Cosmax Wins Main Award at the "Cosmetics Olympics" IFSCC

Mechanism of Stress-Induced Gray Hair Formation Identified
First Korean Winner of the "Basic Research Award"

Cosmax, a cosmetics Original Development Manufacturing (ODM) company, announced on the 23rd that it became the first Korean company to win the IFSCC 'Basic Research Award' at the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) held in Cannes, France, from September 15 to 18.

Celebrating its 35th edition this year, the IFSCC is an academic conference where researchers and experts in the cosmetics field from around the world gather to share the latest research findings and technologies. It is considered the most anticipated event in the cosmetics industry each year and is often referred to as the "Olympics of Cosmetics" among researchers. Since its first participation in 2014, Cosmax has presented a total of 73 research results on the global stage.

Kyung Seoyeon, Senior Researcher at Cosmax R&I Center. Provided by Cosmax.

The awards are presented in three categories: the 'Basic Research Award' and 'Applied Research Award' for oral presenters, which are the main awards, as well as the 'Johann Wiechers Poster Award.' Until now, most winners from Asia have come from Japan.

The honor of being the first Korean recipient of a main award went to Kyung Seoyeon, Senior Researcher at Cosmax R&I Center. Kyung Seoyeon unveiled the world's first research that used hair follicle organoids (human mimetic models) to demonstrate the mechanism of gray hair formation caused by stress. This achievement is expected to lay the groundwork for the development of personalized anti-aging products in the future.

At this year's conference, Cosmax had the largest number of researchers from Korean cosmetics companies taking the stage. The company delivered a total of five oral presentations (including one joint presentation) and nine poster presentations in areas such as skin delivery systems, sun care, microbiome, fragrance, and hair care. In particular, Cosmax presented two research findings related to the skin microbiome, a field in which the company is focusing its efforts. The microbial emulsification system, which does not use chemical surfactants, attracted significant attention from global cosmetics industry professionals. This microbial emulsification system is a cosmetics manufacturing technology that allows the mixing of oil-based and water-based ingredients without surfactants by utilizing skin-derived microbiomes.

Currently, Cosmax Group has established local R&I centers in Korea, the United States, China, Indonesia, and Thailand, employing approximately 1,100 research and development personnel. As of the first half of this year, the cumulative number of patent applications stands at about 2,000, with around 760 patents registered.

Lee Byungjoo, CEO of Cosmax BTI, stated, "At this year's IFSCC, Cosmax was able to prove its world-class R&I competitiveness and showcase the innovative technologies that define K-Beauty, which is very meaningful. We will continue to drive innovation in various areas, from developing sustainable raw materials to personalized cosmetics technologies tailored to the hyper-personalization trend."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.