Personal care major Unilever has reported a net sales rise for its third quarter (Q3) of 2021, with strong growth in the Americas and across its prestige beauty division, but the future will prove challenging as price inflation continues.
The cosmetic and detergent categories are innovating most intensely in bioplastic technologies worldwide, with Europe and the US leading the charge, finds a study from the European Patent Office (EPO).
In this round-up, we dive into our most-read stories on cosmetics science, formulation and R&D, featuring Shiseido, LG Household & Healthcare, L'Oréal and more.
Concerns over climate change and pollution are pushing cosmetics producers to become more eco-friendly, and indie brands are well positioned to pivot towards biodegradable ingredients and packaging, says the co-founder of Indie Beauty Expo.
Personal care giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) has reported a net sales rise for the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal 2022, though profits suffered due to a challenging cost environment – an ongoing issue it plans to overcome with price hikes.
The Long Read: In Conversation with Unilever Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC) executives
The beauty industry continues to be stuck between conflicting requirements on animal testing, with bans under the EU Cosmetics Regulation and new data calls under the European Chemical Agency’s (ECHA) REACH Regulation, and the scientific community is...
Botanical green tea extracts can protect hair from ultraviolet (UV) damage by reducing the formation of certain protein biomarkers, though efficacy is linked to antioxidant levels of the extract, finds a P&G funded study.
Beauty and personal care brands can innovate further with fragrances, bringing scent to the centre of a product and highlighting health and wellbeing benefits it can bring, says a Mintel analyst.
Singapore-based brand Verdure believes there is need for more tech innovation targeting hair care concerns, with the majority of developments focused on other categories in the beauty space.
Global flavor and fragrances manufacturer Givaudan has introduced DigiPulse to sniff out consumer perceptions of fine fragrances online. The social listening tool is an enhancement of the artificial intelligence-powered Carto, an intuitive and interactive...
The number of Instagram followers opting in to receive beauty samples and information from brands is higher when campaigns are led by large-scale influencers versus micro influencers, according to beauty sampling tech startup Odore.
Saponins from tomato seeds may improve skin elasticity in healthy women, says a new study from Japanese researchers that could open up opportunities in anti-wrinkle or anti-aging formulations.
Upcycled coffee startup Kaffe Bueno has been awarded a European Innovation Council (EIC) grant that it plans to use to build a coffee biorefinery and scale-up its active ingredient offering.
French luxury fashion house Chanel has co-developed a biobased bottle cap for one of its perfume collections with Finnish startup Sulapac, made from a blend of renewable materials including wood chips.
European color cosmetics brand Catrice Cosmetics has announced a shake-up to its retail strategy for 2022, with the company focusing on making it products available only through its own website and via Amazon.
![Unilever is facing ongoing rising raw material costs and raised its pricing across its beauty and personal care division, a move that will be tough for consumers in emerging markets where it plays heavily [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/21/unilever-q3-2021-net-sales-rise-but-cost-inflation-leads-to-price-hikes-and-tough-future/12947452-1-eng-GB/Unilever-Q3-2021-net-sales-rise-but-cost-inflation-leads-to-price-hikes-and-tough-future_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![Several major beauty and personal care majors are particularly active in international patent filings on bioplastics innovation for cosmetics and detergents [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/21/cosmetics-plastic-innovation-promising-in-bioplastics-plastic-recycling-says-european-patent-office/12946065-1-eng-GB/Cosmetics-plastic-innovation-promising-in-bioplastics-plastic-recycling-says-European-Patent-Office_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![Our most-read stories on cosmetics science, formulation and R&D. [Shiseido]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/formulation-science/shiseido-l-oreal-and-lg-h-h-feature-in-our-cosmetic-science-round-up/12944249-1-eng-GB/Shiseido-L-Oreal-and-LG-H-H-feature-in-our-cosmetic-science-round-up_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![Independent beauty brands are moving fast to innovate sustainably and are well placed to use biodegradable ingredients in formulations and packaging [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign.com/article/2021/10/20/zero-waste-beauty-and-biodegradable-innovation-advancing-among-indie-beauty-players/12943673-1-eng-GB/Zero-waste-beauty-and-biodegradable-innovation-advancing-among-Indie-beauty-players_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![P&G says it is rolling out price hikes across parts of its portfolio in the US and will also review pricing in other markets in the near-term to offset rising commodity and freight costs [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/headlines/business-financial/p-g-q1-fiscal-2022-net-sales-rise-profit-drops-due-to-challenging-cost-environment/12942250-1-eng-GB/P-G-Q1-fiscal-2022-net-sales-rise-profit-drops-due-to-challenging-cost-environment_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![Decades of scientific work has advanced capabilities of in vitro safety assessment of chemicals, but these methods can't be used to their full potential because regulatory frameworks still need to catch up [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/20/cruelty-free-cosmetics-future-needs-regulatory-catch-up-and-collaboration-say-unilever-execs/12941153-1-eng-GB/Cruelty-free-cosmetics-future-needs-regulatory-catch-up-and-collaboration-say-Unilever-execs_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![A P&G study has shown that green tea extracts high in polyphenols offer strong protection against UV hair damage [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign.com/headlines/formulation-science/hair-care-uv-protection-promise-with-botanical-green-tea-extracts-due-to-antioxidants-finds-p-g-funded-study/12939443-1-eng-GB/Hair-care-UV-protection-promise-with-botanical-green-tea-extracts-due-to-antioxidants-finds-P-G-funded-study_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![Scent can be positioned centrally with its wellbeing benefits highlighted in beauty and personal care products, though any claims made will need to be backed by sound science [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/19/fragrance-innovation-in-beauty-and-personal-care-targeting-wellbeing-holds-growth-promise-says-mintel/12937250-1-eng-GB/Fragrance-innovation-in-beauty-and-personal-care-targeting-wellbeing-holds-growth-promise-says-Mintel_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![Verdure believes there is need for more tech innovation targeting hair care concerns. [Verdure]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/market-trends/verdure-says-underserved-hair-care-market-due-for-a-tech-upgrade/12904553-1-eng-GB/Verdure-says-underserved-hair-care-market-due-for-a-tech-upgrade_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![Instagram beauty influencers with 1+ million followers drive higher opt-in returns for digital sampling campaigns compared to their micro counterparts with less than 50,000 followers [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/18/influencer-beauty-campaigns-with-free-samples-stronger-amongst-major-influencers-with-1-million-followers/12933078-1-eng-GB/Influencer-beauty-campaigns-with-free-samples-stronger-amongst-major-influencers-with-1-million-followers_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![Kaffe Bueno plans to use most of the grant money to build a biorefinery in Denmark and advance soon-to-be launched upcycled coffee active ingredients targeting sun care, makeup, hair care and skin care [Image: Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/15/upcycled-coffee-startup-kaffe-bueno-awarded-2.5m-european-innovation-council-grant2/12930247-1-eng-GB/Upcycled-coffee-startup-Kaffe-Bueno-awarded-2.5m-European-Innovation-Council-grant_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![The lid is made of a blend of plant-based materials, including byproduct wood chippings, and maintains a luxury edge thanks to a ceramic feel [Image: Chanel/Sulapac]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/14/chanel-rolls-out-biobased-lids-across-les-eaux-de-chanel-perfume-collection-co-developed-with-sulapac/12926213-1-eng-GB/Chanel-rolls-out-biobased-lids-across-Les-Eaux-de-Chanel-perfume-collection-co-developed-with-Sulapac_news_teaser_medium.jpg)
![Several major beauty and personal care majors are particularly active in international patent filings on bioplastics innovation for cosmetics and detergents [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/21/cosmetics-plastic-innovation-promising-in-bioplastics-plastic-recycling-says-european-patent-office/12946065-1-eng-GB/Cosmetics-plastic-innovation-promising-in-bioplastics-plastic-recycling-says-European-Patent-Office_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![Unilever is facing ongoing rising raw material costs and raised its pricing across its beauty and personal care division, a move that will be tough for consumers in emerging markets where it plays heavily [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/21/unilever-q3-2021-net-sales-rise-but-cost-inflation-leads-to-price-hikes-and-tough-future/12947452-1-eng-GB/Unilever-Q3-2021-net-sales-rise-but-cost-inflation-leads-to-price-hikes-and-tough-future_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![Independent beauty brands are moving fast to innovate sustainably and are well placed to use biodegradable ingredients in formulations and packaging [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign.com/article/2021/10/20/zero-waste-beauty-and-biodegradable-innovation-advancing-among-indie-beauty-players/12943673-1-eng-GB/Zero-waste-beauty-and-biodegradable-innovation-advancing-among-Indie-beauty-players_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![Our most-read stories on cosmetics science, formulation and R&D. [Shiseido]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/formulation-science/shiseido-l-oreal-and-lg-h-h-feature-in-our-cosmetic-science-round-up/12944249-1-eng-GB/Shiseido-L-Oreal-and-LG-H-H-feature-in-our-cosmetic-science-round-up_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![Decades of scientific work has advanced capabilities of in vitro safety assessment of chemicals, but these methods can't be used to their full potential because regulatory frameworks still need to catch up [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/20/cruelty-free-cosmetics-future-needs-regulatory-catch-up-and-collaboration-say-unilever-execs/12941153-1-eng-GB/Cruelty-free-cosmetics-future-needs-regulatory-catch-up-and-collaboration-say-Unilever-execs_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![P&G says it is rolling out price hikes across parts of its portfolio in the US and will also review pricing in other markets in the near-term to offset rising commodity and freight costs [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/headlines/business-financial/p-g-q1-fiscal-2022-net-sales-rise-profit-drops-due-to-challenging-cost-environment/12942250-1-eng-GB/P-G-Q1-fiscal-2022-net-sales-rise-profit-drops-due-to-challenging-cost-environment_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![Verdure believes there is need for more tech innovation targeting hair care concerns. [Verdure]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-asia.com/headlines/market-trends/verdure-says-underserved-hair-care-market-due-for-a-tech-upgrade/12904553-1-eng-GB/Verdure-says-underserved-hair-care-market-due-for-a-tech-upgrade_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![A P&G study has shown that green tea extracts high in polyphenols offer strong protection against UV hair damage [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign.com/headlines/formulation-science/hair-care-uv-protection-promise-with-botanical-green-tea-extracts-due-to-antioxidants-finds-p-g-funded-study/12939443-1-eng-GB/Hair-care-UV-protection-promise-with-botanical-green-tea-extracts-due-to-antioxidants-finds-P-G-funded-study_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![Scent can be positioned centrally with its wellbeing benefits highlighted in beauty and personal care products, though any claims made will need to be backed by sound science [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/19/fragrance-innovation-in-beauty-and-personal-care-targeting-wellbeing-holds-growth-promise-says-mintel/12937250-1-eng-GB/Fragrance-innovation-in-beauty-and-personal-care-targeting-wellbeing-holds-growth-promise-says-Mintel_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![Kaffe Bueno plans to use most of the grant money to build a biorefinery in Denmark and advance soon-to-be launched upcycled coffee active ingredients targeting sun care, makeup, hair care and skin care [Image: Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/15/upcycled-coffee-startup-kaffe-bueno-awarded-2.5m-european-innovation-council-grant2/12930247-1-eng-GB/Upcycled-coffee-startup-Kaffe-Bueno-awarded-2.5m-European-Innovation-Council-grant_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![Instagram beauty influencers with 1+ million followers drive higher opt-in returns for digital sampling campaigns compared to their micro counterparts with less than 50,000 followers [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/18/influencer-beauty-campaigns-with-free-samples-stronger-amongst-major-influencers-with-1-million-followers/12933078-1-eng-GB/Influencer-beauty-campaigns-with-free-samples-stronger-amongst-major-influencers-with-1-million-followers_wrbm_tiny.jpg)
![In France - one of Europe's most important natural and organic cosmetic markets - strong growth has been seen for the category in pharmacies and parapharmacies [Getty Images]](https://cdn-a.william-reed.com/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/publications/cosmetics/cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/article/2021/10/14/natural-and-organic-cosmetics-market-europe-to-grow-in-pharmacies-beauty-stores-and-online-says-ecovia-intelligence/12924773-1-eng-GB/Natural-and-organic-cosmetics-market-Europe-to-grow-in-pharmacies-beauty-stores-and-online-says-Ecovia-Intelligence_wrbm_tiny.jpg)