Editor Tim Probert caught up with representatives of leading personal care companies from around the world at in-cosmetics Global 2026 in Paris, France, to find out what’s new, what’s trending and what’s in their product pipelines. The full interviews can be watched online at our YouTube channel.
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Hélène Muchico - Marketing & communications manager, Silab
As our Silab Softcare department for compromised and sensitive skin celebrates its tenth anniversary, we are launching Cicactyl for skin needing to be repaired.
It can act on different steps of the healing process. It targets the proliferation phase of healing to aid the speed and performance of wound repair and tissue regeneration. The ingredient is derived from carob.
Yann Chilvers - Co-founder, Covalo
AI is changing the way people search and access knowledge online. Instead of keywords, searches are putting the problem at the centre. It is collapsing the time to insight and allow people to get answers much faster.
The potential of the technology is amazing, it can do incredible things, but there are also limitations. The results are only as good as the data that the models are built on and the prompts or questions asked.
One of the critical skills today is the ability of people to frame the question in the right way — not as if they had a human in front of them — and understanding how the technology really works.
People also need detailed knowledge about what they are doing to question the results and making sure the technology is trustworthy and correct.
The type of information people are asking is getting more and more precise and detailed. People don't rely on marketing claims, they want to see more clinical trial results, they want to have traceability. We get more questions about SCA and PCF.
Eloi Armengol - Strategy director, Provital
We are launching Intensilk, a new active ingredient focused on body care, especially for anti-cellulite. We believe it's a good time right now for body care.
We will have two more launches in the coming months. One will be launched at in-cosmetics Latin America in Brazil in September, a hair care ingredient, the other will be launched at in-cosmetics Asia in November.
Alfons Hidalgo - New technologies director, Qverse
Qverse is a start-up based in Barcelona working on natural biomimicking ingredients. We've built a massive library of marine and terrestrial microorganisms so, through fermentation, we can develop a number of active ingredients.
We've launched four new actives; one for reprogramming skin longevity, one for restoring sensitive skin equilibrium, one for rebalancing acne-prone skin; and one for refining skin tone and texture.
We understand that active ingredients are very powerful, but we believe that we need to help them penetrate the skin further.
We believe that delivery systems are the next thing to be in and we are planning to be there, but only from a natural perspective.
Marion Viala - Strategic marketing specialist, Lubrizol
We are expanding our capabilities. This year, we have expanded our fermentation production capacity fivefold in Gavà, near Barcelona in Spain.
We have also opened a Beauty Research Institute in Sao Paulo in Brazil, where we perform in vitro and in vivo testing for our active ingredients.
Maybe, in the next few years, we will expand our capabilities in India too.
Beto Pino - Vice president of product innovation, Vantage
Texture is increasingly important and so we are advancing silicone-replacement ingredients.
Silicone-free is still happening but people want silicone-free with the same sensoriality, with naturality.
At this show, we are presenting a new sensory enabler, Distinctive Mac, which is an emollient derived from upcycled macadamia. It is a silicone replacement with a powdery touch to deliver a luxurious sensorial profile, not just for the skin but also for hair shine and protection.
It is the first of many sensory enabling silicone replacements that we have in the pipeline for different applications.
Another trend I see is AI saturation. Many companies say their products are based on AI. In fashion, we saw an overpopulation of cheap fashion, but then people questioned the sustainability of relying on fast fashion and there was more of a balance between fast fashion, and vintage clothing.
I think we'll see the same in beauty. Gen Zs will start to be more minimalist in their beauty regimens, they will want fewer products, but they will want more quality. They also have less facility to spend.
So the industry needs to be smart about the kind of products we'll design, about their multifunctionality, about their sustainability.
Nick Ouzounov - Chief technical officer/ co-founder, Geltor
A lot of people know us for our polypeptides. This year, we're starting to go in the peptide space, as small as three amino acids. Normally these are derived from chemical synthesis but, in our case, they are fermentation derived. They are the same molecules but are free of PFAS and are more sustainable.
For next year's show, I think we'll be showing more on the bioactive peptide side. In Europe especially, there are regulation changes.
For many of the peptides, more than 90% of peptides come from China. In our case, we are able to source and produce differently: we have traceability, visibility, and cost-competitiveness.
Tony Abboud - Chief operating officer, Core Biogenesis
For me, what's exciting in the industry today is the focus on science, on data, and clinical validation. It's less about the fluffy claims or 'natural for the sake of natural'. Natural is fine but it has to come with performance benefits.
Consumers are incredibly educated, interested and they are finnicky. They want results. I read a stat last year that showed 90% of consumers are frustrated with their skin care.
That's unacceptable, but it's because we rely on ingredients made 50 years ago. The retinols, the vitamins. They have an activity but they're not human-skin compatible. They are foreign to the human body.
We've made a name for ourselves with growth-factor proteins but next year we'll be launching a non-growth factor. We want to showcase the breadth of our technology by making biomimetic proteins more stable and with better skin delivery.
Justine Cotton - Global bioactives marketing manager, Ashland
This year, we are launching a new active ingredient [Eternight biofunctional], based on the iris flower, that taps into the longevity trend. It is a mitopeptide that targets mitochondrial health.
We have used an AI device to analyse the age of our volunteers. We found that, at 1% use, it can reverse ageing by up to four years within one month.
For next year, we are still working on the longevity theme. It's a big trend, not only for cosmetics but also a lifestyle: wellbeing: well-ageing.
We are starting to explore how to adapt the aesthetic medicine trend to cosmetics; this is about inspiration from aesthetic surgery and how we can use cosmetic molecules. There's more to come on that, but we want more input from pharma.
Ryan Davies - Managing director, Hyperganic
Our core product is Bioactive Totarol, a molecule derived from Tōtara, a native New Zealand tree, which we've been doing for 25 years.
For the future, we're looking at unlocking what it can do by studying it in more depth. We're also looking at molecule enhancement, by combining it with other, synergetic active ingredients to enhance performance; for skin care, oral care and hair care.
Companion care is a real growth industry. Bioactive Totarol also performs well with animals.
The pH levels [in skin] are very different between animals and human. We have developed a few products in the animal care range, for dogs, including an anti-bacterial spray for a Hong Kong-based company. Dogs can be susceptible to rashes or infections, and the spray can eliminate it within 24-48 hours.
Claire Liu - Market & digital manager, Seppic
Over the next year, we will be continuing our work on marine biotechnology, it is one of our main focus areas.
At Pontrieux in Brittany, our production site dedicated to cosmetic actives e ingredients derived from marine biotechnologies, we have access to very rare forms of microalgae. We will continue our work on growing this bank of microalgae to develop new skin care ingredients. We will also work on developing active ingredients featuring microalgae for nutricosmetics.
Alejandro Guirado - Marketing manager, Vytrus Biotech
Due to our growth, we are investing in new facilities. We are working on a second location in Terrassa near Barcelona in Spain. This is a new production and logistics facility in order to meet increased demand for our products from customers. We expect it to be open by the beginning of 2027.
At Vytrus, we always say we like to work with life. Understanding life and bringing solutions for the cosmetic market.
We continue to develop our plant stem cell technology, but we are now looking at how we can diversify our technologies to bring cosmetic ingredients with new technologies based on innovation, sustainability and biotechnology.
Hishda Mohammed - Senior marketing lead - insights and innovation, Croda
We are working on longevity in another way, another strategy. We started with the hallmarks of ageing years ago but now we are addressing longevity with a holistic approach.
We are looking at the interaction between the skin and the other organs and also the external environment.
By understanding what's happening between the exposome, and the skin and the internal metabolisms, it will help us to prevent the hallmarks to appear and then maintain skin health for longer.
Malvallin is a botanical ingredient that works in different skin layers, meaning it has efficacy in the hypodermis, dermis and epidermis.
It is best on lipid metabolism; by maintaining and boosting homeostasis of the lipid deep down, in the lipocyte, it also improves metabolism in fibroblasts and keratinocytes, reinforcing the dermal structure and skin barrier.
Lea Seidenbinder - Global marketing skin care manager, Syensqo
As a leader in hair care, we want to also focus on scalp care, which is a booming segment. We are introducing a new peptide for the scalp, Re2 Coffea Arabica Peptide, which has hair growth boosting properties, as well as soothing and moisturisation properties.
We are creating new concepts around sensoriality and chassis structures. Creating an experience and offering new sensoriality are always extremely important for the market. These are some of the key elements we are working on.
In terms of new actives we are working, we are looking to tackle the key challenges of naturality, and the replacement of synthetics that can be a little bit controversial with natural solutions.
Nadine Neureiter - Head of market communications, Evonik
We have a new branding for the beauty and personal care section of Evonik. We would like to underline our strategic positioning as a sustainable solutions provider.
The idea was to create a fantasy-like world as a threshold between dream and reality to underline the fact that Evonik can make anything possible for the customer.
The idea is to differentiate from our competitors, and also to differentiate from our own past; to be modern, to be emotional-driven, to be more customer-oriented.
Héloïse Bouchez - Global product manager (cosmetic ingredients), Symrise
Longevity is not just about the visible signs of ageing; we also want to act on the root causes of ageing. That's why our active ingredients act on the three families of the hallmarks of ageing [primary, antagonistic, and integrative].
Our new ingredient, Cellexora MD, is an exosome that comes from upcycled organic apples from Italy. We see a lot of exosomes on the market, but this is a true exosome.
Unlike exosome-inspired products, Cellexora MD provides actual vesicles for cellular communication. This ingredient feeds into the longevity trend.
Juan Gonzalez - Global consumer insights manager (active ingredients), Evonik
We are entering into the longevity narrative with a new ceramide, Sphinox Vively, a multifunctional that is anti-inflammatory. We have very nice efficacy testing that compares Sphinox Vively to retinol.
It is a totally new and different way to work with ceramides that reinforce the skin barrier while having retinol-like possibilities.
We also have a delivery system [X50 CellEssence] that has a main focus on mitochondria health to support longevity claims. It is designed to address the longevity and functionality of skin cells by aiding the removal of damaged mitochondria.
Sandra Caterino - Head of marketing, Innosya
There are a few things we are doing — that do not necessarily mean they will be launched next year — in relation to our investigations into skin care. Our actives are tested in vitro and clinically. Our goal is to launch products that are really backed by science and are transparent for our customers and consumers.
In the area of skin care, we are looking at things like personalization - finding the specific claims and needs for certain kinds of consumers.
We'll be looking at adjacent segments like sun care, hair care and other applications in the beauty area. Inside-out beauty is also a very popular and growing trend, so we'll have a look at that too.
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Contact us today: info@personalcaremagazine.com
