Inspire Seminars

Microbial contamination is a significant quality risk in cosmetic manufacturing, with the potential to compromise product quality, reduce shelf life and, in some circumstances, pose a risk to consumers. Effective microbiological control therefore depends not only on finished-product testing, but on preventing contamination throughout the manufacturing process. The presentation will provide a practical overview of the role of factory hygiene and microbiology in protecting cosmetic products. It will introduce the microorganisms of greatest relevance to cosmetic manufacturing and examine the major routes by which contamination can enter and spread within a manufacturing environment.

The cosmetic industry is also facing an ever-increasing threat from microbial survival and resistance to commonly used preservatives. The presentation will examine real-world case studies from manufacturing environments and illustrate how contamination can occur, how it can be detected and, most importantly, how it can be prevented.

1. 1. Discover how K-Beauty continues to shape global beauty trends through its focus on radiant, healthy-looking skin. This session explores the science and formulation strategies behind achieving the coveted "lit-from-within" glow, highlighting innovative textures, multifunctional ingredients, and sensory experiences. Gain practical insights into creating light-enhancing formulations that combine efficacy, elegance, and consumer appeal.

K-Beauty has redefined beauty with its innovative textures, multifunctional products, and unique sensory experience. This presentation explores how these concepts can be adapted for the European market through practical formulation examples featuring Momentive's Harmonie™ ingredients and silicone technologies, delivering enhanced spreading, cushioning, and optical benefits while meeting local consumer preferences and trends.

What does beauty mean to you: experience, evidence, expression or extended healthspan?

In this provocative and interactive 20-minute session, longevity and lifestyle medicine expert and TV Doctor,  Dr Alka Patel, explores the psychology and biology behind the modern beauty consumer, and what our choices may reveal about how we approach ageing, resilience and longevity.

Drawing on Adina’s latest Beauty Trends Report, the session will invite attendees to consider their own beauty consumer archetype, challenge conventional thinking about anti-ageing and explore why the future of beauty is moving beyond appearance towards biological resilience, personalised performance and measurable health.

For formulators, ingredient innovators and beauty brands, this creates an important new question: how can products support the biology of ageing, rather than simply address its visible signs? Dr Alka will explore why collaboration between cosmetic scientists and longevity doctors can help brands connect emerging ingredients with human biology, meaningful biomarkers and credible consumer outcomes.

Discover your archetype and continue the experience at the Adina stand, where Dr Alka will offer interactive longevity assessments, and Adina will provide archetype-specific giveaways and prizes, with  opportunities to explore longevity-led ingredients, formulations and future trending beauty concepts.

The most interesting question is no longer, “How old do I look?”
It is, “How young am I ageing?”

Introduction: Peptides are a cornerstone of anti-aging science, yet innovation typically prioritizes new sequences over delivery efficiency. This study addresses the inherent limitations of peptide stability and bioavailability by developing a novel lipid core-shell capsule for Pal-KTTKS. While Pal-KTTKS is a gold-standard anti-wrinkle agent, its efficacy is often hindered by poor skin penetration and rapid degradation. We present a sophisticated delivery strategy designed to maximize the therapeutic window of this peptide through structural stabilization and controlled release.

Methods: Lipid core-shell systems were synthesized using a blend of solid/liquid lipids stabilized by phospholipids. Stability was monitored at room temperature and 40°C via particle size (light diffraction) and pH. Structural characterization was performed using Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and TEM. Encapsulation efficiency was determined by tangential filtration, and release kinetics were analysed via dialysis. Ex vivo bioactivity was assessed in skin explants (with/without microneedling) via immunohistochemistry for collagen and involucrin. Finally, a double-blind, half-face clinical study (n=33) evaluated efficacy at 3 ppm over 28 days using fringe projection and identometry to measure skin topography and firmness.

Results: The system maintained stability for 12 months (0.27 ± 0.04 µm) with 99% encapsulation efficiency. SAXS confirmed a complex multilayered architecture (structural diameter 178 nm). Release profiles followed biexponential and Weibull models, showing a biphasic mechanism 37 times slower than free peptide, confirming the core-shell organization. Encapsulation extended the peptide half-life from 60 minutes to 20 hours, providing a robust barrier against enzymatic degradation. In skin explants, the system significantly increased involucrin and Collagen III, IV, and total collagen compared to free peptide; microneedling further synergized Collagen I/III synthesis. Clinically, the encapsulated form outperformed the free peptide, achieving a 10.4% reduction in microstructure density and a 25.0% increase in firmness (vs. 5.9% and 17.2% for free peptide). Visible smoothing was significant by day 14, with progressive improvement through day 28.

Conclusions: Nanostructured lipid encapsulation creates a protective, controlled-release environment for Pal-KTTKS. By extending enzymatic half-life and enhancing cutaneous efficacy, this system achieves superior clinical outcomes over traditional formulations. These results demonstrate that lipid encapsulation is a highly effective strategy for optimizing the delivery and performance of bioactive peptides.

Global trends continue to shape the future of personal care, influencing everything from ingredient selection to product formats and sensory experiences. This presentation showcases formulations influenced by key trends from around the world to inspire your next product development.

As mindsets shift from anti-aging to pro-aging, we welcome a younger, savvier consumer to the “look your best” game. With 70% of Gen Z using skin care treatments as a central element in their self-care routines, and Clean Beauty shifting from a point of difference to a point of entry in many markets, the pull for natural ingredients as the “healthier and safer way” to optimize the look of skin challenges how innovators can deliver best-in-class performance. While the perception that “natural” means “safe” tends to be more philosophy than fact, natural design is a pillar of innovation across industries. Our team coupled natural design with scientific innovation, leveraging a synergistic combination of botanical exosomes and peptides to create NeoColla™, a collagen-banking powerhouse. In vitro and in vivo testing has demonstrated that NeoColla™ rivals a top-performing synthetic peptide for benefits including stimulating collagen production, protecting existing collagen reserves, reducing the intensity and depth of wrinkles, improving skin firmness and elasticity, and increasing dermal density for smoother, plumper-looking skin. With an NOI of 0.99, NeoColla™ delivers on every front, providing the cutting-edge science of exosomes and peptides with performance backed by statistically significant data, so end users can feel confident that they are doing the best for their skin.

Today, formulators are under pressure to use nature-derived polymers and antimicrobials in their emulsions. However, current fossil-derived alternatives do not meet expectations, because of low performance or unacceptable drawbacks. Ashland offers disruptive solutions to ease formulators’ lives.

Stabileze™ s polymer is an all-in-one starch-based solution to provide versatile thickening and effortless stabilization of emulsions along with stunning aesthetics, similar to acrylates-type polymers, to address all challenges at once.

Effisin™ em natural multifunctional is an entirely nature-derived, readily biodegradable, water-soluble antimicrobial with strong fungi boosting that replaces traditional preservatives to ensure formulation integrity.

Together, they enable eco-friendly formulations that meet regulatory and consumers’ demands.

Applications & product claims

• skin and sun care creams, lotions and gel creams

• effortless emulsion stabilization

• versatile thickening

• stunning aesthetics

• natural antimicrobial with strong fungi boosting to ensure formulation integrity

Innospec’s gentle, high-performing surfactants bring endless possibilities, unlocking a world of textures and formats, from pastes to tablets, oral care to skin care.

Stop by Innospec’s display to discover our inspiring formulations and visit Stand 426 to connect with our experts and explore your next formulation breakthrough.

Gen Z wants real, "no-filter” skin! And clean beauty demands gentle, microbiota-safe products. To help formulators bridge these trends, this presentation introduces two natural actives that deliver on both:

LETILYS®: A Sustainable J-Beauty Botanical Active
Titrated in key bio-hesperidin, this botanical active naturally renews skin through a KLK5/7-like desquamation pathway and boosts pro-collagen I stimulation. Clinically proven to reduce pore volume by 14% in just 7 days.

FOMASOL 100®: A Microbiota-Friendly Natural Surfactant
This natural cleanser preserves skin and intimate microbiota homeostasis (S. epidermidis & Lactobacillus) while matching synthetic alternatives in makeup-cleansing efficacy.

In this session, Derek Butler will show how multi-omic approaches can reveal the molecular blueprint of ageing and provide stronger evidence for longevity-focused products. By integrating host markers (such as ageing-related gene expression, protein and lipid profiles, and metabolomic signatures) with microbiome insights, multi-omics enables a deeper understanding of how products influence both immediate and long-term skin biology.

Through practical examples, the talk will demonstrate how multi-omic data can be aligned with clinical outcomes to validate mechanisms of action, measure product performance, and support credible, science-backed longevity claims.

Attendees will learn when to apply multi-omic study designs, what ageing pathways can be explored, and how molecular evidence can enhance the development and substantiation of next-generation cosmetic products.

Stress is a well-recognized accelerator of skin aging. While cortisol has long been considered the primary mediator of stress-related skin damage, growing scientific evidence highlights the significant role of adrenaline in impairing skin homeostasis.

Through the activation of β2-adrenergic receptors expressed by skin cells, exposure to acute adrenaline-induced stress disrupts tissue repair, delays wound healing, promotes inflammation, and contributes to premature skin aging.

This presentation will highlight the role of adrenaline in skin aging and introduce MENOLINE as a new approach to stress-responsive skincare.

What evidence is required to prove that a product works?  Join me for a brief walk through the types of study design that can help you to substantiate your advertising and efficacy claims, what type of study to choose, how to prepare for your studies, how to avoid the common pitfalls and how to prepare for global expansion.

This presentation introduces SilCare™ Microalgae Ferment, a sustainable active ingredient derived from Nannochloropsis oculata through advanced French fermentation technology. Unlike conventional PDRN, this unique bioactive complex combines microalgae-derived actives (EPA, polyphenols) with naturally generated PDRN and fermentation metabolites, delivering superior efficacy through synergistic action. Comparative efficacy studies demonstrate that this microalgae ferment consistently outperforms pure PDRN across multiple skin health indicators including anti-inflammatory response, collagen synthesis, and microcirculation enhancement, despite containing significantly lower PDRN concentrations. The science behind this lies in the symbiotic fermentation process, which unlocks the full potential of microalgae while generating natural and absorable PDRN, creating a complete bioactive ecosystem that works through multiple pathways simultaneously. Thus Microalgae Ferment offers formulators a more effective, sustainable, and versatile solution for advanced skincare applications.

Sunscreen formulation presents significant challenges. Due to consumer demand, the cosmetic industry is shifting towards natural alternatives for traditionally used synthetic ingredients. However, this shift must not compromise on product performance or skin feel. With tightening regulations, the rise of brands’ ingredient blacklists, and consumer expectation for high SPF sun care to feel like skin care, desirable sunscreens are becoming harder than ever to formulate. There are 3 main pillars to a successful sunscreen formulation: 1) Stability; 2) Sensory and 3) SPF efficacy. Very often, formulation strategies to improve one of these areas will have a negative impact on another, bringing a challenge to the formulator to find the balance between them. This presentation will review these challenges and how multifunctional novel cellulose technologies can simultaneously bring improvements to all 3 areas alongside naturality and biodegradability. 

Discover a multifunctional, naturally derived biolipid created through an advanced fermentation process that elevates modern beauty care. It provides powerful conditioning benefits, improved combability, softness and flexibility to hair while delivering a silky, smooth, non-greasy sensory feel on the skin. Its distinctive fatty acid profile ensures excellent spreadability, a luxurious touch and a refined finish across various applications. Supported by strong environmental advantages and broad formulation versatility, this next-generation ingredient enables the creation of high-performing, sensorially rich products aligned with the future of responsible and clean beauty.

The hair care market is evolving rapidly as today’s consumers’ expectations are shifting toward
products that combine performance, sustainability, regulatory compliance and sensory
experience. But how can formulators deliver solutions that differentiate products, support
stronger claims and respond to emerging trends without compromising performance?
In this session, Stepan Personal Care will present how to create shampoo and conditioner
formulations that meet modern expectations while remaining competitive and efficient. From
sulfate-free cleansing products to advanced conditioning solutions, you will discover how to
unlock new possibilities in the hair care market.
The Stepan Personal Care team will also show how to achieve viscosity building along with
rich, creamy foam, improved hair feel and long-lasting care benefits. These include hydration,
smoothness, frizz control and color protection, all key drivers of consumer preference today.
You will also gain inspiration on how to adapt formulations across different market segments,
from cost-effective to high-naturality or premium solutions.
Whether you are developing new concepts or optimizing your current portfolio, this session will
provide you with fresh ideas and practical inspiration to stay ahead in a highly competitive hair
care market.

Are dark circles, puffiness, wrinkles, and a fatigued eye contour area making you look older than you feel?

This delicate area is one of the first places to show signs of aging, with seven key facial soft tissues contributing to its overall appearance: vascular and lymphatic systems, epidermis, dermis, adipose tissue, muscles, and ligaments. Scientific research has revealed that the lymphatic and vascular systems are essential for maintaining fluid balance and healthy skin. Eyeseryl® All-In peptide, discovered combining AI powered virtual screening and Lubrizol’s scientific expertise, addresses all seven soft tissues of the eye contour, including ligaments.

With this breakthrough hexapeptide, we introduce the Amplifying Release Cycle as a central driver of inflammatory leakage and tissue degradation in this region, and describe how interrupting this cycle underpins the ingredient’s holistic activity in the eye contour area.Naturally-derived, PFAS-free, and manufactured via Green Chemistry, Eyeseryl® All-In peptide targets seven key soft tissues of the eye contour. This multifunctional action helps improve the appearance of dark circles, eye bags, wrinkles, and other signs of fatigue for a fully rejuvenated eye contour, with visible results in just 7 days.

Active ingredients can present limitations due to their physicochemical properties, which may restrict their skin penetration, bioavailability and overall efficacy. To overcome these challenges, many active ingredients are incorporated into delivery systems with skin-like structures that help solve these limitations. From its extensive know-how, Sinerga has developed three different delivery systems designed to enhance the absorption and bioavailability of the enclosed active principles, therefore maximizing their properties and effectiveness.

Modern beauty consumers are demanding more than surface-level coverage, they want true, sustainable skin health. Join us to find out how K-Beauty is pioneering Brightening & Anti-Aging concerns by activating Cellular Longevity through Autophagy(self-cleaning) mechanism.

Rhamnolipids are sustainable biosurfactants produced by fermentation of renewable feedstock by microorganisms. Apart from being sustainable and basically non-irritant for skin and mucous membranes, and beyond their excellent cleansing performance, rhamnolipids offer numerous additional benefits for skin and hair beauty products. These include solubilization properties, sebum reducing ability, as well as the ability to improve deposition of cationic polymers, ceramides and refatting agents on the skin as well as on hair.  

Acids are having a comeback – and they are no longer staying in their skincare lane. Driven by skinification, performance-focused hair care and the growing interest in acidic formulations, glycolic acid is finding a new role beyond the classic peel. From creating radiant-looking skin to supporting smoother, stronger and more manageable hair, this tiny molecule is ready for a much bigger beauty story.

This presentation takes glycolic acid from skin to strand and introduces BergaCare Re-Lite, a new conditioning complex combining glycolic acid, arginine and a cationic biopolymer. Discover how a familiar acid can deliver new functionality – from lightweight conditioning and improved combability to smoother, more resilient hair – and why acidic formulation concepts deserve a fresh look.

Sodium Lauryl Furoate Sulfonate is the first furan-based surfactant commercially available on the market and will be launched officially at SCS Formulate. This new innovative ingredient,developed by Bioataraxis ltd, address the growing global demand for high-performance, sustainable alternatives to conventional petrochemical surfactants such as SLES. The company has developed an advanced chemical process that enables the cost-competitive production of furan surfactants by valorising corncob as an upcycled feedstock. The new chemical technology, EcoSAF,  delivers a rare combination of performance, cost competitiveness, and environmental excellence. It provides a 1,4-dioxane-free solution while reducing carbon impact by over 70%, with strong versatility to formulate rinse-off products for personal care applications.

In this presentation we will show how implementing Sodium Lauryl Furoate Sulfonate can be effectively integrated into existing product portfolios enabling 100 % sustainable biobased formulations optimising costs, boosting foam and mildness in combination with low carbon impact.
Bioataraxis ltd is a spin-out company from Imperial (London,UK) founded in 2023. The company has partnerships globally with leading manufacturers and brand corporates in the home and personal care sector and agreement on manufacturing and distribution for the Ecosaf technology.
The CEO, Dr.Amir Al Ghatta, is a former research fellow at Imperial and still holding honorary research position. He has published over 20 scientific publications on biobased chemicals implementing innovative catalytic, molecular design and process approach to translate his research into industry.

Maximise formulation performance with fewer, smarter ingredient choices. This technical session introduces Ajinomoto's multifunctional ingredient portfolio, demonstrating how versatile materials such as Amihope LL and Amisoft HS-11 can be used across multiple applications. Through practical formulation examples and technical demonstrations, discover how to streamline development, improve efficiency, and create high-performing products without compromising innovation or consumer experience.

Chemyunion masters the full spectrum of melanogenesis via two opposing strategies. Peptid4® Light acts upstream to safely down-regulate melanin, offering a gentle solution for sensitive skin hyperpigmentation. Conversely, BioTech4 Antigray reactivates dormant follicular machinery to reverse graying without dyes. Discover how to control the "melanin switch", fading spots while reviving natural color, with our latest peptide and biotech innovations.