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EU cosmetics face PFHxA limits as REACH transition ends

The EU restriction on the “forever chemical” undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) in cosmetics applies tomorrow. Starting October 10, cosmetic products may no longer be placed on the market or used in the EU if they contain 25 parts per billion (ppb) or more of PFHxA and its salts combined. The restrictions also apply to 1,000 ppb or more of PFHxA-related substances combined. 
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Plant-based beauty grows as regulators scrutinize natural sourcing
Plant-based cosmetic claims are evolving from a niche marketing tactic to a central pillar of product innovation. However, with upcoming legislation targeting how plant-based beauty is allowed to go to market, the category is entering a phase of scrutiny. The plant-based movement in personal care is experiencing sustained growth, driven primarily by shifting consumer preferences.
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Kale Care expands Turkey surfactant capacity amid supply chain pressures
Beauty industry supply chains are under strain from raw material shortages exacerbated by climate stressors and logistical access barriers due to rising geopolitical tensions. Therefore,  cosmetic companies are turning to localized suppliers in strategic regions. Kale Care Chemicals, a Turkish chemical raw materials and specialty ingredients company, has invested in surfactant production with a second facility in Gebze, Turkey, boosting the company’s total annual production capacity to 100,000 metric tons.
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Sustainable beauty solutions
Innova Market Insights data indicates that new personal care launches with sustainable claims grew at a +31% CAGR from July 2021 to June 2026. While cruelty-free remains a key consumer marker of sustainable beauty, innovation is expanding into areas such as sustainable oils, 2-in-1 formats, recycled materials, and reef- and ocean-friendly solutions.
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Who masters the art of multifunctionality? We do.
Multifunctional ingredients are transforming personal care preservation by combining microbial protection with formulation efficiency, natural-origin positioning, skin benefits, sensory enhancement and easier processing. Ashland’s recent launches illustrate how preservative strategies can deliver added value, helping formulators create safer, more transparent, consumer-relevant products with stronger performance and clearer ingredient purpose.

This Technical Paper is brought to you by Ashland.
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Azitra: Functional human filaggrin for barrier support

Azitra co-founder and chief operating officer Travis Whitfill, discusses the company’s development of functional human filaggrin for topical skin care applications. The biotech-designed protein is engineered for stability and skin penetration, helping support the skin barrier, hydration, and pH balance. Whitfill also shares recent ex vivo findings on skin elasticity, plans for clinical testing on fine lines and wrinkles, and the growing role of biotechnology and the skin microbiome in skin care.

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AI personalization and longevity shape Indonesian beauty market
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Indonesia’s beauty market is increasingly embracing holistic and individualized skin care through tech-enhanced personalization and multifaceted longevity care.Rohto Laboratories Indonesia has launched an AI-powered skin analyzer to bring personalized skin care recommendations to Indonesian consumers. In partnership with global AI-driven beauty technology provider, Reveive, the tool is designed to help Indonesian consumers better understand their skin and offer them tailored solution recommendations.
Lipoid Kosmetik unveils natural depigmentation active as skin-lightening...
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Lipoid Kosmetik has launched a cosmetic active designed to reduce visible pigmentation and dark spots while remaining gentle. The compound, Depigmentation Factor, is made with bearberry leaf extract and uses a liposomal delivery system. According to Lipoid Kosmetik, there is sustained consumer demand for skin-lightening products that work visibly, but use natural ingredients that are safe and comfortable on the skin. Depigmentation Factor is positioned to target that demand. It is also approved by COSMOS and NATRUE, aligning it with natural cosmetic standards. 
Sonoco GreenCan brings paper-based packaging to Kneipp bath crystals
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Sonoco has supplied its GreenCan packaging for German personal care and wellness brand Kneipp’s limited-edition Lieblingsmensch bath crystals. Traditionally, bath salts are considered “difficult” to pack in a material other than plastic, due to their sensitivity to humidity and moisture, according to Kneipp. However, Sonoco’s recyclable GreenCan, which has been featured in a string of F&B collaborations in the past year, is designed to meet the technical requirements of moisture-sensitive materials. 
Breaking news: Boots sold to Weston family’s Wittington Investments for US$8.9B
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Boots has been sold to Wittington Investments for US$8.9 billion. The purchase includes assumed debt. Wittington will acquire Boots’ retail operations in the UK and Ireland, Boots Opticians, No7 Beauty Company, and its Thailand and franchised businesses. 
L’Oréal reportedly weighs talc liability exit as lawmakers press Revlon on...
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L’Oréal US has reportedly hired restructuring advisers to explore how to mitigate mounting legal liabilities relating to the use of talc and other chemical ingredients in some of its cosmetics. The alleged move comes shortly after Revlon faced questions by US lawmakers over adequate talc testing of its products. 
Industry pushes personalized nutrition beyond the niche with scalable solutions
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Nutrition Insight

Suppliers are exploring the potential to scale personalized nutrition beyond highly individualized products. Advances in AI, health tracking, and consumer data are sharpening personalization, driving formulators to deliver more targeted benefits. From multifunctional supplements and premixes to solutions for specific health outcomes or consumer segments, the industry is increasingly looking at products that combine efficacy, stability, sensory performance, and scalability. 
Highlighted features
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Health and Beauty
Pinterest tracks beauty shift from trend-following to...
Pinterest has released its first-ever Beauty Trend Report, identifying that consumers are making hyper-personal edits to beauty trends instead of copying them beat for beat. The findings point to an opportunity for brands to invest in modular, customizable, and multifunctional innovations. Pinterest says that searches on the platform are increasingly specific — “not just a red manicure, but a dark-red cat-eye manicure.”
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Business News
South Korea exports hit record US$7B as US demand surges
South Korean cosmetic exports have hit US$7 billion in H1 2026, marking a 27.3% rise year-on-year, according to the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The record-breaking export figures arrive after the US dethroned China as K-beauty’s global growth engine, and US consumers maintain their K-cosmetic appetite.The US accounted for US$1.45 billion, 20.7% of the total South Korean cosmetic exports, and has seen a 41.5% surge from 2025. Meanwhile, China’s South Korean imports fell by 6.6% to US$1.01 billion, compared to H1 2025. China still makes up 14.4% of K-beauty exports and takes second place. Japan came in third with US$580 million, increasing its South Korean imports by 5.9%.
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Personal Care Insights News
September in review: BASF eyes Evonik, EU Green Transition...
In September, BASF confirmed takeover talks with Evonik, a deal that could consolidate two of Europe’s largest beauty suppliers. In Europe, the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive came into effect. We spoke to Natrue, the non-profit that sets standards for authentic natural and organic cosmetics, about how it could push beauty brands to substantiate their sustainability messaging. 

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Plant-powered beautyOct2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that consumers are seeking more natural ingredients in their skin care. As a result, personal care launches with plant-based ingredients are gaining ground with 9...

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Innova Market Insights

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Circular beauty advances Oct 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates a +56% CAGR in personal care launches with circular claims from July 2021 to June 2026. Innovation is increasingly focused on reducing environmental impact through recycled, recyclable, and refillable packaging, as well as the use of upcycled and renewable ingredients. These approaches highlight how circularity is becoming an increasingly visible part of product development across skin care, hair care, and body care.

Trend analysis

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Sustainable beauty solutionsOct 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates that new personal care launches with sustainable claims grew at a +31% CAGR from July 2021 to June 2026. While cruelty-free remains a key consumer marker of sustainable beauty, innovation is expanding into areas such as sustainable oils, 2-in-1 formats, recycled materials, and reef- and ocean-friendly solutions.

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Azitra video thumbnail: Laboratory researcher handling a sample beside a microscope, with a black-and-white portrait inset in a pink circular frame
Video07:54
Azitra: Functional human filaggrin for barrier support

Azitra co-founder and chief operating officer Travis Whitfill, discusses the company’s development of functional human filaggrin for topical skin care applications. The biotech-designed protein is engineered for stability and skin penetration, helping support the skin barrier, hydration, and pH...

Woman wearing glasses and a white shirt beside LENOSE scented hand soaps displayed on green tiles with bubbles.
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LeNose targets Gen Z home luxury with perfumer-crafted hand soaps
Vantage body care ad featuring a woman applying a body scrub, with the message “Body care meets faceification. High-performance, head to toe
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Body care meets faceification. High-performance, head to toe
Consumer Reports video thumbnail: Stylist braiding purple extensions into a client’s long black hair, with a circular professional headshot inset
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Consumer Reports: States urged to regulate braiding hair amid federal silence
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