03 NOVEMBER, BANGKOK: The winners of the prestigious in-cosmetics Asia 2026 Awards have been announced, recognising the pioneering ingredients and formulations driving progress across the personal care industry.
This year’s Awards attracted over 160 entries, highlighting the breadth of innovation in cosmetic science, from advanced active ingredients to next-generation functional solutions. The programme also recognised outstanding creativity and technical expertise through the Spotlight On Formulation and Fragrance Zone Awards, both judged live at the show.
Entries were evaluated by an expert panel of international cosmetic scientists, R&D specialists and product development professionals representing leading beauty brands, including L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Coty and Amorepacific.
Recognising the next generation of active ingredients
The 2026 Innovation Zone Best Ingredient Award – Actives category celebrated the latest scientific advances in ingredients designed to deliver targeted skin and hair benefits, recognising technologies that combine scientific discovery with meaningful consumer applications.
Vytrus Biotech took the prestigious gold award for Ignilyte™ – Bioelectric power for your skin, a 100% natural active from dragon fruit stem cells designed to reawaken the skin’s bioelectrical power for deep regeneration and vitality.
Silver was awarded to dsm-firmenich for GLYCARE® SK, Human Milk Oligosaccharides translated into skincare through precision bio-fermentation, creating a bioidentical ingredient designed to help sensitive, stressed skin recover and rebuild resilience.
Givaudan Active Beauty earned bronze for its PrimalHyal™ NeuroYouth, complex combining low molecular weight hyaluronic acid with selected amino acids to activate skin’s neuro‑rejuvenation and deliver renewed vitality and restore skin’s sense of touch.
Advancing innovation in functional ingredients
The Innovation Zone Best Ingredient Award – Functional category recognised ingredients that are helping formulators push the boundaries of cosmetic performance, texture and sensorial experience. This year’s winning innovations demonstrate how advances in ingredient technology can support increasingly sophisticated, high-performance and responsible formulations.
The Gold Award was presented to Evonik for TEGO® FILMSTAR BST1, a biodegradable film former that improves SPF performance by promoting a more homogeneous distribution of UV filters on the skin.
Dow received the silver award for DOWSIL™ EL-9400 Hybrid Elastomer Blend, an elastomer gel combining a silicone elastomer network with a biodegradable carrier, providing silicone’s silky feel with versatile rheology for multiple textures.
Gattefossé were awarded bronze for Protecticire® MB, a fully natural active texturising ingredient developed with proprietary wax butter technology, that creates a soft, imperceptible shield on every hair fibre.
Celebrating innovation in fragrance
New for 2026, the Fragrance Awards celebrated outstanding creativity and innovation in scent, spotlighting the most exciting launches showcased in the new Fragrance Zone’s Scent Bar. Judged by fragrance experts, the awards recognise the standout fragrance innovations capturing the industry’s attention.
ONLY FRAGRANCES won for SCENT OF YOU, a floral, musky and creamy scent that blends powdery orris and soft skin accords with a heart of vanilla cream, violet and Cashmeran, rounded off by a warm, sensual base of musk, sandalwood and tonka bean.
Spotlight On Formulation Awards
The Spotlight On Formulation Awards shone a light on the creativity and technical expertise of formulators, celebrating finished formulations that demonstrate the possibilities of innovative cosmetic ingredients and technologies. As the true differentiator for products increasingly is how a product makes a consumer feel, a Spotlight On Multisensory focus reflects this.
Judged live at the exhibition, the awards recognise exceptional formulations that combine texture, sound, scent and emotional impact in a way that feels contemporary, inclusive and trend-led. The Gold Award went to BASF for SPF 50 / PA++++ Moisture Touch Tone-up Sun Lotion, a photostable, octocrylene-free and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate-free O/W lotion that combines SPF 50 / PA++++ protection with a light sensory profile. dsm-firmenich was presented with silver for SURPR-ICE BALM: Arctic Multisensory Heat Rescue, a rich balm that transforms into a lightweight serum while delivering immediate cooling relief. Bloomage took bronze for Hymagic™-SAHA, which combines salicylic acid with hyaluronic acid to create effective pore minimisation, skin refinement and reduced irritation.
Celebrating the people shaping the APAC beauty industry
Alongside the Awards, the ceremony also recognised the 9 Faces of the APAC Beauty Industry 2026. This initiative celebrates nine outstanding individuals whose expertise, leadership and contributions are helping shape the future of the personal care industry across the Asia-Pacific region.
This year’s honourees are Vismay Sharma of L’Oréal, Maria Nohemi Galindo of P&G, Supriya Punyani of Unilever, Weixuan Chan of Kenvue, Xin Sun of Bloomage Biotechnology, Yuvapong Suthinand of Dr.PONG Skin Research Lab, Dr Yong – Ji Chung of Caregen, Dr. Jun Tao Xia of BASF and Hyunjong Wi of SKINIDEA.
Sarah Gibson, Event Director of in-cosmetics Asia, said: “The quality and variety of this year’s entries have been fantastic. From breakthrough ingredient technologies to exciting new fragrance creations, the 2026 Awards celebrate the science, creativity and collaboration moving our industry forward. By bringing the industry together, in-cosmetics Asia gives these great ideas and innovations a platform to help shape the future of beauty.”
For more information about in-cosmetics Asia, visit https://www.in-cosmetics.com/asia/en-gb.html
