The history of in-cosmetics

The beginning...

The in-cosmetics story begins in 1990 with the launch of the first exhibition at the NEC in Birmingham, England. That year, 80 exhibitors and 900 visitors met to discuss and discover personal care ingredients, laying the foundations for everything that has happened since.

Heading into its 30th edition, in-cosmetics's flagship event has gone from strength to strength and has in recent years re-branded to reflect its Global appeal.

A platform for learning and innovation…

Education was first introduced at in-cosmetics in 1995 with the launch of the Technical Seminars. Originally called ‘Exhibitor Seminars’ and then ‘Innovation Seminars’, these have proved hugely popular. The first Marketing Trends presentations were launched at the start of the new millennium when the show took place in Barcelona.

This was followed quickly by what is now the most popular area of any in-cosmetics shows, the Innovation Zone. Designed with time-poor and inquisitive visitors in mind, this area helps visitors find all the latest products in one place. Today, the zone attracts up to 75% of visitors to discover brand new, innovative personal care ingredients.

Global expansion…

Since 2015 the in-cosmetics Group has grown significantly, in both location and services, to reflect the needs of our audience.

in-cosmetics Korea was launched in 2015, filling a gap in the market as it brings together the world of K-beauty and international exhibitors. 

Following quickly behind was a new type of event, moving away from the trade show format to focus on a conference education programme. Founded in 2015, the annual Formulation Summit provides fresh insights, solutions and strategies for developing products and welcomes a host of prestigious brands.

After a challenging year for everyone in 2020, we all had to take responsibility for looking at new ways to connect, and innovation came to the forefront. Connect was born in mid 2020, an online resource library with a variety of articles, podcasts, webinars and more to keep you up to date with the ever-evolving industry.

After a successful launch in April 2021, in-cosmetics Discover (now renamed Covalo x in-cosmetics) was relaunched in October 2022. This search engine is designed to support formulators struggling the find the right ingredients and it was introduced to in-cosmetics Asia visitors and exhibitors in the run-up and at the Bangkok show in 2022.

An ability to adapt and anticipate to change means that, through in-cosmetics, a global audience receives unrivalled access to the latest innovations and learning opportunities in order to achieve their ambitions, and we are excited to be on this journey with all of you.

After a very successful series of restarts in 2022 including 4 exhibitions and the Summit, in 2023 we saw in-cosmetics Global in Barcelona and in-cosmetics Korea in Seoul achieve in excess of 10,000 visitors and in-cosmetics Latin America achieve its highest ever attendance in Sao Paulo. 2023 also ended with a flourish at in-cosmetics Asia in Bangkok, which attracted 11,772 visitors.

Roll on 2024 with Paris in April, followed by Seoul in July, Sao Paulo in September and Bangkok in November.

Discover in-cosmetics' portfolio

Interested in attending one of the events in the in-cosmetics portfolio?

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Connect with the industry

Find out about in-cosmetics Connect, the group’s online resource for the industry.