in-cosmetics Global reveals 2026 Award winners shaping the future of cosmetic science

15 April 2026, PARIS: in-cosmetics Global, the leading global event for personal care, today announced the winners of the 2026 Awards, decided by an expert panel made up of representatives from L’Oreal, Medik8, TEMPLESPA and Urtekram. The prestigious awards celebrate the industry’s biggest achievements with some of the most significant contributions to cosmetic science.

The judges narrowed down standout entries competing for awards across nine categories. Winners were selected for the Innovation Zone Best Active and Functional Ingredient Awards, the Green Ingredient Award, the Rising Star Award, the Kenvue Trusted Science Award, the Make-Up Bar Award, the Sensory Bar Award, the Taste Bar Award and the Scent Bar Award.

In the Functional Ingredients category, ViscoPure® by PolymerExpert - part of Solabia Group, was awarded Gold. ViscoPure® is a 100% biobased thickener for water-based systems and creates a strong, resistant and yet sensorial gelled system

Solagum™ X+ by SEPPIC was awarded Silver, and the Bronze award was presented to RHEANCE® Soft GO by Evonik.

Awarded with Gold for the Innovation Zone Best Ingredient in the Active Ingredients category was RAHN AG for CALNEURIN® SENSE.

Barbara Obermayer, head of RAHN-Cosmetic Actives, said, “We’re incredibly proud of the team behind this achievement. They’ve put a huge amount of thought and expertise into developing what we believe is a truly pioneering active. This recognition is a testament to their commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering innovation that makes a real difference.”

Raw materials manufacturer, NAEMOS took the Silver Award for SHISOME, whilst Chemyunion achieved Bronze for Peptid4® Light MB and dsm-firmenich was also presented with Bronze for its EXOVIVE™ LIFT.

The Rising Star Award celebrates first-year exhibitors, highlighting their advanced products and ingredients while acknowledging their solution-driven approaches. This year saw Antarka awarded for its impressive presence at the show. Antarka is a biotechnology company developing patented, Antarctic-derived technologies for advanced skin repair and longevity. Developing and engineering extremophile enzymes into high-performance cosmetic actives.

The Green Ingredient Award, presented in partnership with Ecovia Intelligence, recognises ingredients that deliver a meaningful environmental or social impact. Taking Gold this year was dsm-Firmenich for ALPAFLOR® NEUROSOOTH, a neurocosmetic active developed to address primary skin stressors linked to climate change. This sustainable innovation is made from Scutellaria alpina, an adaptogenic plant, organically cultivated on alpine moraines

Also recognised in this year’s Green Ingredient Award was Givaudan Active Beauty, which won Silver for PrimalHyal™ NeuroYouth. Ashland took home the Bronze Award for eternight™ biofunctional.

New for 2026, the Scent Bar Award and the Taste Bar Award have been judged live on site, celebrating creativity and sensory excellence within fragrance and beauty from within. Fragrance house, Parfex, was awarded the Scent Bar Award for its Matcha Delight.

The Taste Bar Award, presented in partnership with The Good Pill, celebrates the best tasting inner beauty formulations through real, ready-to-try concepts. The winner of Best Tasting Nutricosmetics Beverage was SYMRISE AG for AceRoselle, and the winner of the Best Tasting Nutricosmetics Food was Lubrizol for Curcushine™ gummies. 

The Sensory Bar Award and the Make-up Bar Award winners were also both decided live. These accolades spotlight the next generation of colour cosmetics, innovative technologies and developments in sensory, texture and fragrance.

In the Make-up Bar Award, Solabia Group took the top title for its OleoVeil ®Care - Natural and Flawless wear. Lubrizol took Silver for Oilkemia™ 7S polymer for Makeup Formulations, whilst JRS - J.Rettenmaier & Söhne took Bronze for its Flower Blush.

In the Sensory Bar Award category, ALPOL Cosmetique was awarded Gold for its innovative Next-Gen Suncare: soft touch, perfect skin. H&A Pharmachem Co., Ltd took Silver for Magic capsule Gel, Magic capsule Serum. Bronze was awarded to Alchemy Ingredients for Natural & Minimalistic Baby Care (for Mum too).

The Kenvue Trusted Science Award recognises innovative and effective modern ingredients that consumers can rely on for their daily care. This evening, Lucas Meyer Cosmetics by Clariant took the title for Melicica™ (Honey). This award-winning ingredient harnesses Australian Jelly Bush honey to offer a holistic approach to optimise the skin’s natural repair process.

Andy Mather, Event Director of in-cosmetics Global, said: “This year’s entries reflect exciting innovation in our industry and show a clear focus on what’s to come. We’re proud to celebrate our winners and recognise their achievements across all categories. The introduction of the new Scent Bar Award adds a fresh element to the programme, celebrating creativity, sensory excellence, and standout execution in fragrance.

The Taste Bar Award, part of our brand-new Inner Beauty Zone, also highlights the growing momentum behind nutricosmetics, marking an exciting new feature for 2026. Together, these additions reflect how the industry continues to evolve, embracing more holistic and multi-sensory approaches to beauty.

We’d like to thank our judges for their time and expertise, as well as all entrants for the exceptional standard of submissions this year. And of course, congratulations to all of our 2026 winners - we look forward to seeing how your innovations continue to shape the future of the industry.”

To see the full list of winners, please visit our website: Awards and After Party | in-cosmetics Global

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