In-cosmetics Global 2025: IFF unveils immersive gamified beauty experience

IFF has launched Xelestia, a collection of concept formulations for skin and hair care accompanied by an interactive mobile game designed to enhance consumer engagement. Both will be showcased at In-cosmetics Global 2025 from 8–10 April in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The game allows players to collect digital products and explore four fantasy-inspired virtual worlds, each representing a different formulation prototype.

Personal Care Insights speaks with Bi-Fen Lee, Digital Marketing manager at IFF Health and Biosciences, about the growing trend of gamification and immersive, multi-sensory experiences in personal care.

“Play is emerging as a powerful tool for self-discovery and connection, promoting joy and inclusion. Eighty percent of global consumers say the best way for a brand to stand out and earn their loyalty is its ability to surprise and delight them in unexpected ways,” she says.

“Gamification is set to significantly change beauty and cosmetics marketing by enhancing consumer engagement through immersive and interactive experiences that captivate and inspire.”

“Experiences amplified” trend

The IFF uses its trend and foresight platform, Panoptic, and identified “experiences amplified” as a key trend shaping the personal care industry in 2025. IFF’s research shows that shopping has evolved into a multi-sensory experience — 86% of consumers who buy virtual items in games also purchase the corresponding physical products.

“Driven by a growing desire for novel interactions, the ‘experiences amplified’ trend focuses on creating unique, multi-sensory moments. Consumers now seek profoundly enriching and enjoyable experiences from their beauty and personal care routines. Rather than perceiving these as obligatory tasks, they seek products and rituals that engage the senses and inspire a sense of liberation,” she says.

Lee says gamification is set to significantly change beauty and cosmetics marketing.

The global economic climate largely influences this shift. Financial uncertainty is shaping consumer behavior, and many are prioritizing happiness over material luxury. “The greatest luxury is happiness,” Lee adds. 

“In today’s economic climate, consumers are reevaluating what happiness and success mean in their lives. They find relief from societal stress through meaningful, genuine connections, sensory delights, and affordable indulgences. Small luxuries, which bring joy without financial strain, offer them self-gifting opportunities and meaningful moments, even in tough financial times.”

Bridging virtual and physical

Xelestia takes players through four immersive fantasy realms — Neptunian Shores, Silva Lumina, Cosmic Odyssey, and Cloud Sanctuary. Each fantasy environment embodies a unique sensory and scientific innovation. Neptunian Shores is inspired by underwater landscapes, focusing on deep hydration and marine ingredients.

Silva Lumina has bioluminescent forests, emphasizing botanical extracts that enhance skin radiance. Cosmic Odyssey represents futuristic beauty, featuring “advanced formulations” that “push the boundaries of traditional skin care and hair care.”

Cloud Sanctuary is designed as a soft, comforting escape with lightweight, soothing formulations.

Among the formulations, the Cosmic Odyssey shampoo paste emphasizes water-conscious product formulation, containing less than 15% water and leveraging IFF’s Aurist Agc biopolymer for “enhanced conditioning.” 

The olfactory experience with fragrances draws inspiration from IFF’s past collaborations, including its NASA partnership that explored scent profiles in space. 

Measuring success in gamified marketingThere are four immersive fantasy realms in Xelestia: The Game, where players can explore corresponding formulations.

With the launch of Xelestia: The Game, IFF says it is simultaneously enhancing consumer engagement and gathering valuable insights into digital interactions and purchasing behavior.

“The success of gamification in personal care marketing can be measured through various engagement metrics such as the number of game downloads, active users, time spent in the game, and the conversion rate of virtual items to physical product purchases,” Lee tells us.

IFF will track players who collect virtual formulation prototypes and assess whether this translates into subsequent interest in the corresponding physical concepts. Additionally, qualitative feedback from attendees at In-cosmetics Global will provide insight into consumer reception and potential areas for improvement.

Gamification may extend beyond marketing to influence product formulation itself. “There is potential for interactive digital experiences to influence product formulation itself,” Lee affirms. 

“By engaging consumers in virtual environments and collecting data on their preferences and interactions, brands can gain valuable insights into emerging trends and desires. This information can then be used to inform and innovate product formulations, ensuring they align with consumer expectations.”

The game and the collections will be on display at In-Cosmetics Global at stand 12H60.