PCHi 2026: Evonik highlights biotech for localized skin care innovation
31 Mar 2026 | Evonik
At PCHi, Evonik presented ingredients under the theme “The Soul and Science of Beauty.” Anne Mu, global head of applied innovation, Active Ingredients at Evonik, says that technologies enabling sustainable alternatives to conventional cosmetic chemicals are driving the market and gaining value among consumers. She tells us how Evonik uses its biotech innovation platform to create localized ceremides for the Chinese market, particularly with the specific vegetable feedstocks available to the region.
This is Sabina Waldeck for Personal Care Insights at 2026, joined by Anne Mou, head of Applied innovation Active ingredients at Avonic.
Welcome.
Thank you.
Thank you, Sabina.
So Avonni is presenting under the theme The Soul and Science of Beauty at.
What does this encapsulate what you are showcasing today?
Yeah, so on this PCHI this year we're showcasing certainly, as always, new launches of new ingredients, new products into the market, and, beyond those new launches, we're using them as examples, concentrating and reflecting our years of research and scientifically on those technologies and behind those products.
And you're highlighting ceramide technologies and delivery systems.
How do these innovations enhance beauty formulations, particularly for the Chinese market?
Yes, that's a very good question.
So ceramides are avionics core competency.
It has resulted from a very much advanced biotechnology platform that we developed globally leading, particularly for the China market.
We are adapting.
Those products towards customer needs here, consumer needs here, what are the skin conditions that are particularly fitting with what the ceramide technologies can provide and we provide those technical data to the local market here through guideline formulations development also to showcase how these technologies can be fitting into localized regionalized particular formulations.
And with a focus on locally developed solutions, what are some of your regionally tailored products addressing specific needs in China and the broader Asian beauty market?
Yes, because I'm coming from the active ingredients field, we're actually using the Ionic skin Institute capability we're building also in this region in order to testify those technologies on the right type of skin, right, community of populations here to demonstrate the efficacy also particularly for this regional consumers and for this group of consumers.
Here, but beyond actives, we do design products, particularly towards the need from this market.
I don't know if you noticed, Savina, last night we won the PCHI award actually on one of the innovative immersifier, and that immersifier is actually totally designed for this region.
We're using feed stocks in this region that is very particular and culturally relevant for the consumers, and we tested.
By the skin sensory in order to fulfill the desired sensory profile for Chinese Greater China consumers, and we believe those motives of the design of the product and how we're gathering those efforts towards those particular needs are actually a big part of the reason why the judge committee actually selected this product as an award-winning product.
Mm And lastly, as the beauty industry shifts towards more sustainable and clinically proven ingredients, how does Avonic's approach support formulators in meeting both Chinese consumers' expectations and regulatory standards within these two aspects?
That's a very, very good one, and we're really proud about the things we do, effort we put into those areas.
So Ebonic has been using the slogan Leading.
On chemistry already for several years, the recent decades already, we do see the sustainability and the sustainable alternative technologies beyond conventional chemistry methods are really leading in the market and more are gaining more values in consumer ends.
So we're trying to innovate with a very strong base of biotechnology across.
The category.
So we have bio fermentation-based active ingredients that are really produced at a very high level of sustainability using vegetable feed stock going through fermentation and generating a very good purity and purity profile and quality consistence because of the biotechnology and beyond active ingredients, we use enzymatic technology to form skin conditioning.
Emollients, so enzymatic instead of the chemically conventional catalyst process and reactions is really gaining a lot of environmental benefits.
So milder process, less impact to the environment, and overall a lot of reduced impact to the ecosystem that we are in together with our consumers, our customers.
Perfect.
And thank you for joining Personal Care Insights.
