Linked BASF banner for in-cosmetics Global, featuring two men on a modern bridge and “Beyond Beauty: Authentic+. Just You.”
Feb 2026 written with two images of women underneath.

February in review: K-beauty proliferates, Cosmetic tech battleground, Beauty’s untapped space

Last month, K-beauty continued to snowball across the personal care industry, driven by advancements in R&D, retail, and exports. Meanwhile, we examined the Middle Eastern beauty market and what lessons global brands can learn from cosmetic companies that thrive in the volatile environment. AI and electronic-driven products emerged as a new battleground for beauty, and experts discussed that brands’ technology infrastructure and data now determine whether they can compete in the technology race. 
A man putting cream under his eyes.
Men’s grooming shifts toward science-driven solutions
Men are no longer satisfied with the multifunctional products that satisfy three care problems with one item — they want effective, credible solutions tailored to their needs. What used to be a market with muted packaging is entering an era of gender-neutral, science-focused personal care. Personal Care Insights speaks with Sequential, Moi Aussi, Cosmogen, Pure Trade, and TNT Group about the significant rise in men’s interest in personal care as gender stereotypes fade, and how industry members should change their tactics to cater to this evolving demographic. 
Woman posing with lip gloss product
Turning staples into status objects: Unilever revamps Vaseline
Unilever is upgrading Vaseline to make the legacy brand more desirable, sensorial, and culturally fluent. The recently released Gluta-Hya Lip Serum Gloss contains tripeptide and hyaluronic acid, and aims to capture Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s attention by meeting their demand for skin care that bridges credibility and color. However, behind the shine of the product launch, Vaseline’s reengineered positioning reflects changing consumer behavior rather than a simple portfolio expansion. The strategy behind the gloss signals that cultural currency, rather than just efficacy, is influential for lip care.
Mane Kancor Technical Paper
A Patented Breakthrough in Scalp Health — Learn more from the clinical study results
Purakan™ is a patented breakthrough in natural scalp care, proven to outperform market leaders on pruritus, dandruff, itching, and flaking. It replaces synthetic options like ZPT and piroctone olamine. Clinical studies show 89.7% of participants experienced reduced dandruff and itching within just seven days.This technical paper is brought to you by Mane Kancor.
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Formulating texture in skincare: a data-driven approach to replacing synthetic thickeners
Consumers are actively seeking natural ingredients in their skincare products, and the pressure is on formulators to deliver clean-label solutions without compromising product look and feel. In this webinar, Tate & Lyle and Innova Market Insights experts discuss how this trend is shaping innovation and how brands can tackle formulation challenges. We explore how nature-based, readily biodegradable ingredients combined with a proprietary methodology can replace synthetics, while maintaining the desired physical and sensorial properties. Through individual product variables mapped against our ingredient data repository, we can reduce reformulation complexity and minimize the need for panel testing. Our model simplifies multivariable measurements into easy-to-interpret results — accelerating development and enabling brands to meet consumer demand for naturally derived skincare products.  Join us to say goodbye to synthetics, fast!
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IFF: Tapping robotics for faster fragrance development
Beauty companies are under growing pressure to shorten cosmetics development cycles. To keep pace, fragrance houses are investing in automation that can cut sampling and formulation timelines while also improving precision. International Flavors and Fragrances’ (IFF) installation of its Colibri smart-dosing robot in Singapore reflects the wider industry shift toward modernized operations. The company tells us how its high-tech intervention can accelerate time-to-market in Asia’s fast-moving beauty landscape.

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Lancôme positions longevity as luxury skin care’s next frontier
woman with glowy skin looks into camera
Lancôme has entered a new phase of its longevity-in-beauty ethos through a partnership with Timeline, a Swiss longevity biotech startup.The cosmetics heritage giant’s parent company, L’Oréal Group, began investing in Timeline in 2024 to centralize longevity in the global cosmetics industry. As the group’s investment ripens alongside the rapidly growing longevity discourse in the industry, Lancôme is bringing this partnership into the spotlight with a new skin care range.
Kotex unveils consumer-informed product overhaul to tackle period pain points
person holds pad in front of crotch
Kotex has launched a pad and liner portfolio in response to the 82% of menstruators who report frustration with available period products.Drawing from a survey of 1,000 women aged between 18-49 who menstruate, Kotex outlines that one in ten are unsatisfied with today’s period products. Two in five women are still sleeping with towels under them in 2026 due to the insufficiencies and inadequacies of existing products.
Aptar Beauty introduces dispensing range targeting mass premiumization
soap and fragrance collection range
Aptar Beauty has launched a range of premium dispensing solutions addressing the growing need for brand differentiation and premium options in the personal care industry. The range features aerosols and spray pumps, as well as decorative and finishing treatments, designed to offer premium and affordable solutions. 
Beauty’s next whitespace: What brands can capture before market saturation
Blue liner on Asian girl.
Spate has uncovered the early signals and prospects emerging across Google Search and TikTok that beauty brands can capitalize on. The 2026 Whitespace Opportunities report reveals that consumers are using these online platforms to discover, validate, and decide which strategies, products, and ingredients will help them feel — and look — their best.
ECHA backs ethanol for disinfectants but leaves carcinogenic status open
Perfume being sprayed on a woman's wrist.
The European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) has concluded that ethanol is safe for use in human hygiene products and surface disinfectants. Following the BPC’s February review, ethanol’s hazard classification remains unchanged. The committee did not conclude whether the substance has carcinogenic or reproductive properties because of a lack of relevant scientific evidence on ethanol’s exposure routes. 
February in review: GLP-1 nutrition strategies, probiotic innovations, and food...
Nutrition Insight February in Review

Nutrition Insight

February’s highlights include accelerating innovations around GLP-1s, advancing gut microbiome research, growing scrutiny of infant formula safety, and ongoing debates over supplement quality, protein policies, and food reformulation. In our February review, Nutrition Insight features some of the month’s biggest stories, including how supplements can help bridge nutrition gaps related to GLP-1 use and rapid weight loss. In the UK, researchers identified gut microbes that could unlock next-generation probiotics, and we examined Novonesis’ biosolutions toolbox for healthier foods. 
Highlighted features
A Black woman with three foundation swatches on her cheek.
Research & Development
Future of foundation: Chromara Beauty offers on-demand...
Foundation shade ranges may become obsolete. Chromara Beauty has created a makeup solution that can concoct exact-match formulas at home, in retail, or at the point of manufacturing. Chromara provides six base pigments and creates millions of custom formulations at the point of sale. The technology allows brands to carry less inventory, customers to get an exact shade match, and the industry to build a closed-loop operating system for refillable, on-demand foundation. 
young woman with blue cloth draped over her head looks into camera
Personal Care Insights News
Beauty market resilience: How Middle Eastern brands thrive...
The Middle Eastern beauty market is emerging as an endurance test for brands, as global cosmetics players navigate the 2026 socio-economic climate. Innovation, trust, and reliable product performance are vital to ensuring brand resilience in the Middle East. Personal Care Insights talks to Schwan Cosmetics about how the region’s volatile economy, varying regulatory frameworks, and climate-related constraints are a litmus test for brands entering the market. We also discuss how the area’s distinct challenges and characteristics can provide a learning experience for international brand resilience across the industry.
Woman with light shinining on her face
Regulatory News
K-beauty growth without guardrails? Rising recalls trigger...
South Korean beauty exports are growing at record speed, but the country has announced that cosmetic recalls have tripled over the last year, and the government has consequently pledged to implement stricter testing. The spike in recalls and tougher testing regime raises the question of whether K-beauty is expanding too fast.South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) recorded 16 K-beauty recalls and disposals in 2025, marking a 3.2-fold increase from five cases the year before.

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The Future of FragranceMar2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that global fragrance launches are increasing, with an average annual growth rate of +51 % from 2021 to 2025. Consumers globally prefer light fragrances, and thei...

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Upcycled ingredient trends Mar 2026

According to Innova Market Insights, the upcycled ingredient trend is going strong in personal care launches, with an average annual growth rate of 110% in NPD from 2021 to 2025. Consumers also pay attention to upcycled ingredients, with 16% saying they especially search for upcycled claims when choosing their beauty products. In new product launches, upcycled ingredient use has moved from organic, natural brands to more mainstream and trendy brands.

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Sustainable personal care packaging solutionsMar 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that the use of sustainable packaging in personal care product launches grew 20% year-over-year from 2024 to 2025, reflecting a strong demand for more eco-friendly products, inside and out.

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IFF: Tapping robotics for faster fragrance development

Beauty companies are under growing pressure to shorten cosmetics development cycles. To keep pace, fragrance houses are investing in automation that can cut sampling and formulation timelines while also improving precision. International Flavors and Fragrances’ (IFF) installation of its Colibri...

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Ingredients + Specialties from Univar Solutions: Clean home care and personal care converge
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Formulating texture in skincare: a data-driven approach to replacing synthetic thickeners
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IFF and Chemist Confessions: Bringing osmolytes to the forefront
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