The history of in-cosmetics

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.

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.

Since 2015 the in-cosmetics Group has grown significantly in regards to new geographical areas and its services.

Now looking ahead to its sixth edition, in-cosmetics Korea was launched next in 2015. The personal care industry has been growing significantly in this dynamic region and the 2019 edition consolidated the success of the 2018 event, as it welcomed over 9,000 visitors.

Following quickly behind was a new type of event, moving away from the trade show format to focus on a conference education programme.

The Formulation Summit launched in 2015, too, providing new insights, solutions and strategies for developing products and welcomed a host of prestigious brands.

The North America show was launched in 2016 as the newest sourcing event for the region dedicated to personal care ingredients. After a successful launch in New York in September 2016, in-cosmetics North America remained in the same city but moved to a new venue, the Javits Center in 2017 and held its third edition there in 2018 and 2019.

Since 1990, in-cosmetics has established itself as the platform for some of the most exciting ingredient launches in the personal care industry around the world.

In 2020, as the Covid pandemic took hold across the world, in-cosmetics still flew the flag for the industry. in-cosmetics Connect, the group’s brand new online resource focusing on ingredients, formulation, trends and regulations is helping share knowledge and connect the industry in challenging times. 

An ability to adapt and anticipate to changes means that, through in-cosmetics, a global audience receives unrivalled access to the latest innovations and learning opportunities in order to achieve their ambitions.