8 JULY 2026, SEOUL: in-cosmetics Korea has celebrated its biggest edition to date, welcoming almost 20,000 visitors and its highest-ever international attendance, reinforcing its position as the leading meeting place for K-beauty innovation.
Held from 1-3 July 2026 at COEX, Seoul, in-cosmetics Korea was organised by RX Global and co-located with InterCHARM, the largest professional beauty platform in Korea. The event brought together the full beauty value chain, connecting ingredient suppliers, formulators, manufacturers and finished product brands.
Nearly 400 exhibitors showcased innovative ingredients and the latest technologies, including Ashland, Bloomage, Croda, Samkwang Chemical and Hanbit Flavor & Fragrance. Visitors travelled from across Asia and beyond, with international attendees accounting for 18% of all visitors, the highest proportion in the event’s history, reflecting the growing global demand for K-Beauty expertise and innovation.
Spotlighting innovation
Record attendance was matched by a strong demand for ingredient discovery, trend insights and technical education. The dedicated Innovation Zone showcased 64 active and functional ingredients launched within the previous eight months, giving R&D professionals early access to the latest ingredients entering the market.
The K-Beauty Zone attracted strong interest with its focus on age-management solutions, while the returning Inner Beauty Zone reflected the growing convergence of beauty, nutrition and wellness as nutricosmetics continues to gather momentum worldwide.
Expert insights shared
in-cosmetics Korea also delivered an extensive educational programme spanning the Marketing Trends, Technical Seminars, K-Beauty Seminars and Inner Beauty Talks.
Among the standout presentations was The Science of Longevity: A Perspective from Medical to Beauty, where Rodrigo De Vecchi, Research Director at L'Oréal Advanced Research, explored how advances in longevity science are reshaping skin health. The growing overlap between cosmetics and wellness was explored in the Inner Beauty talks during Beyond Cosmetics: Inner Beauty & Wellness Supplement Trends, with HyunJu Ji, Executive Director at COSMAX BIO, highlighting how beauty-from-within is creating new opportunities across cosmetics, supplements and K-Wellness. Meanwhile, the seminar Future of K-Beauty 2026, presented by Hwajun Lee, Principal Analyst at Mintel, explored the trends shaping the future of K-Beauty, from longevity-led skincare and microbiome science to trusted suncare and inclusive colour cosmetics.
Awarding excellence across K-beauty
The in-cosmetics Korea Awards, presented on the opening day, celebrated excellence across science-driven ingredient innovation and K-Beauty development.
Gold winners included PROVITAL, S.A, which took home the Innovation Zone Best Ingredient – Actives category for INTENSILK™, recognised as the first cosmetic “caloric restriction” body active aligned with the GLP-1 trend. PolymerExpert, part of Solabia, won the Innovation Zone Best Ingredient – Functional Category for ViscoPure®, an innovative natural thickener. LABIO Co., Ltd. received the K-Innovative Ingredient Award for BIO-Placenta target, the highest-ranked active ingredient developed by a Korean company. Lastly, ALGAKTIV by ALGAKTIV® Exometics G took home the K-Beauty Standout Award for its contribution to next-generation age-management solutions.
Expanding the exhibition floor
The event also proved valuable for the 84 companies exhibiting for the first time, as Thomas Cresswell, Chief Business Officer at Melt & Marble, said: "We met all the brands we were hoping to see, from Chanel to LVMH, Amorepacific, LG, Kolmar and Cosmax. The show was overwhelming - in a very good way!"
Sarah Gibson, Exhibition Director of in-cosmetics Korea, said: "Massive visitor increase and an overwhelming positive response from the industry points to the fact that this is a must-attend event every year as K-beauty cross borders to become the innovation benchmark for the global beauty industry.”
Looking ahead, the 2027 and 2028 editions of in-cosmetics Korea will relocate to Songdo ConvensiA in Incheon while COEX undergoes renovation. Located just 20 minutes from Incheon International Airport and with dedicated shuttle services, the new venue will provide easy access to international and Korean visitors. The launch of a Fragrance Zone will capture the imagination of the new wave of K-Scent.
in-cosmetics Korea will be taking place 22-24 June 2027 at Songdo Convensia, South Korea. To register interest in attending, visit the website here.
