22 IN-COSMETICS ASIA 2026 PREVIEW


Senior Analyst at Euromonitor International, will lead ‘APAC Personal Care Trends’ in the Marketing Trends Theatre from 13:00-13:45. The session will examine consumer needs, market dynamics and emerging areas of product development across the region, helping visitors consider which ideas may travel and where a country-specific approach is required. For formulators, novelty alone is not enough.


The real test is whether a biotech ingredient offers a clear advantage once its performance, evidence, compatibility, cost and ability to scale are considered.


Beauty products need to be felt as well as seen Performance alone is no longer the whole formulation brief; texture, scent and colour can all influence whether a consumer connects with a product, enjoys using it and ultimately incorporates it into their routine. Mintel’s Sensorial Synergy trend reflects


this growing interest in multisensory beauty, where sensory cues can contribute to emotional satisfaction and wellbeing alongside functional performance. That creates a new challenge for R&D teams: how do you create a distinctive sensory experience while still delivering efficacy, stability, sustainability and commercial viability? The question will be explored through the


show’s Spotlight on Multisensory, an area dedicated to showcasing the textures, scents and emotional impact of formulated prototypes and providing visitors the opportunity to touch and feel the latest innovations. Educational sessions will delve into the


topic, including in the Marketing Trends Theatre with ‘Unilever’s Multisensory: Designing Beauty Experiences Consumers Feel, Remember and Love’, hosted by Tanapatr Barameesangpet, the Beauty & Wellbeing Thailand R&D Lead. The presentation will examine how multisensory design is becoming a powerful competitive advantage, shaping perceived efficacy, emotional connection, and brand preference. In the Formulation Lab, Gaelle Coestesquis,


formulation manager APAC at Lucas Meyer Cosmetics by Clariant, will demonstrate how high-oil, cold-process balm-to-oil formulations can deliver a luxurious, non-greasy skin feel in the demonstration, ‘Create High-Oil, Cold-Process Balm-to-Oil Formulas with a Luxurious, Non- Greasy Skin Feel’.


Why fragrance is becoming central to the beauty experience Fragrance is also becoming increasingly embedded in the wider personal care experience, extending beyond traditional fine fragrance into skin care, hair care, body care and products associated with personal wellbeing. The APAC fragrance ingredients market was


valued at $3.82 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $5.04 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 5.7%. The growing role of fragrance is also reflected in consumer behaviour. A 2025 survey of consumers in Hong Kong and Macau found that 81% incorporated fragrance into their daily


PERSONAL CARE MAGAZINE October 2026


routines, up 9% on the previous year, highlighting the extent to which scent is becoming embedded in everyday experiences. As fragrance becomes a more important part of


how consumers express identity and experience products, brands are looking beyond functionality to create more memorable olfactory experiences. This year’s new Fragrance Zone will bring that opportunity to life and will give visitors the opportunity to explore this evolution through a combination of education and immersive experiences. The Scent Bar will allow visitors to discover and test fragrance prototypes, while the Evolution of Fragrance showcase will explore how scent has developed within beauty and where the category could go next. The launch of the Fragrance Awards will also


recognise new developments in the category, highlighting the innovation taking place across fragrance ingredients and applications.


The regulatory challenge - how to innovate fast and get it right Across Asia, brands and manufacturers must respond to increasingly complex regulatory environments, and Indonesia’s incoming Halal requirements are one example of the practical challenges facing companies preparing for the next stage of product development. For formulators, regulatory compliance can


have implications far beyond documentation. Ingredient traceability, supporting evidence and formulation decisions all need to be considered early enough to avoid costly reformulation or delayed launches. With markets across Asia operating under


different expectations, staying informed is becoming an increasingly important part of staying competitive. This will be discussed in the Marketing Trends Theatre on Thursday 5 November at 15:00-15:45 in the session, ‘Latest Cosmetics Regulatory Updates and Compliance Strategies in China, ASEAN, and South Korea’, hosted by Seongmin Sohn, CEO & principal consultant, Wynngate Korea; Dr. Willy Chin, APAC regulatory affairs lead, Procter & Gamble (Singapore); and Caroline Bassoni, regulatory affairs director, COSMED. Indonesia’s halal certifications will be


discussed at greater depth in the Theatre session ‘Halal Cosmetics Labelling Outlook’ held by Amarjit Sahota, Founder, Ecovia Intelligence, Michael Hew, Commercial Manager, Avares, and Ainaa Herlysa Zainal, Head of R&D, VNI Scientific, on Wednesday 4 November 16:00-16:45.


More innovation, less time For R&D teams, the challenge is increasingly one of doing more with the same or fewer resources. There are more ingredients, technologies, consumer claims and market opportunities to assess, while development teams are under pressure to reduce time to market and control costs.


This makes access to practical technical


intelligence particularly valuable - seeing a formulation technique demonstrated, understanding how an ingredient behaves in practice and speaking directly to specialists can help teams make better-informed decisions before taking an idea back to the lab. The Formulation Lab is designed around this need and allows visitors to see formulation techniques demonstrated in real time. Sessions range from Ephyla’s exploration of next- generation barrier-care formulas using NSL Biomimetic Pickering Technology, to IMCD’s work on high-naturality longevity skin care using cold- process technology. Just as importantly, technical decisions


need to be informed by an understanding of the consumer. The Marketing Trends Theatre will connect formulation innovation with the market context behind it. The programme will move from exploration of multisensory beauty and the longevity revolution to the wider regional picture. Presentations include ‘C-Beauty Trends -


Decoding the Winning Formula Behind Chinese Brands’, which will be hosted by Fei Xu, market intelligence director, ASIA COSME LABx, and will decode the key factors behind the rise of C-Beauty, exploring how local brands combine consumer understanding, scientific innovation and agile go-to-market strategies.


Finding what is genuinely new With more than 770 exhibitors under one roof, discovering innovation is one challenge;


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