Iridescent promotional banner from Kao Chemicals Europe featuring “Pearled Perfection,” advertising Danox Pearl GS with soft pastel swirls and a “Learn more” button
A hand holding a sign that says "Choose cruelty-free."

Animal rights groups cautiously optimistic on EU roadmap to end “cruel toxicity tests”

The cosmetics industry’s push away from animal testing has reached a pivotal moment after the European Commission (EC) launched a roadmap to phase out animal tests in chemical safety assessments earlier this month. The plan marks the EC’s first official commitment to replacing these testing methods with non-animal science. The roadmap aims to replace animal tests for chemicals used in cosmetics and other products with alternative methods, without sacrificing safety standards for consumers or the environment. 
woman and plant
Clean beauty trades “free-from” labels for science-led standards
Clean beauty has evolved from a “free-from” label into a comprehensive beauty standard. Where consumers once looked for shorter, less synthetic ingredient lists, they now demand full transparency. Beauty buyers want to know: what is in a product, what each ingredient does, where it comes from, how it is sourced, and whether credible evidence backs its safety and effectiveness. This switch has pushed clean beauty to represent a holistic approach. 
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Ozen challenges “stagnant” sensitive toothpaste category with aerospace-inspired tech
Ozen has launched at over 800 Boots locations across the UK with “the first new sensitive toothpaste patent in nearly 30 years.” Ozen’s toothpaste leverages its AeroGraft technology derived from aerogels, an ultralight material used by NASA for aerospace engineering.The brand states that it is entering the sensitive oral care category that has seen “little meaningful innovation since the 1990s.”
Foaming antibacterial hand wash with aloe beside a blank pump bottle on a counter, with CAMA PHHC logo.
Automating sleeved bottle packaging without compromising pack design
This article highlights the automation of sleeved bottle packaging, transforming a manual process into a high-speed solution while preserving brand identity and ensuring compatibility with both automated and manual operations.

This Technical Paper is brought to you by Cama Group.
 Paulo Teixeira, Melt&Marble
Melt&Marble: Accelerating commercial readiness for personal care products with INCI milestone

Melt&Marble is a Swedish biotech company that uses precision fermentation to produce designer lipids in food and personal care products. The company has secured its first personal care ingredient INCI.  Paulo Teixeira, head of product at Melt&Marble, tells Personal Care Insights more about this regulatory milestone.

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NYSCC Suppliers’ Day 2026 review: Multifunctional actives and sustainable beauty shine
At NYSCC Suppliers’ Day 2026 in New York, US, personal care innovation focused on sustainability, multifunctionality, and biotech-driven actives. Companies highlighted natural, upcycled, and bio-based ingredients. AI-assisted formulation tools and high-performance solutions for skin, hair, and scalp health also took center stage. Key trends included protective and reparative actives, multifunctional polymers, RNA- and peptide-based technologies, and sensory-focused formulations. The presentations reflected the industry’s push toward eco-conscious, consumer-focused innovation. We round up the event’s key innovators and what they showcased.

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Vietnam beauty growth faces stunt risk as counterfeits undermine confidence
Woman with a traditional Vietnamese hat standing in the street
Vietnam’s cosmetic market is undergoing rapid expansion, but industry leaders are warning that a stark rise in counterfeit and untraceable products is undermining the sector’s stability. According to beauty stakeholders, the parallel growth is eroding consumer trust and threatening the competitiveness of legitimate domestic cosmetic brands. The warning comes as regulators and beauty industry representatives gathered for a seminar in Hanoi, Vietnam, held on June 19, as part of Beauty Summit 2026. Addressing the growing concerns of the cosmetics market’s transparency, attendees noted that the rise of e-commerce has allowed misleading advertisements, intellectual property violations, and fake product listings to spread across digital platforms.
KMI offloads Noughty natural hair care brand as category accelerates
Woman shaking her hair against a blue backdrop
KMI Brands has sold its Noughty hair care brand to UK-based Komerz for an undisclosed amount. The brand boasts a 97% natural ingredients profile, and its sale comes as KMI searches to secure licensed partnerships across fragrance and beauty. Noughty was launched in 2018, and reports delivering consistent annual growth. The brand’s lineup is sold across international retailers such as Tesco, Holland & Barrett, and Superdrug.
Beauty brands turn to AI for personalization and production
futuristic person with short hair
AI is permeating innovation across global industries, regardless of sector or scale. Beauty players are responding by grasping for footing, integrating AI in various ways to stay in the relentless tech race.In recent AI developments, L’Oréal has announced a partnership with OpenAI for “Transformation in Beauty with AI.” The partnership spans consumer reach, innovation, and marketing. 
L’Oréal bets on digital-first India with Innovist majority stake
A woman putting makeup on in front of her computer.
L’Oréal has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Innovist, a digital-first Indian personal care house of brands. The strategic move is part of L’Oréal’s planned expansion in India’s fast-growing beauty industry. The cosmetics giant says the decision complements its portfolio with local brands tailored for Indian consumers. 
Stratum Nutrition gains authorization in Canada for Ovolux skin health claims
eggs on yellow background
Stratum Nutrition’s eggshell membrane ingredient for beauty-from-within applications, Ovolux, has achieved authorization for multiple skin health claims from Health Canada. Manufacturers using the ingredient can use claims that Ovolux helps to improve, increase, and support skin hydration, elasticity, firmness, and health.
Early clinical evidence shows probiotics ease geriatric depression symptoms
An elderly Asian woman is holding a brain symbol smile and looking at the camera while sitting at the table.

Nutrition Insight

A pilot clinical trial has found that administering probiotics to older adults with moderate depression, receiving standard care, had modest yet meaningful reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms compared to a placebo.Nutrition Insight speaks with the senior authors to learn more about the study involving 58 participants, 60 years or older. They were administered either Lactobacillus helveticus and Bifidobacterium longum (~6 billion CFU daily) or a placebo for 12 weeks. The paper notes that these strains were chosen based on previous evidence of benefits on mood and anxiety. 
Highlighted features
EU flag and cosmetics
Regulatory News
EU reaches landmark Omnibus VI deal: Industry welcomes...
The European Council and European Parliament have reached a provisional interinstitutional agreement on the Omnibus VI package, a legal overhaul of cosmetic regulations in Europe presented by the European Commission (EC). The Council and Parliament are pushing to eliminate cosmetics containing carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reprotoxic substances (CMR) more quickly than the EC had proposed.The agreement was met with positive response from personal care industry players, with Cosmetics Europe releasing a joint statement with six other European organizations within the cosmetics, fragrance, and essential oils sectors.
Asian man with bandaid over his nose
Business News
Korean pharma giants push derma cosmetics for piece of...
Derma cosmetics are emerging as a next big growth engine for K-beauty, and today, at the Global K Beauty Conference 2026 in Seoul, South Korea, industry representatives are discussing how to tap into it. The trend is already translating into market activity, with some Korean pharmaceutical companies introducing their own derma brands. Debut strategies in the space appear to be more aggressive than traditional pharmacy launches. K-beauty brands have increasingly leaned into clinically-inspired formulations and dermatological research, which has helped drive growth in the country’s derma cosmetics segment.
LVMH logo on a computer screen under a magnifying glass
Business News
Inside LVMH’s beauty shakeup amid luxury slowdown
LVMH is seemingly trying to cushion the blow of luxury beauty’s slowdown, driven by economic pressures and weakening consumer spending. The group’s business moves, and those adjacent, signal a reshuffle of its beauty portfolio as it hunts for growth in a cooling market. Recent and rumored deals involving Fenty Beauty and Remedy reveal how the luxury conglomerate and its affiliates are repositioning in a softening luxury beauty market.

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Clean beauty boostersJun2026

According to Innova Market Insights, clean beauty is redefining itself. Clean beauty realigns to modern-day needs, with ethical expectations driving new regulatory norms for toxin and microplastic-fre...

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Classic ingredients reimagined Jun 2026

Classic ingredients remain a strong foundation in personal care product launches, but their role is evolving. From upcycled beauty concepts to biotechnology and circular sourcing, brands are reworking familiar ingredients into more sustainable and value-added formulations.

Trend analysis

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Sun care reinventedJun 2026

Innova Market Insights data shows that sun care launches are gaining momentum globally, with +13% growth from April 2021 to March 2026. This also aligns with consumers using more sun care. The market is dominated by sun protection products, but there is an increase in self-tanning and bronzing products.

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 Paulo Teixeira, Melt&Marble
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Melt&Marble: Accelerating commercial readiness for personal care products with INCI milestone

Melt&Marble is a Swedish biotech company that uses precision fermentation to produce designer lipids in food and personal care products. The company has secured its first personal care ingredient INCI.  Paulo Teixeira, head of product at Melt&Marble, tells Personal Care...

Kacey Brides, Givaudan, Primalhyal 300, NYSCC Suppliers’ Day 2026, Skin Care, Active Ingredients, Healthy Aging, Cosmeceuticals, Hyaluronic Acid, Skin Repair, Hydration, Sensitive Skin, Aging Skin, Po
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NYSCC Suppliers’ Day 2026: Givaudan highlights PrimalHyal 300 for skin repair
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NYSCC Suppliers’ Day 2026: Nouryon explores AI and biobased chemistry
Karen Chun, Symrise
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NYSCC Suppliers’ Day 2026: Symrise talks skin barrier, sensoriality and sustainability
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