The 33rd International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) Congress, themed “Rethinking Beauty Science,” successfully concluded in Barcelona recently. Established in 1956, IFSCC is the largest and most influential research organization in the field of cosmetic development worldwide. IFSCC aims to gather the latest research achievements, cutting-edge technologies, and emerging trends from top cosmetic brands and suppliers globally, promoting international exchange and collaboration in cosmetic science and technology. At this congress, beauty industry professionals from around the world showcased their latest technologies and innovations.
Breakthroughs by Chinese companies in cosmetic ingredients
As the second-largest cosmetics market globally, Chinese companies have been active participants in the beauty industry. At the IFSCC Congress, several Chinese beauty enterprises showcased the latest cosmetic technologies to industry professionals worldwide, with a particular focus on cosmetic ingredients.
For instance, as a leader in biotechnology and provider of efficacy care solutions, Chinese hyaluronic acid pioneer Bloomage Biotech presented a comprehensive range of seven care solutions tailored to different skincare needs at the congress.
These solutions included a multifunctional moisturizing solution, offering hyaluronic acid-based active ingredients with different moisturizing mechanisms targeting various skin levels. They also introduced a holistic soothing and repairing solution featuring their new ultra-low molecular weight hyaluronic acid—Hybloom™ Micro-Zen, which defends against irritations, strengthens the skin’s brick-and-mortar structure, rebuilds the physical barrier, enhances skin tolerance and stability, and soothes every inch of the skin. Additionally, they presented a multi-target anti-aging and brightening solution that improves various factors contributing to skin aging using multiple fermented essence active ingredients.
Their oil control solution starts from the root, utilizing Biobloom™ Micro-Beauty ME-1 to regulate the water-oil balance and microecological balance. For professional hair and scalp care, they offered a gentle exfoliating body cleansing solution using Hyacross™ TG300 hyaluronic acid microbeads and a haircare solution—Hyanutra™-RH Rizhumi, which combats damage from perming, coloring, and bleaching, repairs hair strands, and regulates scalp microbiota. Their skincare and makeup solution included Hyacolor™ sodium hyaluronate oil-dispersible series products, which provide moisturizing and plumping effects for lips, as well as a biodefense sunscreen solution—Bioyouth™ EGT Polygonum cuspidatum extract series products that enhance the skin’s light oxidative resistance by activating the endogenous antioxidant switch Nrf2.
Furthermore, Bloomage Biotech presented six research achievements at the congress, with three of them focusing on active substances with breakthrough efficacy and research outcomes in new areas—hydrolyzed zinc hyaluronate, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), and purple rice fermentation extract. Their presence at the congress demonstrated their strength as a leading hyaluronic acid company.
In addition, Mistine, in collaboration with two major innovative research achievements, introduced exclusive sun protection ingredients tailored to the Chinese skin type and offered double the effectiveness in anti-UV and anti-light protection, known as TaremiTM. They also unveiled an anti-blue light active compound that addresses the research gap in Chinese skin at the IFSCC International Congress of Cosmetic Science. “Different individuals have different skin types, and their demands for sun protection products vary,” said Zhang Tao, R&D Director of Mistine China. Chinese skin has fewer layers of skin cells compared to Westerners, and it is more prone to vascular reactions and moisture loss, making it more sensitive.
Therefore, finding gentler and more scientifically advanced solutions to issues like skin darkening and aging caused by sun exposure becomes a focal point in the pursuit of breakthroughs in sun protection. One of the research achievements showcased at the IFSCC Congress by Mistine was the “Protective Effect of Red Rice Bran Extract in Sunscreen Products against Solar Radiation.” According to reports, this component called “TaremiTM” is an exclusive biological protection ingredient developed by Mistine, offering excellent UV absorption and enhanced sun protection effects. Adding it to sunscreen formulations provides better defense against erythema caused by UVB radiation.
“Providing sufficient protection to Chinese consumers while maintaining an exceptional skin feel is of significant importance in studying biological protection ingredients, and it also aligns better with the Chinese market,” said Zhang Tao.
Underproved, a medical technology group specializing in problem skin solutions and integrating medical-industrial-research resources, is participating in the IFSCC Congress for the first time. At the congress, Underproved presented their independent research achievement in the field of dermatology— the impact of Telerin2.0 on the release of inflammatory factors and mediators induced by lipopolysaccharides in macrophage cell line Raw246.7. This research is based on in-depth studies of the itch pathway mechanism and differential expression of upstream and downstream inflammatory factors. Underproved investigated the effects of complex herbal extracts on the expression of inflammatory factors and mediators induced by lipopolysaccharides in RAW 246.7 cells. They identified nine plant composite extracts with itch-relieving effects and further demonstrated their anti-inflammatory and immune-regulatory properties. The combination forms, mechanisms, and functions of these nine plant composite extracts were published for the first time.
In recent years, microalgae and their extracts have gained significant attention as “sustainable” ingredients in skincare products. However, the safety of Japanese cosmetics and ingredients has recently come under scrutiny due to the Japanese government’s disposal of nuclear wastewater, leading to resistance from Chinese companies towards Japanese ingredients, including microalgae. Recently, the brand “Water Code” under the Guangzhou Danzi Group successfully researched and developed an exclusive patented ingredient called “H11 Space Algae,” which exhibits outstanding moisturizing and repairing effects. It made its debut at the 32nd IFSCC International Congress of Cosmetic Science. This achievement in the field of microalgae not only solves the bottleneck issues related to core technologies and ingredients in cosmetics but also breaks the dependence of the Chinese cosmetics industry on microalgae materials from Japan, representing a significant breakthrough in raw materials for the Chinese cosmetics industry.
In summary, Chinese companies at the congress focused primarily on cosmetic ingredients. In recent days, the Hangzhou municipal government and the Guangzhou municipal government have increased their support for cosmetic industry materials. With policy support and the research achievements of companies within the industry, Chinese cosmetic ingredients are expected to gradually break through foreign barriers.
Artificial intelligence takes center stage
In addition, at this year’s IFSCC Congress, artificial intelligence was also a significant topic of discussion.
Mireia Cigarran from VRPharma Immersive Technologies delivered a keynote speech on the theme of “Reimagining Beauty” at the IFSCC Congress. She discussed how virtual reality (VR) can be used to reimagine beauty. Cigarran emphasized the reality that many consumers do not have VR devices at home, so manufacturers may need to send them as part of a kit. She envisioned users sitting down at the end of the day, lighting candles, massaging scented products onto their skin, and then donning VR headsets to transport them into a chosen paradise.
Meanwhile, Nao Tsurumi from Kosé Corp, a beauty giant from Japan, outlined the company’s latest achievements in mixed reality technology with their 3D digital makeup system based on projection mapping technology. This system offers consumers a more realistic and time-saving way to try on cosmetics. Additionally, Shun Obikane from Kose presented quantum computing as a means to rapidly and efficiently calculate optimal formula combinations. He demonstrated how this approach can be used to test a wider range of ingredients on a computer to develop almost any type of product.
As a global leader in the beauty industry, L’Oréal’s innovations in technology were also impressive. Bruna Conrado from R&I described the use of computational fluid dynamics to optimize formulations during the scaling-up process, saving time, waste, and costs. Additionally, Lun Yu from Metanovas Biotechnology presented an artificial intelligence approach utilizing knowledge graphs to identify biological pathways and genetic biomarkers in literature, allowing for the development of products targeting under-eye circles.
Dr. Joana Marto from the University of Lisbon presented to the audience of cosmetic scientists on the topic of “A step forward in personalizing beauty. the effect of 3D-printed skincare masks’ design on hydration performance”.
Marto began by discussing the importance of 3D printing technology in providing personalized beauty solutions and then provided an overview of recent research in the field. The research investigated different designs of 3D-printed masks, including grid, triangular, and brick designs. This research shed new light on the practicality of 3D printing in producing personalized porous skincare masks to meet consumers’ specific skincare needs, thus providing a higher level of personalized skincare.
It is evident that technological innovation and artificial intelligence are increasingly being applied in the cosmetics industry, and more advanced AI and technology will bring consumers even more convenient experiences.
Microbiome is the next beauty trend
Furthermore, the microbiome was a significant topic at this congress that cannot be ignored.
In one session, the spotlight was on the microbiome. Dr. Marc Güell, Ph.D., translational synthetic biology research group leader at the University of Pompeu Fabra (Spain), presented the idea of modulating the skin through microbiome engineering in his keynote speech. Marc Güell discussed using microbiome engineering as a means to improve skin health and how microorganisms can be manipulated and utilized as intelligent therapies targeting specific skin issues. He envisioned microorganisms as a machine that can be designed for intelligent therapies tailored to the microbiome.
Dr. Güell emphasized the significant opportunity to enhance biology by employing synthetic biotics to enhance skin health. He highlighted the crucial role of improved penetration in optimizing administration and effectiveness. Additionally, he expressed the belief in the immense potential of utilizing microbes as sensors for skin, citing examples such as ROS, temperature, TNF-α, and other factors.
At the same time, Nicolas Pelletier from BASF Beauty Care Solutions described, for the first time, a study that utilized RoxP, an antioxidant protein derived from the secretome of acne-associated skin bacteria, for skin defense. Donovan Taylor from Final Skincare showcased how artificial intelligence and skin metabolomics analysis can identify biomarkers for acne-prone skin.
Céline Laperdrix from Codif International demonstrated the production of vitamin B5 by the skin microbiome using in vivo metabolomics. Natural algae extracts were shown to induce vitamin production, leading to improved cellular differentiation and reduced inflammation.
Lastly, Martin Pagac from Dsm-Firmenich discussed the correlation between changes in facial skin microbiome composition and pre- and post-menopausal states, highlighting the potential for interventions targeting the microbiome. He also delved into the impact of the skin interactome, including exposureome (UV, beauty habits, nutrition, sleep), microbiome (skin and gut), and genome (hormones, genetics, age). However, his research indicated that age influences the microbiome.
More specifically, more sebaceous gland-rich skin attracts more lipophilic organisms; for example, an abundance of Cutibacterium in pre-menopausal skin and an increase in Streptococcus in post-menopausal skin. Pagac emphasized that this was the first study comparing relatively similar age groups.
The research suggests that microbiome data can be combined with self-reporting information as a standardized measurement to enhance our understanding of skin conditions more objectively. The significance of acne-associated skin bacteria in driving microbial variations in the skin microbiome was highlighted, emphasizing the overall importance of acne bacteria for the skin.
In summary, at this IFSCC Congress, the innovative ingredients from China brought a fresh perspective, while technology and artificial intelligence emerged as significant trends in the beauty industry. The microbiome trend showcased not only rebalancing but also deeper biological insights, addressing various skin issues from a more profound level of research.
