The world's leading trade show for personal care ingredients returned in person, and thousands of suppliers and manufacturers of cosmetic ingredients gathered to network, learn and do business.
in-cosmetics Global, the world's leading trade show for personal care ingredients, made a triumphant return to Paris this month, marking its first physical European event after a three-year hiatus. Over 8,000 cosmetics and personal care professionals flocked to Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, filling the halls for this much sought-after opportunity to discover, test and try the latest ingredient launches in person, while taking advantage of in-person networking and training opportunities.
Commenting on the return of the face-to-face event, Alexander Stusenvoll, Impag Germany's Sales & Marketing Manager, said: " We've been participating in in-cosmetics for many years and, after three years of video calls, we couldn't wait to meet people in person. We've had a strong turnout from French suppliers in particular, and it's great to see them again and other friendly faces. Being back "on stage" is excellent. The quality of the discussions and meetings was good, and we took the opportunity to present our new ideas and inspirations; let's hope this means we can continue with more in-depth discussions. We're very happy to be back. in-cosmetics is a social reunion event, which is a very important part that you completely miss with video calls."
Innovation takes center stage
With over 800 exhibitors present, innovation was the order of the day throughout the three days, with leading ingredient suppliers taking the opportunity to announce a host of new products. This not only demonstrated the industry's ongoing interest in new product development, but also the reason why in-cosmetics Global is recognized as a hotbed of ingredient innovation.
Among the exhibitors announcing their latest launches, Gattefossé revealed its new active ingredient of plant origin, Solastemis. Designed to offer brands, particularly dermo-cosmetics, a powerful active ingredient to protect the skin against UV rays, it meets the growing needs of consumers concerned about the health of their skin. At the same time, Symrise presented its latest cutting-edge innovation in modern product protection in the form of its green Hydrolite 8 - the first high-quality, pure caprylyl glycol, 100% of organic origin, launched on the cosmetics market.
Elsewhere at the show, Clariant Natural Ingredients presented Prenizen, a new natural active that helps combat stress-induced hair loss, improve hair vitality and density, and restore hair and scalp well-being. For its part, Vantage Personal Care presented a brand-new formulation platform aimed at providing formulators with a broad combination of highly traceable, sustainable and high-impact ingredients - highly relevant to conscious consumers.
The other exhibitor, Dow, also unveiled five new technologies in addition to its ECOllaboration Concepts collection, to meet growing consumer demand for sustainable and inclusive solutions. Among the new product announcements, four covered skin and hair applications, designed to showcase Dow's innovative new bio-based ingredients and eight pioneering formulations. It also introduced a series of six new flagship commercial products, including MaizeCare Clarity Polymer - a unique corn-based ingredient for formulating crystal-clear hair styling formulations; DOWSIL 979 emulsion for use in conditioners, leave-in formats and shampoos; and EcoSmooth Rice Husk Cometic Powder, an upcycled white silica powder designed to be added to a wide range of common skin care, color cosmetics and hair care formulation types.
Commenting on the importance of ingredient innovation, Sandra Sato, Dow's Global Segment Leader Sensory, said: " At Dow, the evolution of our portfolio never stops - bringing more sustainable and inclusive personal care ingredients that match the latest trends is a key priority for our local and global teams."
" Our brand-new ECOllaboration Concepts collection illustrates this approach like never before, bringing together eight never-before-seen formulations that showcase recent and new launches, while retaining a minimum of 90 % of naturally-derived ingredients in each formulation. The expansion of our portfolio aims to empower customers worldwide to create personal care solutions that offer not only differentiated performance, but also ingredients that are safe for people and the planet."
A sustainable future for the next beauty revolution
With a focus on sustainability, this year's in-cosmetics Global show demonstrated the steps the beauty and personal care sector is taking to reduce its impact on the environment through ingredient choice and formulation methods. While sustainability has long been a priority for the sector, this year's show highlighted the tangible progress being made by brands and ingredient suppliers. The Sustainability Corner, sponsored by AAK, returned to offer attendees an insight into the latest advances and achievements in sustainable personal care.
During a visit to the Sustainability Corner at in-cosmetics Global, Helene Villecroze, Cco Design Manager, Chanel Parfums Beauté, said: " As environmental concerns increase, it's better for consumers to have another perspective on sustainability and a view on ingredients. The Sustainability Corner offers a summary of the best products exhibitors are showcasing, giving examples and offering more sustainable ideas."
Another participant, Agatha Bernedot, Product Development Manager at Fresh, added: " The Sustainability Corner has made me aware of good sustainability solutions, which I intend to use to challenge our formulation development team. This is a tricky area, and it's difficult to satisfy the consumer while being natural and sustainable."
Other interactive products drew crowds throughout the three-day event, including the latest raw ingredients on the market in the innovation zone, sponsored by Ashland; new and invigorating sensations in the sensory bar, sponsored by IMCD; and innovative pigments and technologies in the make-up bar, sponsored by Lubrizol Life Science.
Florence L'Alloret, innovation project manager at L'Oréal, said of these product areas: " in-cosmetics Global's interactive features are a great way to get an overview of the latest innovations on a wide range of topics. I'm particularly interested in researching ingredients from nature, and I was able to find a lot of interest."
