On October 22nd, the 2024 (10th) China Cosmetics Trends Conference, hosted by CHAILEEDO and supported by NBC, Trautec, Winkey, and COSMAX, was held in Shanghai!
This conference, themed “Technology Anti-Aging,” saw leading beauty and cosmetics companies from China and internationally sharing the latest trends in technological anti-aging. Concurrently, numerous companies along the cosmetics industry supply chain exhibited their latest products and technologies. During the meeting, Dr. Chen Yao, the Head of Skin Microbiome Research at COSMAX, presented on the topic “Global Research and Development Trends in Anti-Aging Ingredients.”
Below is a recap of the speech:
Hello, everyone!
Thank you very much for the introduction, and today I have heard a lot of experiences shared by predecessors in the cosmetics field. As a newcomer in the cosmetics industry, I would like to share some of my views on the global research and development trends of anti-aging ingredients.
I will introduce the anti-aging market from three aspects. Currently, globally, there are quite a few products claiming to be anti-aging in facial skincare. In countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, and South Korea, about 50% of products claim to be anti-aging, and this percentage continues to grow each year.
Among different types of anti-aging products, such as medical beauty, body care products, beauty health products, etc., the use of anti-aging ingredients is involved, especially in facial skincare products, accounting for approximately 57%. In facial skincare products, facial essences and moisturizers account for nearly 70%, with moisturizers showing a continuous growth trend.
In the anti-aging market, ingredients like retinol and peptides are commonly used, but their sales have declined compared to before. However, among the top 10 ingredients with growing sales in the market, 8 of them are plant extracts. Recombinant collagen is extracted through microorganisms. This indicates that the current trend in the development of anti-aging ingredients is first and foremost green and sustainable. In recent years, countries have vigorously promoted ESG initiatives, explicitly emphasizing the need to strengthen the development and innovation of green plant-based materials, promote the large-scale production of active ingredient biomanufacturing, etc., in the food and cosmetics industries in the new industrial growth plan.
Green sustainability from the perspective of ESG mainly has two aspects: one is green science, involving materials extracted from microalgae, microbial fermentation, or plants, as well as biodegradable packaging; the other is the practice of sustainable development in synthetic biology strategies. Currently, materials extracted using synthetic biology mainly include collagen, extracellular polysaccharides, and other active ingredients.
COSMAX has mainly developed a lot of natural materials in the field of green sustainability, such as extracts of orchid and astragalus roots, which are raw materials with anti-aging effects. Currently, these natural materials have been applied in the products of their clients.
Another development trend is anti-aging components from the microbiome, which is also a very promising market. The market growth of fermented products like lactobacillus and yeast is significant.
Therefore, the second development trend proposed by COSMAX is to focus on the field of skin microbiota. Since the release of the Human Genome Project, it has been discovered that besides cells, the human body also contains a large number of bacteria, with the number of bacteria and cells reaching a ratio of 1:1. Currently, some microbiome components have been applied in skincare products. According to research data from GRAND VIEW, the market for microbiome cosmetics in 2023 is $430 million, and it is expected to reach $830 million by 2030, nearly double that of 2023.
Currently, brands including Estée Lauder, SK-II, and Dr. Alva have all incorporated microbiome ingredients into skincare products.
Next, I will briefly outline COSMAX’s anti-aging strategy. But before that, let me introduce COSMAX. COSMAX Group was established in South Korea in 1992 and is a global comprehensive beauty and health service group. It now has 27 factories and research centers in China, South Korea, the United States, Thailand, and Indonesia. COSMAX China was founded in Fengxian District, Shanghai in 2004, and in 2013, the group established COSMAX Guangzhou. This year marks the 20th anniversary of COSMAX China. In 2026, COSMAX will establish a new headquarters building in Shanghai Xinzhuang. Currently, COSMAX focuses on areas such as biotransformation, green chemistry research, dermatology research, and skin microbiome research, aiming to provide scientific basis for clients and theoretical support for cosmetics R&D.
Now, let me introduce COSMAX’s anti-aging platform, focusing on the strategies of the headquarters in South Korea and the Chinese market. The headquarters in South Korea has developed expertise in the field of skin microbiome, having introduced the first product with microbiome ingredients back in 2019. One of the strains discovered, EPI-7, is found predominantly in young skin and has been shown to inhibit the activity of collagen-degrading enzyme MMP1 while increasing COL1 synthesis, demonstrating its efficacy in combating aging.
Another strain, Strain CX, also found in young skin, has been shown in vitro tests to promote collagen, elastin, and fibronectin synthesis. Its anti-aging mechanism involves deep penetration into the dermis, enhancing the synthesis of elastin, collagen, and fibronectin, thus improving skin elasticity and barrier function.
In China, COSMAX’s anti-aging strategy focuses on green science, with a particular emphasis on natural materials. For instance, an anti-aging ingredient called Lan Yan Min was discovered from Black Swan Orchid and Lactobacillus, showing anti-inflammatory properties that combat aging. Cell studies revealed its ability to inhibit genes associated with inflammation-induced aging, while human trials demonstrated a reduction in facial wrinkles upon its application.
Another material, Glycolipids, extracted through fermentation of plants and microorganisms, has led to the development of skin-friendly liposomes using the BioDeliverTM technology. This technology enhances skin penetration and effectively lightens skin tone.
Furthermore, COSMAX is engaged in synthetic biology, having established an exclusive microbial library and collaborated with Professor Yang Cheng’s team at Jiangnan University to screen and optimize microbial strains for producing active anti-aging ingredients.
In response to the prevalence of sensitive skin, COSMAX has also researched the skin microbiome of sensitive skin and initiated collaborations with Professor Li Wei at Huashan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University and Shenzhen Life Sciences Co., Ltd. to investigate the mechanisms of sensitive skin and develop specific skincare products targeting sensitive and aging skin.
That concludes my presentation. For more information, please follow our COSMAX official account. Thank you.
