Iridescent promotional banner from Kao Chemicals Europe featuring “Pearled Perfection,” advertising Danox Pearl GS with soft pastel swirls and a “Learn more” button
woman side profile

Estée Lauder receives final bids for Too Faced, Smashbox and Dr. Jart+

Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has reportedly received the final bids for the potential offloading of Too Faced, Smashbox, and Dr. Jart+ to interested parties. Reports reveal that the process of the sale could possibly be completed within the next few weeks.The three brands were originally being considered as a package deal, but the strategy was adapted in the interests of the potential buyers. The US-based makeup companies, Too Faced and Smashbox, are currently said to be offered together, and the sale of K-beauty’s Dr. Jart+ is being considered alone.
Green oil
Ethical beauty fuels biotech development and supply chain strategies
Consumers’ growing sustainability expectations are increasingly reshaping the beauty industry. Brands and suppliers are facing growing pressure to disclose ingredient origins and production means, and substantiate sourcing claims transparently. At the same time, consumers do not want to compromise on performance, and manufacturers are left having to balance sustainability, efficacy, and ethics. Personal Care Insights sits down with experts from TriNutra and Savor about how the personal care industry is responding to consumers’ ethical expectations. They tell us that companies are exploring more traceable supply chains, responsible sourcing practices, and new biotechnology-based ingredients that reduce reliance on traditional agriculture.
Person brushing teeth.
TriNutra’s black seed oil benefits gingival function and oral microbiome health, study finds
TriNutra, a company specializing in botanical extracts and operating from the US and Israel, has published a new human clinical study evaluating its patented ThymoQuin-OCare, an ingredient derived from black seed oil extract, for oral health support. The company positions the ingredient as a solution for supporting oral hygiene and overall mouth health.
Woman wearing blue traditional attire adorned with white and blue flowers in her hair, statement gold jewelry, and soft glam makeup, with floral-themed branding text beside her.
Harness the power of flowers for beauty
Using proprietary technologies like Zeta Fraction™, PSR™ technology and phytofermentology™, Ashland extracts potent actives from flower sources through eco-friendly processes, ensuring both efficacy and environmental responsibility. Driven by sustainability and technological advancement commitments, this allows development of biofunctionals that harness the power of advanced technologies, artificial intelligence, and plant-based innovation.

This Technical Paper is brought to you by Ashland.
What-s-Trending-in-Cosmetics-2026
What’s Trending in Cosmetics: How neurocosmetics and personalization shape beauty’s future
The cosmetics industry is undergoing a transformation, driven by advancements in science and technology. At the forefront of this shift are neurocosmetics — a growing field that is poised to reshape the personalized beauty market.

In this webinar, Personal Care Insights will explore how the science behind neurocosmetics is driving innovation and fueling the personalized beauty trend. We’ll be joined by Eloïse Gerardin, CEO of Brain Impact Neuroscience, and Dr. Claudia Aguirre, a leading expert in neurocosmetics, for an exclusive conversation.
René Schmitz, Bitop
In-cosmetics Global 2026: Bitop talks extremolytes for skin repair and anti-aging

René Schmitz, technical sales and marketing manager at Bitop, shared insights on Ectoin and Glycolin — highly water-soluble extremolytes known for their broad pH and temperature stability. He explained how these actives support skin barrier repair, hydration, and offer anti-aging and anti-inflammatory benefits. Backed by clinical studies, Schmitz highlighted why extremolytes could become the next “must-have” ingredients in personal care due to their ease of application and efficacy.

Latest headlines

View more
NYSCC Suppliers’ Day 2026 live: ACTV highlights RNA-driven hair revival for...
woman with nice hair
ACTV Biotech is showcasing its ProliCell BaiCare regenerative hair care active line at the ongoing NYSCC Suppliers’ Day 2026 in New York City, US (May 19–20). The ingredient is touted to support the hair’s biological mechanisms to embolden strand health and scalp integrity.The system leverages plant stem cell biology to create enhanced exosomes and functional small RNAs for high cosmetic efficacy in hair recovery.
Healthy Extracts acquires Imaraïs Beauty amid industry wellness push
Woman taking a pill
Healthy Extracts has acquired wellness brand Imaraïs Beauty in a deal worth US$20 million. The move comes as the personal care industry undergoes a shift where consumers increasingly prioritize solutions that connect beauty regimes with internal well-being. Through the acquisition, Healthy Extracts gains access to Imaraïs’ fast-growing retail presence and large social media reach. The company sells ingestible beauty and wellness gummies focused on skin, glow, and overall well-being. Its products are sold through major retailers such as Ulta Beauty and Target in the US.
C-beauty expands globally with help from Korea and France
Two women with Chinese makeup and traditional wear against a red backdrop
Chinese cosmetics are rapidly gaining traction internationally, with trade figures vouching for the growth. But unlike K-beauty’s competitive rise to global power, C-beauty appears to be reshaping industry alliances and challenging what cosmetic hierarchy looks like. According to China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC), the country’s cosmetic imports and exports exceeded ¥170 billion (US$24.8 billion) in 2025. The same year, China became the world’s largest cosmetics consumer market, with 57.4% of this market consisting of domestic C-beauty brands.
Seppic launches “tail-ored” pet care kit for grooming needs
a dog getting washed
Seppic has introduced “the tail-ored pet care collection,” a six-piece animal hygiene and care formulation kit for dogs, cats, or horses. The kit aims to provide technical evidence and inspiration to help brands develop pet care products. The kit complements Seppic ’s companion animal ingredient collection, Sepifriend, launched in late 2025.The specialty ingredients company states that the estimated number of people who have a pet in their home is over half the global population. The increasing role that animals play in consumers’ day-to-day lives is driving demand for grooming products.
Report flags beauty “optimizers” as lucrative market opportunity
Three women together putting makeup on.
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) have reported that consumers are combining various beauty methods to optimize skin results. This burgeoning approach to beauty may become vastly lucrative in the coming years.Based on a survey of 5,000 US beauty consumers in April 2026, BCG and WWD have released a report titled: Consumers Are Shaping a New Age of Optimization in Beauty. The report reveals how brands and retailers can keep up with evolving demands by considering the “optimizer” consumer. 
Function & SuppCo offer biometric tests to personalize supplement shopping
Biometric test results

Nutrition Insight

US health tracking platform Function recently acquired SuppCo (The Supplement Collective), which offers an app that independently tests the quality of commercial supplements. Function now offers access to SuppCo’s assessments alongside its own health screening service — which includes lab work, imaging, and clinician guidance — enabling consumers to more comprehensively track how specific dietary inputs are shaping their biology. SuppCo oversees “Tested by SuppCo,” an independent certification program that anonymously purchases off-the-shelf supplements and verifies their active ingredients through an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory. It does not directly profit from the sale of supplements.
Highlighted features
A woman with a shield from light around her head.
Regulatory News
EC Safety Gate: Industry “structural failure” reveals...
The European Commission has found that last year, cosmetics were the most frequently reported dangerous products in the EU. The annual Safety Gate Report has also revealed that a record number of dangerous cosmetics were withdrawn from the market in 2025. In 2025, 4,671 alerts were notified in the Safety Gate system, the highest recorded number since the system was launched in 2003. This is a 13% increase compared to 2024, and more than double the number of alerts reported in 2022. National authorities also issued a record number of follow-up actions, with 5,794 follow-up actions notified, which is a 35% increase compared to the previous year. 
ELC store front
Business News
Estée Lauder faces legal battles over China’s grey-market...
Estée Lauder Company (ELC) has agreed to a US$210 million settlement on a class action lawsuit alleging that the company defrauded shareholders in China, though it still requires approval by US District Judge Arun Subramanian. The suit claims that the ELC was non-transparent about its dependency on grey-market sales in China.ELC denies any wrongdoing as part of the agreement and has stated that its insurance would cover part of the settlement costs.
A woman on her phone looking stressed.
Key interview
Flo Health: Bridging personal and health care for faster...
It takes almost seven years for women to receive an endometriosis diagnosis, but Flo Health has found that when digital tools are used as intended, they can cut that time in half. The female technology (femtech) company has discovered that solutions like its Symptom Checker can reduce getting a diagnosis by over four years (or +50% sooner) and reduce costs by thousands of dollars per patient in the US. 

Personal care focus

View more
Image

Jojoba in the spotlightMay2026

Jojoba is gaining momentum in global beauty and personal care launches as consumers increasingly seek value-driven, ingredient-led products. According to Innova Market Insights data, half of the launc...

Brought to you by:

Innova Market Insights

Product innovation

View more
Image

High-performance actives May 2026

High-performance actives are gaining momentum as consumers embrace science-led skin care. According to Innova Market Insights’ 2026 trends, this curiosity is driving experimentation with both advanced lab-grown ingredients and next-generation botanical actives, blending biotechnology with nature for more targeted, results-driven formulations.

Trend analysis

View more
Image

Plant-based innovation trendsMay 2026

Innova Market Insights data indicates a 14% average growth in plant-based claims for personal care launches from 2021 to 2025. Europe accounted for the largest share of launches, with hand, bath, and shower products leading the category. Shower products dominated, while massage oils are gaining traction.

Multimedia

View more
René Schmitz, Bitop
Video04:24
In-cosmetics Global 2026: Bitop talks extremolytes for skin repair and anti-aging

René Schmitz, technical sales and marketing manager at Bitop, shared insights on Ectoin and Glycolin — highly water-soluble extremolytes known for their broad pH and temperature stability. He explained how these actives support skin barrier repair, hydration, and offer anti-aging and...

Nuria Vallespi Salvado, Ashland
Video11:08
In-cosmetics Global 2026: Ashland showcases multifunctional rheology modifier and super-wetter
In-cosmetics 2026 Natix video thumbnail: Man in a circular portrait overlay beside white flowering plants in a dark green outdoor setting
Video03:28
In-cosmetics Global 2026: Natix calls for return to basics with natural enzymes
Isabelle Jaouen and Nawal El Kahlaoui , Alland & Robert
Video07:08
In-cosmetics Global 2026: Alland & Robert underscores need for multifunctional natural gums
Subscribe to our newsletters
PlatformsFood Ingredients FirstNutrition InsightPackaging InsightsPersonal Care InsightsThe World of Food Ingredients
About usContact usAdvertisingPrivacy statementSitemapArchive
Follow us
linkedinrss_headergoogle_news
Image