01 OCTOBER, BANGKOK: The organisers of in-cosmetics Asia – the leading event in Asia Pacific for personal care ingredients – have announced the 2024 educational programme which places a greater emphasis on science. Based around the exhibition’s four key pillars – science, innovation, trends, and community – the programme will provide R&D professionals with the knowledge, expertise, and tools needed to stay ahead in the region’s ever-evolving market.
Hands-on expertise in the Formulation Lab
This year’s Formulation Lab will host sessions featuring industry leaders from the likes of Clariant, Nikko Chemicals, and Innospec. The lab offers a hands-on opportunity for formulators and R&D staff to enhance their skills in a fully equipped environment.
Running over the three days of the event, various experts will lead sessions covering formulation techniques focusing on foundations, UV, anti-acne and pore care as well as suncare products, propanediol and sustainable cleansing.
For example, Carlos Ilao, Business Development Manager APAC at Clariant Southeast Asia, will work with participants on sunscreen formulation in the ‘Encapsulated UV filters for ultra- light sunscreen with high UV protection’ lab. Haruna Sawaguchi, Technical Marketing Division at Nikko Chemicals will help attendees create a water-based combination sunscreen (SPF 50+, PA ++ in-vitro) in the workshop, ‘Skinified’ serum sunscreen with combination UV filter system’, whilst Bee Yan Tan, Customer Technical Service Manager at Innospec, will help lab attendees discover the ease of working with Empigen® BSP and the joy in making fun solid cleansers effortlessly in ‘Effortless & sustainable cleansing with low dust powder betaine’.
To complement the offering, in-cosmetics Asia’s own Technical Advisor, Dr Oliver Hofmann, will run a Q&A session entitled ‘What are your cosmetic formulation challenges?‘. From safety and stability to ingredient compatibility and key consumer trends, this session will deliver on some of the most pressing concerns for formulators.
This year’s Formulation Lab will be presented in association with Shieling Laboratories and media partner, Personal Care Magazine, and supported by NSG and equipment partner, IKA. The full list of sessions can be found here in-cosmetics Asia – Session Directory – 5th Nov
Getting technical
The Technical Seminar Programme has been shaped by key consumer trends such as ‘glass skin’, peptides, fragrance ingredients, and exosomes, which will be covered by suppliers such as LIPOTRUE, LANXESS, Galaxy Surfactants, Hallstar Beauty and more. For example, the ‘glass skin’ phenomenon – which emphasises the growing focus on hydration, radiance, and overall skin health – aims for a complexion as smooth, clear and luminous as glass.
Kicking off the packed Technical Seminars programme will be dsm-firmenich’s Dr. Volker Rosenberger, Global Marketing Manager in the session ‘Senolytic science discovers ETERWELL™ YOUTH’. Rosenberger will discuss the holistic solution for healthy ageing skin, acting on the cellular level, efficient on any skin types, ethnicities and for any age or gender.
With consumer demands evolving towards eco-friendly and multifunctional products, Pooja Vaidya, Senior Manager -Technical Services and Applications, Galaxy Surfactants Ltd, will educate attendees on Galseer® Flexcon in the seminar ‘Flex your hair with Galseer® Flexcon!’ Elsewhere, Nathalie Wojtowicz, Global Product Manager, Solabia, will showcase Solabia’s breakthrough innovation, designed for sensitive skin prone to atopy: Serenibiome®, a 100% natural COSMOS-approved active ingredient based on a novel active molecule obtained through biofermentation in the session ‘Transform the condition of atopic-prone skin with a novel bio-inspired approach’.
The final Technical Seminar session on day three, will see Armin Ungerer, Deputy Head of Research and Development, JRS – J.Rettenmaier & Söhne GmbH guide attendees through JRS’ special processed swelling cellulose, in the session ‘Instantly dissolving shampoo tablet’. The process ensures complete disintegration of tablets in an effort to reduce both water and carbon footprints.
The full list of Technical Seminar sessions can be found here in-cosmetics Asia – Session Directory – 5th Nov
Talking about trends
The Marketing Trends and Regulations Theatre will feature 18 sessions, offering critical insights into the latest consumer trends and regulatory developments. Visitors can choose to tune into sessions focusing on topics such as ageing, K-Beauty, wellness, sustainability, and more.
Cilla Henriette, Business Humanizer and Partner at Innate Motion, will lead an educational session titled, ‘The meaning of ageing across life stages’. Once associated with turning 40, the onset of ageing is now a concern from the early 20s, with trends like Botox influencing these discussions. The session will explore how the beauty industry can reconfigure the ageing narrative, turning it into a more positive and empowering experience, while addressing the unique highlights and challenges that shape our understanding of ageing throughout different stages of life.
Due to the growing popularity of South-Korean pop culture, K-beauty is set to reach USD 25.98 billion by 2032. Offering an overview of the Korean beauty market and its latest innovations will be Jayanne Jin, Global Business Editorial Committee at K-beauty Science. The session will highlight best-selling products, in-demand ingredients, and insights from US-based search analytics firm, SPATE, and ingredient experts at ACTIVON. With global interest in K-beauty going strong, the presentation will uncover the key forces shaping the industry and the ingredient trends driving consumer demand.
The Asia-Pacific beauty market is driven by North Asian innovation and a growing Southeast Asian consumer base. Addressing this, Anindhitha Maniath, Senior Research Analyst at Euromonitor International, will lead a session entitled ‘Glow Up: Exploring APAC’s beauty and personal care revolution’ examining key trends, including the rising focus on wellness, the shift towards “premiumisation” with an emphasis on value, and the increasing demand for convenient beauty solutions. Exploring the latest data and insights, the presentation will offer strategies to help businesses stay competitive and meet the evolving needs of consumers across the region, including Thailand.
Merve Samur, Director of INCI Lab, will present ‘From lab to shelf: bridging R&D and marketing in beauty’, offering exclusive insights on closing the gap between research and marketing in the cosmetics industry. The session will explore how blending scientific innovation with creative strategies drives successful product development and provide actionable techniques to turn creative ideas into consumer-favourite beauty products.
Another of the most anticipated trends is AI. Yann Chilvers, Founder and Co-CEO of Covalo, will explore ‘10 transformative ways AI is changing the personal care sector’, providing attendees with a glimpse into the latest technological innovations shaping the market, and its impact on revolutionising work processes, redefining industry standards, and addressing skilled labour shortages.
The full list of Marketing Trends & Regulations Theatre sessions can be found here in-cosmetics Asia – Session Directory – 5th Nov
Science at the forefront
According to data from Euromonitor International, 9% of APAC consumers reported that they would pay an additional 10% to 50% for beauty products with scientific formulations. In response to growing consumer demand for scientifically backed products, this year’s in-cosmetics Asia introduces the Cosmetic Conference, in association with the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) and sponsored by dsm-firmenich.
Over two days (5-6 November 2024), the Conference will feature science-led talks by some of the world’s leading scientists and R&D experts, including Perry Romanowski, Chair of Education at IFSCC and Vice President of Element 44 Inc. (USA), with his session, ‘The future of beauty: how AI will affect cosmetic chemists and formulation.’ Dr. Tarun Chopra, Director of Advanced Research at L’Oréal Singapore will give a holistic view of the challenges and opportunities presented by knowledge of the skin microbiome in cosmetics in the session, ‘Microbiome sciences: from knowledge to effective dermo-cosmetic solutions,’ whilst Dr. Romun Leaovitavat, Dermatologist and Medical Consultant, will close day one of the Conference by teaching attendees how to fight ageing in the session ‘Unlocking the essence of skin-ageing: Morphology, skin barrier and function’.
Day two of the Conference will see the experts return to the stage to deliver further sessions. Dr. Chopra will cover the science of pigmentation, hyperpigmentation triggers and effective cosmetic treatments with key active ingredients, in the presentation, ‘Understanding and managing skin tone and pigmentary disorders’. Meanwhile, Danilo Lambino, Founder of Formulae 8 Pty Ltd, will present part two of ‘Making smart ingredient choices for new product development’ in which, Lambino will emphasise the importance of fact-checking and verification as essential tools to make informed and intelligent ingredient choices.
Concluding the Cosmetic Conference, Dr. Thomas Dawson, Deputy Executive Director at A*Star Skin Research Labs will close the knowledge gap on hair follicle cycling and balding in ‘Metabolic regulation of the anagen hair follicle: A possible way to prevent hair miniaturization?’
The full list of Cosmetic Conference sessions can be found here in-cosmetics Asia – Session Directory – 5th Nov
Spotlight On Skin Screen Seminars
Skincare is the largest and most dynamic segment in Asia Pacific, with Japan leading the revenue rankings at 21.8 billion dollars, closely followed by China at 20.7 billion dollars.
However, data from in-cosmetics’ partner, Covalo, suggests that the market dynamics are shifting, with skincare searches demonstrating an increased focus on better-ageing, as opposed to anti-ageing. Covalo’s data suggests that, as a performance claim, “antioxidants” are currently attracting 5.5x more traffic than “anti-ageing”.
Against this backdrop, ‘Skin Screen’ will dominate this year’s Spotlight On feature – an interactive zone for visitors to touch, test and sample formulated personal care ingredients.
The Zone will be divided into four key subcategories for 2024: skin protection (SPF, blue light, anti-pollution), skin repair and healing (anti-inflammatory), skin support and maintenance (microbiome, probiotics, vitamins), and skin change and alteration (anti-ageing, lightening, brightening).
The Zone will be supported by a series of free-to-attend Spotlight On seminars, with presentations scheduled from experts at Ashland Singapore, Bloomage Biotechnology Corp, Spec-Chem Industry, MyMicrobiome, IMCD APAC, Galaxy Surfactants, and Clariant Singapore.
For example, Incospharm Corp will be presenting a session entitled, ‘AI-maneuvered peptidomimetics design for cosmeceutical development’. Given the growing industry focus on dermocosmetics and the advantages of peptide and peptidomimetic cosmeceutical ingredients, Incospharm Corp will discuss the development of its new AI-maneuvered peptidomimetics design (AMPed) technology, which can translate the chemical structure of target ingredient into peptidomimetic ones. This talk will be used to demonstrate the practical applications of the AMPed technology and HSEM platform.
Another key session will be, ‘Uncovering fast-emerging products, ingredients, and keywords in the global market’ which will be run by Trendier. This presentation will explore the rising products, ingredients, and formulations making waves in the global market by analysing data points from platforms including Amazon and Sephora. It will also cover trends and keywords to watch in the market, such as ‘anti-acne’ and ‘slow ageing’.
Meanwhile, bitop AG will be hosting a session looking at, ‘Skincare’s “Must-Have” ingredient: Lab-grown powerhouse active Ectoin natural’. Considering that the need for 100% natural, highly effective, safe, and multifunctional active ingredients is rising, this presentation will focus on the company’s multifunctional active ingredient – and TikTok sensation – Ectoin® natural, and offer insights into some of the biggest industry trends in this area.
The full list of Spotlight On presentations can be found here: in-cosmetics Asia – Session Directory – 5th Nov
Speaking on the entire educational programme, Sarah Gibson, Event Director at in-cosmetics Asia, said: “in-cosmetics Asia attracts a diverse audience from global cosmetics giants such as L’Oréal and P&G, to scientists from small and medium-sized businesses, marketing professionals and influencers. Covering everything from science and technology to marketing trends, our free-of-charge, educational programme caters to a broad range of cosmetics experts, hence its enormous popularity.
“The event is a community of industry professionals sharing knowledge, collaborating, and propelling the sector forward. This is your chance to join the conversation shaping the future of APAC beauty and we’re looking forward to welcoming new and familiar faces.”
in-cosmetics Asia 2024 will take place at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC), in Bangkok, Thailand from 5-7 November 2024. The event will be co-located with COSMEX, ASEAN’s most comprehensive exhibition on manufacturing technologies, machinery, packaging, and ODM/OEM services for cosmetics, personal care, and dietary supplement products. For more information and to register to attend in-cosmetics Asia, visit Cosmetic Ingredients Show | in-cosmetics Asia
