AI-enabled ingredient discovery, biomimetic actives and next-generation functional materials took center stage at the 2026 in-cosmetics Korea Awards, highlighting the technologies shaping the future of cosmetic formulation across skin care, makeup and nutricosmetics.
In the Innovation Zone Best Ingredient – Actives category, Provital claimed Gold for Intensilk, while Algaktiv and Givaudan Active Beauty shared Silver honors for Algaktiv Vitalys and PrimalHyal NeuroYouth, respectively. Rahn earned Bronze for Calneurin-Sense, highlighting the rise of neuroscience-inspired skin care ingredients.
The Innovation Zone Best Ingredient – Functional awards celebrated formulation performance and sensorial excellence, with PolymerExpert (part of Solabia) taking Gold for ViscoPure. KCC Silicone Corporation received Silver for SeraSense RBS, while Ashland Singapore secured Bronze for stabileze S polymer.
Innovation from Korea's ingredient sector was recognized through the K-Innovative Ingredient Award, where Labio Co., Ltd. won for BIO-Placenta target, underscoring continued investment in advanced bioactive technologies.
Meanwhile, the K-Beauty Standout Award spotlighted ingredients exemplifying Korea's influence on global beauty innovation. Algaktiv captured Gold with Algaktiv Exometics G, followed by Givaudan Active Beauty's PrimalHyal NeuroYouth in Silver and Provital's Intensilk in Bronze.
Collectively, this year's winners underscore several defining trends in cosmetic R&D: neurobeauty, biomimetic and biotechnology-derived actives, exosome-inspired innovation, and multifunctional polymers that elevate both product performance and sensory appeal. The awards offer a snapshot of the ingredient technologies expected to influence global formulation pipelines in the years ahead.
