As 2017 was a celebration of the beauty and personal care conference and exhibition’s 10th birthday, the hosts saw a record number of 10,302 industry formulators and developers from all over the globe.
Success at 10
This figure represents an increase of 17% attendees compared to 2016, who travelled to Bangkok, Thailand, to learn more about the latest market ingredients and leading trends.
Visitors from a total of 74 countries entered in-cosmetics Asia’s doors, including Asia’s beauty championing nations: China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Philippines and Japan.
With over 420 of the industry’s renowned ingredient suppliers, such as AkzoNobel, Ashland, Clariant and DSM in attendance, top manufacturers from Shiseido, Estée Lauder, L’Oréal and Unilever were able to access and learn more about manufacturers’ R&D efforts, innovations and launches.
Hottest trends in Asia
Several hot trends at the centre of Asian manufacturers’ efforts were on display at in-cosmetics Asia, namely facial masks, colour cosmetics and natural extracts.
Global intelligence agency, Mintel, revealed that 88% of urban females in China aged 30-39 have used a sheet mask in the six months to April this year. Of those asked, 75% used sleeping masks overnight, while 69% used sheet masks in the evening.
Ichimaru Pharcos’s Biobenefity ingredient, designed to overcome environmental damage to the skin by stressors such as UV, was on display at this year’s event. PoreAway by Mibelle Biochemistry was also popular, as visitors showed an interest in how it lowers pore opening, adult acne and the look of shiny skin.
As natural extracts started through the sustainability of the food they eat, consumers have now turned their attention to cosmetic items. In-cosmetics Asia revealed that as beauty buyers are rejecting ‘chemical-filled’ cosmetics in favour of natural plant-based alternatives, the sector is expected to hit $13.2bn by 2018.
Colour cosmetics is still considered “a hugely en vogue and a still-escalating trend that has many manufacturers excited”, in-cosmetics Asia said in its recent press release. This sector is also expected to go beyond $79bn by the end of 2026.
“South Korean brands, such as The Face Shop, Etude House and Innisfree, fuelled the mass cosmetics boom by fulfilling Asian consumers’ need for self-indulgence and affordability through creative brand storytelling, eye-catching packaging, diverse product ranges and low-price points,” Sunny Um, Beauty & Fashion analyst at Euromonitor International, highlighted at the event.
Functional and active awards
The event’s well-known best ingredient awards took place once again. in-cosmetics Asia awarded Aron NT-Z by Nikko Chemicals as the winner of the functional ingredients category and Revivyl by Givaudan Active Beauty as the leader in the active ingredients category.
Aron NT-Z by Nikko Chemicals is a superabsorbent polymer that is specifically modified for cosmetic use and can hold water more than 20 times its dry weight. It then releases this when it is applied to skin.
Following his win, James Seguerra of Nikko Chemicals said: “This product was the result of a five-year collaboration – Aron NT-Z controls viscosity without disrupting the emulsion stability.”
Revivyl by Givaudan Active Beauty won for its unique performance at several levels of the skin rejuvenation cycle. The product is the first holistic skin renewal accelerator to activate and protect skin stem cells, boost cellular metabolism and the differentiation process, along with maintaining skin microbiota.
Fabrice Lefebvre, Marketing and Innovation Director, Givaudan, added: “This is worldwide recognition from the industry and shows how R&D innovation can translate into answers that meet consumer needs.”
Next year
Sarah Gibson, Exhibition Director of in-cosmetics Asia, went on to say: “We have found a winning formula for the show and are ecstatic to have made a group record with attendance this year. We had more new ingredients than ever before at the Innovation Zone and will continue to build upon our success next year with another raft of innovation to inspire the next wave of yet-to-be-realised personal care products.”
“In 2018, we will go even further to facilitate beneficial business relationships between formulators and the suppliers they want to meet,” Gibson concluded.
in-cosmetics Asia will return to Bangkok, Thailand in 2018, running from 30th October to 1st November.