”

The course instructors come with extensive experience and expertise in these topics. Almada is a nutritional and exercise biochemist, and president and chief scientific officer with IMAGINutrition, Inc. He has worked in the nutrition industry for more than 30 years and is the co-founder of EAS, the world’s largest physique nutrition company. Gadberry is president and chairman of the board of YG Laboratories, a manufacturer of professional performance private label skin and body care in Huntington Beach. She has served on the board of the California Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists since 1983 and has developed more than 1,200 skin and body care products. She is one of the first licensed aestheticians in California and writes for numerous publications.

Enrollment is offered online at www.extension.uci.edu or by phone at (949) 824-5414. The UCI Learning Center is located at 200 South Manchester Avenue in Orange.

As the continuing education arm of the prestigious university, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a transforming learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities. UC Irvine Extension continues to provide a university-level learning experience to all students. For more information about UC Irvine Extension visit them on the Web at www.extension.uci.edu.