Over the next three years, the global beauty and personal care market will surge 19.5% in retail value terms, reaching $794.5 billion by 2029, according to data analytics firm Euromonitor International. Skincare will maintain the lion's share at $208.2 billion, followed by haircare at $124 billion, fragrances at $107 billion, and color cosmetics at $ 104.7 billion.
As momentum builds across beauty and personal care, which innovations will take center stage? And are there any influential movements gaining ground in 2026? BeautyMatter hit the show floor at the industry's biggest global beauty ingredients tradeshow—in-cosmetics 2026 in Paris—to track the most important supply-side shifts and innovations.
GLP-1 drugs, used to treat type II diabetes and obesity, have become a cornerstone among societies worldwide as people look to manage chronic conditions and ongoing weight concerns. And the ripple effect cannot be underestimated. Food and beverage companies are racing to reformulate, repackage, and reposition offerings for new taste and portion requirements, and beauty companies are working out how to support self-image, confidence, and wellness needs.
“These medications are not just a medical breakthrough; they are a cultural and commercial disruptor,” said Pia Fisher, Senior Beauty Strategist at trend forecaster WGSN. “They change how people think about their weight but also how they think about wellness; maybe even their own personal identity, too. As many people embrace rapid transformation, beauty is becoming this interface for which these changes [users] are experiencing but also how they are expressed and understood,” Fisher told attendees during a presentation at in-cosmetics Global.
Currently, she said the uptake of GLP-1s is driving a “significant shift in consumer expectations across pretty much every single beauty category, which is quite unique for a beauty trend.”
And the ingredients category is taking notice, particularly around the skin health implications of these medications, including loss of elasticity and firmness following rapid weight loss.
Korean cosmetic laboratory SC Labs, for example, has developed a skin-tightening blend to restore skin elasticity lost due to GLP-1 diets by promoting the production of skin elastic fibers and collagen. Spanish manufacturer Provital has also developed an active blend targeting fat metabolism, tissue architecture, and caloric restriction mechanisms to fight cellulite, which aligns well with the needs of GLP-1 users.
The company's Intensilk active targets the hypodermis (the deepest layer of the skin) to induce caloric restriction and combat cellulite, as well as to reinforce skin firmness by remodeling the extracellular matrix. Tested in vitro via a multiomics study and in vivo with a clinical trial using a method to measure skin in motion, the active is suitable for cream formulations and also works synergistically with a massage tool, like a roller, said Silvia Benito, Science Communication Manager at Provitol. “Every trend like this is an opportunity to innovate to bring new actives,” Benito said.
Italian manufacturer Akott Evolution also presented its adaptogen active Akosky Dance, derived from reishi mushroom [Ganoderma lucidum], in combination with another of its actives Akosky Ethernal, as a strong blend for brands looking to help consumers tackle “Ozempic face,” a term coined to highlight the facial side effects associated with GLP-1 medications. “They both have different modes of action that would target the different signs of Ozempic face, like loss of elasticity, wrinkles, fatigue, and stress, and so on,” explained Eylul Eroglu, Technical Sales Representative at Akott France.
Developing new active ingredients and blends to target the side effects of these GLP-1 medications, Eroglu said, is definitely a big and current area for the industry, particularly in the US market, where use of the drug is particularly widespread. According to the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) and BMC Med research cited by WGSN, one in eight adults in the US has tried GLP-1 medications, slightly ahead of and one in 10 UK adults who have either used or are considering using these medications.
And perhaps reishi mushrooms will play a role in this space, as several reishi-derived innovations at the show targeted skin and hair concerns commonly cited as secondary effects of the drug.
Taiwanese cosmetic ingredients specialist ImDerma Laboratories, for example, showcased its ExoReishi biotech active, designed to accelerate scalp health, hair repair, and hair growth by enhancing cellular communication and facilitating biosignaling. Japanese raw materials specialist Maruzen Pharmaceuticals also highlighted its ganoderma extract derived from thereishi mushroom, which targets stress by regulating cortisone–cortisol balance. The company said the active “enhances skin quality and resilience weakened by chronic mental stress by regulating cortisol activity, reinforcing the skin barrier, and improving visible skin appearance.”
Takahiro Matsushita, General Manager of Japan-based Maruzen Pharmaceuticals, said this resonates with younger consumers, particularly those familiar with cortisol and stress management and increasingly focused on well-being. “Nowadays, people feel a lot of stress from work, from daily life, and it affects our skin as well,” Matsushita said. This active looks to address that from the inside out versus more traditional topicals that tackle external factors like skin roughness, dryness, and inflammation.
WGSN's Fisher said managing overall well-being is certainly also prioritized among GLP-1 users, who are reallocating grocery, fast food, and alcohol spend on beauty, wellness, and fitness during important health transformations.
Broader wellness is also rooting deeper into beauty in general, with sleep health increasingly front of mind for many consumers, said Emilie Hood, Consultant for Beauty and Personal Care at Euromonitor International. And this, too, Hood said, creates “lots of opportunity for beauty to play into.”
“We have already seen it in many personal care categories, with bath additives and body lotions aimed at relaxation through scents and ingredients. And I expect this will expand into other categories as consumers become more aware of the importance of the full day when it comes to sleeping,” Hood said. She predicts a more significant shift into pillow mists and supplements that support sleep, for example, as the association between sleep and beauty deepens.
And the beauty industry is already showing signs of taking a dual approach to sleep health, with neurocosmetic fragrances promoting better sleep and active topicals aiding overnight skin and hair repair.
US ingredient major International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), for example, has an entire team dedicated to researching sleep health under its METASLEEP program, in partnership with sleep tech specialist Sleep.ai—a spinout of world-renowned sleep study specialist ResMed. The team investigates sleep parameters in a bedroom setting using remote sensors that are validated against clinical sleep lab results. From this work, IFF developed a patent-pending olfactive blend that can improve sleep, suitable for a range of applications from pillow sprays and inserts to body creams, shower gels, and hair care applications.
“I think what was really interesting is that we saw very quickly: It's not about lavender,” said Matthias Tabert, Director of Cognitive Science, R&D, at LMR Naturals by IFF. “There are certain lavenders which actually interrupt sleep because they're energizing; you have to have a very specific extract of lavender for it to work for sleep.”
The final blend IFF created has a “very specific chemical structure,” Tabert explained, that has been tested across various sleep parameters, including duration, efficiency, maintenance, and waking, taking into consideration changes throughout sleep stages, such as REM, deep sleep, and light sleep. The company now wants to investigate mechanisms and modes of action to deepen understanding, he said, likely working with AI technologies in the future to help identify and prove efficacy across specific fragrance molecules and blends.
Many companies are instead taking an active ingredient approach to sleep health, addressing the overnight health of skin and hair.
Turkish natural extracts specialist Nproc Natural Products, for example, has developed an active blend SeriSleep made using lavender, lemon balm, and red poppy flower extract for topicals to support the circadian rhythm, offer anti-stress and anti-inflammatory benefits, and improve skin barrier function. The company said the bioactive complex is “developed to support the skin's natural nighttime regeneration and repair processes.”
German gold and platinum specialist Gold Cosmetica also presented results of a small clinical study conducted on its platinum powder that showed improvements in skin firmness, elasticity, and density when used overnight, presenting a very different ingredient for beauty brands. The platinum powder can be used in suspended flake form in creams, serums, and masks offering an active ingredient that is also “really nice looking, like small stars reflecting,” according to Christian Scheuring, CEO of Gold Cosmetica. He said the company will continue to invest in skin research on platinum, given it's a raw material that “nobody really knows a lot about.”
According to Andrew McDougall, Director of Insights for Beauty and Personal Care at market research firm Mintel, the level of opportunity in tackling sleep health via skin health is “a strong one, if approached carefully.” The opportunity for industry, McDougall said, is not about improving sleep but supporting how skin looks after sleep, or lack of it. “Neurocosmetics and psychodermatology are bringing science to ideas consumers already believe in. The winning space sits at the intersection of credible biology, calming rituals, and realistic claims.”
Beyond overnight protection, a flurry of ingredient innovation is focused on augmenting suncare through carriers, boosters, and carefully designed blends for lighter textures and improved suitability for acne-prone skin.
Japanese specialty materials supplier AGC Si-Tech, for example, showcased its line of high-purity amorphous silicas, engineered to improve textures and benefits in sunscreens, including SPF levels. Turkish biotech firm Active Bioworks spotlighted its hybrid UV filter that claims to provide dual-action protection by utilizing Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) technology to create zinc-MOF crystals that add reflectance properties. And US company Vizor showcased its SPF booster NS SolaRYZE, made from an organic rice bran extract, which can boost SPF by 10 units at just 1% usage, according to the company.
“There are lots of actives, as you can see at this show, that are supposed to be natural boosters, but rice bran has some very interesting properties; it's chock-full of antioxidants,” said Richard Rigg, Director of R&D at Vizor.
In and of itself, the extract is not UV-absorbable, Rigg explained, but when combined with an organic or inorganic sunscreen molecule, like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which are GRAS-approved in the US, it helps increase absorbance and boosts effectiveness across the whole UV spectrum. And the demand to boost SPF in sunscreen is rising, he said, because “everybody wants a 50.” Formulators are also working with limited options, as sunscreens come under scrutiny by authorities, and so the industry needs to make these molecules work harder, he said.
Suncare formulators need to navigate different regulations according to market location, given the regulatory landscape differs globally for UV filters. But in the US and Europe, currently, many are under scrutiny.
Ev Suess, VP and Global Head of the Business Unit for Sun Protection, Functionals, and Colors at Germany-based Symrise AG, agreed that regulatory scrutiny and shrinking toolboxes are certainly propelling innovation in suncare. Suess said this was a big driver behind Symrise's patent-pending 4-in-1 UV filter blend, presented at the show. Made from three crystalline UV filters solubilized in a liquid UV filter, it offers cosmetic formulators a homogeneous blend entirely composed of UV filters, delivering broad-spectrum protection with SPF up to 50+ across a wide range of applications, according to Suess.
The future of suncare “will not get boring,” she said, given there remains so much to be done in boosting SPF, making formulations more efficient, and working to identify ingredients that minimize environmental impact.
There is also a lot of work being done to add additional benefits to SPF formulations. Spanish ingredients specialist Bicotene, for example, presented its beta-carotene-based active, which protects DNA, collagen, and cellular membranes and provides long-term anti-photoaging benefits beyond immediate sun protection, according to the company.
French algae specialist Microphyt also showcased its bioactive DesmoSun, a biodegradable sunscreen booster derived from UV-resistant microalgae, to offer comprehensive UV protection while enhancing skin tone and natural glow by stimulating melanogenesis, according to the company.
Swiss-Dutch chemicals major DSM-Firmenich also spotlighted a range of suncare formulations incorporating actives and UV filters that offer broad-spectrum UV protection along with hydration, resilience, and microbiome balance. Under its Sunny Skin Microbiome scientific research program, the company is focusing efforts on refining suncare formulations for acne-prone skin, for example.
“People like to use sunscreens more and more daily,” said Amanda Zhang, Global Senior Marketing Manager for Sun Care at DSM-Firmenich, which is fueling demand for lighter textures. Concerns around acne when using sunscreens daily are also very present, Zhang explained, prompting DSM-Firmenich's work in this space.
Anne Janssen, Senior Scientist at DSM-Firmenich Switzerland, said creating these lighter formulas with a shrinking toolbox of UV filters is certainly not straightforward, but through reducing the oil load and integrating ingredients with different physical properties, it is possible. Waxes or film formers, for example, can be used to further boost performance, and organic or inorganic pigments can be added for reflection or scattering effects without adding oil to the formula. “I think you have to be a little bit more creative than in the past,” Janssen explained.
Looking ahead, it will be key to see how supplier-side innovations filter through into final formulations to target these three areas and how brands work to educate and communicate the science.