Pomegranate and botanical extract bottles promoting natural plant CO₂ extracts by FLAVEX, with SEPAWA Congress 2026 booth details.
Older woman looking at herself in the mirror.

GLP-1 and menopause beauty boom outpaces clinical care, LucyRx warns

Women are navigating a much more complex personal care, health, and wellness marketplace than they were a few years ago. GLP-1s, menopause care, supplements, telehealth, and digital wellness tools have created more pathways for consumers to take. However, the influx of options has not produced better care, according to LucyRx chief commercial officer Susan Thomas. LucyRx is an independent pharmacy benefit manager that acts as an intermediary between health plan sponsors, pharmacies, and patients. 
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K-beauty shapes global formulation and breaks into new categories
K-beauty is growing away from a trend-based category into a global innovation model for the personal care industry. The category’s rapid spread has raised expectations around ingredient transparency, product efficacy, and an enjoyable sensorial experience during daily routines. South Korean skin care principles are moving beyond the simple “glass skin” or “cloud skin” trends and into a global force that other non-Korean innovators are inspired by. 
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Primient says intimate care safety hinges on formulation, not ingredients
Primient, a producer of plant-based and corn-derived ingredients, has identified that the safety of an intimate product is determined by the finished formulation rather than by any single ingredient. The company reports that women’s health and menopause care are on the rise, leading many brands to tap into the traditionally underserved market. But as the personal care industry embraces intimate health as a stand-out arena for innovation, dealing with such a sensitive area of the body raises formulation challenges that ingredient-level safety data alone cannot answer. 
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Sustainable beauty solutions
Innova Market Insights data indicates that new personal care launches with sustainable claims grew at a +31% CAGR from July 2021 to June 2026. While cruelty-free remains a key consumer marker of sustainable beauty, innovation is expanding into areas such as sustainable oils, 2-in-1 formats, recycled materials, and reef- and ocean-friendly solutions.
Foaming antibacterial hand wash with aloe beside a blank pump bottle on a counter, with CAMA PHHC logo.
Automating sleeved bottle packaging without compromising pack design
This article highlights the automation of sleeved bottle packaging, transforming a manual process into a high-speed solution while preserving brand identity and ensuring compatibility with both automated and manual operations.

This Technical Paper is brought to you by Cama Group.
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Consumer Reports: States urged to regulate braiding hair amid federal silence

Consumer Reports found heavy metals in nearly all braiding hair it tested, and volatile organic compounds in every sample. James Rogers, director and head of product safety testing at Consumer Reports, tells Personal Care Insights that no US federal agency clearly regulates the category, leaving labeling claims unchecked. He urges manufacturers to test ingredients and final products. Rogers also expects state rules and consumer spending to eventually drive change.

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TriNutra study finds black seed oil boosts hair density and scalp health
woman with ginger hair
In a study released this week, TriNutra has shown that its cold-pressed black seed oil, B’utyQuin, demonstrates significant hair density improvement. The dermatologically controlled clinical study on a scalp lotion featuring 5% B’utyQuin was designed to support scalp health and visibly improve hair appearance. The proprietary black seed oil features 3% thymoquinone with low free fatty acids.The study, which included 22 adults across genders, showed a 35% reduction in hair loss and a 7% increase in hair density, as well as visible stimulation of hair growth, and enhanced scalp comfort and hydration.
Sephora joins TikTok Shop as social media shapes beauty shopping
Black and white striped Sephora bag
Sephora will debut on TikTok Shop in the US with a shopping experience called the Sephora Drop Shop, where users can discover and buy curated products without leaving the app. The move comes amid the growing trend of beauty consumers using social media platforms as direct shopping destinations. The Sephora Drop Shop will feature exclusive monthly product releases from some of the retailer’s brand partners. Each drop will be a multi-day event with media assets like teasers, interactive content, and videos led by content creators.
Aesop debuts fragrance and refreshed packaging with heritage-inspired design
glass fragrance bottle in smoky background with pine branch
Aesop, a L’Oréal brand, has redesigned its fragrance bottle alongside the launch of a new fragrance, Unforeseen Aer. The redesign features a taller, slimmer amber glass bottle with a domed base and a basalt-textured cap. It maintains Aesop’s minimalist aesthetics but aims to “exist harmoniously within retail spaces alongside the rest of our formulations,” says Aï Kato, Aesop’s creative director. 
C-beauty growth splits domestic brand strategies home and abroad
A model in black and white staring into the camera.
China’s beauty market is forecast to grow 6% annually through 2028, according to a report by consulting firm McKinsey, but recent earnings from two of the country’s largest domestic players tell different stories about who is capturing that growth. Proya, touted as China’s biggest beauty company, is struggling at home with an H1 2026 7% sales decline for its namesake brand, which it is now pivoting to the US market through an Ulta Beauty launch. 
Wella Company files for US IPO after returning to profit under KKR ownership
Wella store logo
Wella Company has filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the US. The move comes after the nail and hair care company backed by investment firm KKR returned to profit and increased its annual revenue to US$2.94 billion.By taking Wella public, KKR is positioning Wella to capitalize on improving investor appetite. The move follows KKR’s continued investment in Wella over the years, after the company initially purchased a 60% stake of the brand from Coty in 2020 for US$4.3 billion, including debt.
Vitafoods Asia 2026: PhytoGaia taps tocotrienols for longevity and pet skin...
PhytoGaia at Vitafoods 2026

Nutrition Insight

At the ongoing Vitafoods Asia 2026 trade show in Bangkok, Thailand, PhytoGaia is showcasing healthy aging and pet nutrition applications for its branded ingredients based on the natural palm phytonutrients tocotrienols and squalene. The company’s innovations include STGaia, a complex of squalene and tocotrienol, as its next-generation approach to healthy aging, with product concepts ranging from vegetarian softgels and liquid capsules to functional jellies. 
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Policy & regulation news
Bemotrizinol US FDA approval spurs sunscreen innovation
Earlier this summer, sunscreen active ingredient bemotrizinol (BEMT) received US FDA approval, marking a major milestone for sunscreen innovation in the country. It became the first new sunscreen active approved in the US in over 25 years. BEMT’s US approval was inaugurated alongside the green lighting of dsm-firmenich’s BEMT ingredient Parsol Shield. BASF followed soon after last month, with its own BEMT ingredient marketed as Tinosorb S. The ingredient has launched in the US under a supplemental license agreement with dsm-firmenich’s parent company, DSM Nutritional Products.
US and Canadian flag shipping containers against a sunset sky, and two models with glowing skin
Personal Care Insights News
August in review: US–Canada tariff war, South Korea...
This month, tensions flared between the US and Canada, both moving to impact each other’s cosmetics industries with 50% tariffs. Asian countries continued to bolster their cosmetics markets with new regulations. China adopted its first mandatory national safety standard for cosmetics. South Korea passed the first law written specifically to grow its beauty sector. 
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Key interview
How carbon capture can rewrite surfactant chemistry in...
Carbon capture is emerging as a climate-friendly cosmetics solution, according to green chemistry company Viridi. The technology converts captured emissions into beauty feedstocks, introducing a cycle within production. It works by capturing CO2 emissions and converting them into new materials, chemicals, or products.

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Home fragrance trendsSep2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that more than half of global consumers are motivated by scent when purchasing household fresheners. The market is responding with new product launches, with air ...

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K-beauty’s global impact Sep 2026

K-beauty is moving beyond the glass-skin trend to shape beauty innovation across makeup, hair, and body care. From fermented ingredients and barrier-focused formulas to cooling pore sticks, peeling foot masks, and sensorial hair rituals, Korean beauty concepts are being reimagined for a global audience.

Trend analysis

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Sustainable beauty solutionsSep 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that new personal care launches with sustainable claims grew at a +31% CAGR from July 2021 to June 2026. While cruelty-free remains a key consumer marker of sustainable beauty, innovation is expanding into areas such as sustainable oils, 2-in-1 formats, recycled materials, and reef- and ocean-friendly solutions.

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Consumer Reports video thumbnail: Stylist braiding purple extensions into a client’s long black hair, with a circular professional headshot inset
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Consumer Reports: States urged to regulate braiding hair amid federal silence

Consumer Reports found heavy metals in nearly all braiding hair it tested, and volatile organic compounds in every sample. James Rogers, director and head of product safety testing at Consumer Reports, tells Personal Care Insights that no US federal agency clearly...

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