Gregg Hanson was born and raised in South Eastern Pennsylvania. Over the years, he has resided in Miami, Florida, Coronado, California, and New York, only to come full circle and reside in Pennsylvania once again. His education is in marketing and chemistry, having spent nearly 10 years in a prominent marketing agency prior to exercising his compounding/chemistry background. His wife, Colleen, and he have two children, Gregg Jr. and Gracie, who have appeared in DERMASCOPE’s publication over the years. As the president of Renu Labs, Inc., Hanson has over 23 years of knowledge in formulating and manufacturing skin and body care products, escalating to a respected over the counter (OTC), FDA inspected laboratory.
I have been involved in skin care since Nu Skin came about in the early 1980s. Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to the professional aesthetic industry and have been formulating new products ever since. As a formulator and manufacturer, my positions have been more on the outside of the spa looking in. This means that I am primarily engaged in research and development, clinical testing and photography. I listen to all of those that are hands on in the aesthetics industry as they look to me for new treatments and education on the product side of the business. My role as a scientist continues to impact my ever-changing world. Ingredients are always changing along with the way in which they affect the skin. New procedures, products and recognizing the benefits are always evolving. Education continues to be the theme that has been prevalent throughout my career. There simply is not a replacement for knowledge and recognizing the evolution of our industry. In fact, educating the students of eight aesthetic schools was a true highlight. I did not anticipate such excitement from the students and their interests in what was happening here in the United States. The most surprising thing to me over the years is our ability to change the course and direction of our lives with the proper nutritional regimens both topically applied and ingested. We can truly live longer, healthier lives with proper nutrition – most visible in our skin. Unfortunately, our industry fails to realize that proper nutrition is the major key to anti-aging. I would expect that we would see a bigger push toward proper protein intake, antioxidants and lipids, both topically applied and ingested. Peptides continue to be a hot topic as do human stem cells. Understanding activity in the stem cell arena is key. All too often, ingredient manufacturers paint a picture of activity that just is not there physiologically. Good for marketing, bad for our clients. The aesthetic industry is a fun industry in that we can have a positive experience with our clients by meeting or exceeding their expectations. There is a constant evolution in the science and manufacturing of new and exciting products. Balancing all that and life can be stressful at times. My secret is somewhat simple. Stays focused, educated and rely on those around you.
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