The winners of the in-cosmetics Global 2026 Awards were officially announced on Tuesday, March 14, at an event party held at the end of the first day of the show. The awards recognized outstanding achievements in cosmetic science across nine categories.
Innovation Zone Best Ingredient – Actives Category
Awarded with Gold for the Innovation Zone Best Ingredient in the Active Ingredients category was Rahn AG for Calneurin Sense.
Raw materials manufacturer, Naemos took the Silver Award for Shisome, whilst Chemyunion achieved Bronze for Peptid4 Light MB and dsm-firmenich was also presented with Bronze for its Exovive Lift.
Innovation Zone Best Ingredient – Functional Category
In the Functional Ingredients category, ViscoPure by PolymerExpert - part of Solabia Group, was awarded Gold.
ViscoPure is a 100% bio-based thickener for water-based systems, which creates a strong, resistant and yet sensorial gelled system.
Solagum X+ by Seppic was awarded Silver, and the Bronze award was presented to Rheance Soft GO by Evonik.
The Taste Bar Award and Scent Bar Award
New for 2026, the Taste Bar Award and Scent Bar Award were judged live on site, celebrating creativity and sensory excellence within fragrance and beauty from within.
Fragrance house, Parfex, was awarded the Scent Bar Award for its Matcha Delight.
The Taste Bar Award, presented in partnership with The Good Pill, celebrates the best inner beauty formulations. The winner of Best Tasting Nutricosmetics Beverage was Symrise AG for AceRoselle, and the winner of the Best Tasting Nutricosmetics Food was Lubrizol for Curcushine gummies.
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award celebrates first-year exhibitors. This year saw Antarka awarded for its impressive presence at the show. Antarka is a biotechnology company developing patented actives for advanced skin repair and longevity from Antarctic extremophile enzymes.
Green Ingredient Award
The Green Ingredient Award, presented in partnership with Ecovia Intelligence, recognises ingredients that deliver a meaningful environmental or social impact.
Taking Gold this year was dsm-firmenich for Alpaflor Neurosooth, a neurocosmetic active developed to address primary skin stressors linked to climate change. This sustainable innovation is made from Scutellaria alpina, an adaptogenic plant, organically cultivated on alpine moraines.
Also recognised in this year’s Green Ingredient Award was Givaudan Active Beauty, which won Silver for PrimalHyal NeuroYouth. Ashland took home the Bronze Award for Eternight Biofunctional.
Make-Up Bar and Sensory Bar Award
In the Make-up Bar Award, Solabia Group took the top title for its OleoVeil Care - Natural and Flawless wear. Lubrizol took Silver for Oilkemia 7S polymer for Makeup Formulations, whilst JRS - J.Rettenmaier & Söhne took Bronze for its Flower Blush.
In the Sensory Bar Award category, Alpol Cosmétique was awarded Gold for its innovative Next-Gen Suncare: soft touch, perfect skin.
H&A Pharmachem Co., Ltd took Silver for Magic capsule Gel and Magic capsule Serum. Bronze was awarded to Alchemy Ingredients for Natural & Minimalistic Baby Care.
Kenvue Trusted Science Award
The Kenvue Trusted Science Award recognises innovative and effective modern ingredients that consumers can rely on for their daily care. Lucas Meyer Cosmetics by Clariant took the title for Melicica. The award-winning ingredient harnesses Australian Jelly Bush honey to offer a holistic approach to optimise the skin’s natural repair process.
