in-cosmetics Global 2026 Award Winners: Innovation Shaping the Future of Beauty

For Best Functional Ingredient, ViscoPure® by PolymerExpert (part of Solabia Group) claimed the top spot, with Solagum™ X+ by Seppic and RHEANCE® Soft GO by Evonik earning silver and bronze, respectively.

Recognizing sustainability: The Green Ingredient Award

Sustainability remained a central theme in the Green Ingredient Award, where ALPAFLOR® NEUROSOOT by dsm-firmenich led the category. PrimalHyal™ NeuroYouth by Givaudan and Eternight™ biofunctional by Ashland followed, showcasing how environmental responsibility and innovation can go hand in hand

Sensory and consumer experience

Beyond ingredients, several awards celebrated excellence in sensory and consumer experience. Matcha Delight by Parfex won the Scent Bar Award; in the Taste Bar Awards, AceRoselle by Symrise was recognized as the best nutricosmetic beverage. Curcushine gummies by Lubrizol Beauty took the top spot in the food category.

Makeup was also in focus, with OleoVeil Care by Solabia Group winning the Make-up Bar Award, followed by Oilemia™ TM 7S polymer by Lubrizol Beauty and Flower blus by JRS. Meanwhile, ALPOL Cosmetique led the Sensory Bar Award, ahead of H&A Pharmachem Co. Ltd and Alchemy Ingredients.

Finally, the Kenvue Trusted Science Award was presented to Lucas Meyer Cosmetic for their ingredient Melicica™

There's a rising star among us...

ANTARKA was named Rising Star, an award that recognizes emerging companies bringing truly novel, disruptive technologies to the industry and showing strong potential to shape its future. ANTARKA stands out for its pioneering approach to skin longevity and sun protection: inspired by biological systems evolved over millions of years in the extreme conditions of Antarctica, the company has developed an advanced enzyme designed to repair UV-specific lesions in skin cell DNA. Unlike conventional ingredients that target downstream effects, this technology works at the source – directly addressing DNA damage caused by UV radiation. This breakthrough signals a meaningful shift toward prevention and repair at a molecular level. 

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The 2026 in-cosmetics Global awards once again proved to be a celebration of the creativity, science, and passion driving our industry forward. From breakthrough ingredients to forward-thinking suppliers, this year's winners reflect the very best of what beauty innovation has to offer. We congratulate all those recognized and celebrate their achievements in shaping the future of personal care.

Formulators exploring the in-cosmetics Global 2026 award winners can use these innovations as benchmarks when evaluating ingredient performance, sensory profiles, sustainability credentials, and compatibility within modern formulations. Key decision points often include selecting actives with proven efficacy, balancing functional ingredients for stability and texture, and aligning with evolving regulatory and consumer expectations. Reviewing awarded ingredients can help guide trade-offs between performance, cost, and formulation complexity across categories such as skin care, hair care, and nutricosmetics. For a comprehensive, up-to-date view of these ingredients and their applications, Covalo serves as a centralized platform for discovering, comparing, and sourcing formulation solutions, and is the official partner of in-cosmetics.