Beauty Industry West Winter Gala 2026
Honoring Industry Legend Rebecca Gadberry
Join Beauty Industry West for our annual Winter Gala on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. This year’s celebration honors Rebecca Gadberry, LE, FSCC, for her extraordinary commitment and decades of contributions to the skincare industry. As a pioneering educator, formulator, journalist, and the first Marketing Fellow of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Rebecca has shaped generations of professionals through her work at UCLA Extension, YG Laboratories, and across the beauty community.
We are also pleased to welcome special guest speaker Dr. Robert J. Bianchini, Vice President of Technology and Development at Dermalogica. With a distinguished career spanning product innovation, research, and commercialization in skincare, Dr. Bianchini will share insights drawn from his extensive experience in the industry. Dr. Bianchini will speak on the subject of:
The Multi-billion Dollar Glow Up:
Global Market Drivers in Aesthetic Medicine and Wellness
Enjoy an evening of networking, recognition, and celebration of the beauty community.
Save the date and join us as we honor excellence in our industry.
Date: November 10, 2026
Time: 6:00–11:00 PM
More details and registration information coming soon.
Join the waitlist for more information.
Rebecca Gadberry
Industry Legend
Seven-time beauty industry legend honoree Rebecca Gadberry is a pioneering educator, product developer, journalist, researcher, and one of skincare’s most respected ingredient authorities. During a career spanning more than six decades, she has helped move skincare from beauty folklore toward evidence-based science while anticipating many of the innovations that now define the industry—from aloe vera, AHAs, hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, peptides, and barrier repair to the microbiome, epigenetics, green chemistry, and longevity skincare. She has developed more than 1,500 skin, hair, body, and makeup products for national and international distribution—many of them earning prestigious industry awards for her clients—and has published more than 600 articles in professional, consumer, and scientific publications.
Yet Rebecca’s most meaningful legacy may be found in the people she has inspired. As founder, senior instructor, and program director of UCLA Extension’s acclaimed cosmetic science program for non-chemists from 1986 to 2025, she taught thousands of estheticians, formulators, brand founders, marketers, journalists, executives, and other beauty professionals from around the world. A generous mentor and passionate teacher, Rebecca has always believed that knowledge should be shared rather than guarded. She takes particular pride in helping others develop the confidence to question assumptions, evaluate evidence, communicate honestly, and ultimately accomplish more than they thought possible.
Rebecca is the first Marketing Fellow of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, California’s 13th licensed esthetician, former CEO of YG Laboratories, and a past president and board member of Beauty Industry West and the California Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists. Her leadership combines intellectual curiosity with warmth, integrity, humor, and a genuine love of helping others succeed.
Robert J. Bianchini, Ph.D., AAD
Vice-President, Technology & Product Development
Dermalogica, LLC, A Unilever Prestige Co.
The medical aesthetics sector has matured into a hyper-growth global market, with North America alone serving as the world's largest region, where revenue is projected to exceed $20 billion USD with a 10–12% CAGR by 2030. Driven by an aging population, rising consumer spend, and a massive shift toward skin longevity and wellness. The industry is witnessing a structural transformation where traditional cosmetic treatments are merging with professional services to create significantly more value and improved patient outcomes. This presentation outlines the core commercial forces accelerating this evolution: the rise of non-surgical advanced treatments, a surging demand for tools and devices, and the emergence of highly engaged hybrid med-spa salon business models. The talk will examine how artificial intelligence, biotechnology, novel ingredients, and clinically validated regimens optimize consumer demand and retention. He will also review how Dermalogica has streamlined its global product development lifecycle by partnering with external technology companies. Dr. Bianchini delivers a data-backed blueprint for brand and business leaders looking to capture value across this rapidly consolidating, multi-billion-dollar wellness value chain.
