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Skin, K-beauty, Korea trips and the beauty industry — ask and share
EU microplastics rules: rinse-off products have until October 2027
The EU's microplastics restriction (Regulation 2023/2055), adopted in 2023, gives cosmetics different sell-by deadlines depending on product type. If you export to Europe, now is the time to plan reformulation backwards
0 0Sunscreen formulation: what R&D struggles with most between feel and protection
Sunscreen is often called the hardest category in a cosmetics lab. Shoppers want something light with no white cast, but protection and stability cannot be compromised. Here are the challenges people in the industry ment
0 0EU bans TPO in gel nail products: what nail brands need to check
If you export gel polish, you have probably heard this already. Since September 1, 2025 the EU lists TPO (trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide) as a prohibited cosmetic ingredient. What it is A photoinitiator that ma
0 0Planning next year's launches: which ingredient family is R&D watching most?
Put together what gets discussed at supplier meetings and trade shows and a few trends stand out. So for anyone planning next year's launches: which family are you betting on most? Families that come up often DNA and nuc
Poll
Which ingredient family are you most excited about for next year's launches?
Pick one to see the results
0 0Luxury anti-aging cream vs budget basics: does price track results?
Luxury creams versus drugstore basics: if one costs several times more, does it work several times better? It's a topic that keeps flaring up in communities. "The price gap mostly comes from elsewhere" Many point out tha
0 0Why do Korean and European sunscreens feel lighter? It's partly about allowed UV filters
When K-beauty fans abroad explain why they buy Korean sunscreen, the top answer is "light and no white cast." Formulation skill is part of it, but so is the fact that each country allows different UV filters. Why the gap
0 0Before-and-after photos in cosmetic ads: how far is okay?
Before-and-after photos are among the most powerful assets in cosmetic advertising. That also makes them easy to get wrong, so marketers ask about them constantly. Common concerns Same conditions? Different lighting, ang
0 0Kolmar Korea retakes the market-cap lead over Cosmax after 560 days
The ODM ranking flipped again on the stock market. As of May 20, Kolmar Korea was worth ₩2.1669 trillion and Cosmax ₩2.0089 trillion, ending Cosmax's lead that had run since Oct. 30, 2024, 560 days in all. Numbers behind
0 0Writing a product brief for the lab: don't leave these out
Work with an OEM/ODM lab or in-house R&D team and you will often hear "if only the brief were more specific." Samples bouncing back several times is often less about formulation skill and more about gaps in the brief. He
0 0A 5,000-won Daiso serum vs a department-store serum: are the ingredients enough?
A recent Korean report describes the Myeongdong Daiso skincare aisle packed not only with tourists but also with men who didn't used to shop for skincare. Prices sit around 1,000–5,000 won, and products made with pharma
0 0Why Korean cosmetic ads can no longer say "exosome", "microneedle" or "clinic only"
Korea's MFDS revised its cosmetics labeling and advertising guideline in January 2025, and a lot of trendy wording landed on the banned list. Has your team updated its product pages yet? Newly banned examples Wording tha
0 0Topics That Keep Coming Up in Ingredient Meetings Lately
I’m curious about the ingredient trends people in the industry are seeing firsthand. I’ll start by listing the trends showing up in stores and online. PDRN·DNA ingredients: Expanding into sunscreens and pads Peptides: Mo
Poll
Ingredients to watch next year
Pick one to see the results
0 1How many rounds of formula sample revisions are realistic?
It’s rare to approve a formula right after the first sample, and when revisions drag on, both the timeline and costs grow. I imagine each team has different standards, so I’d like to hear what others think.
Poll
Which sample round do you usually finalize on?
Pick one to see the results
0 1Why Are Fermented Ingredients So Common in Korean Beauty?
From “fermented essences” to various “ferment filtrates,” fermented ingredients are practically one of the hallmarks of Korean beauty. This is influenced both by traditional food culture and by formulation considerations
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Have you used a fermented essence?
Pick one to see the results
0 1Why Are Labs Cautious About the Label “Preservative-Free”?
Products containing water need to be managed for microbes, so even when they say “no added preservatives,” in most cases they use other methods to ensure preservation. Depending on how the claim is worded, it can also ca
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