What we discovered at APAC’s leading beauty trade event.
Did you know that in 2024, the global beauty market has an estimated worth of $USD628 billion ($AUD962.70 billion)? A third of that – or around $USD191 billion ($AUD292.79 billion) – is driven by the Asia-Pacific beauty market alone.
With growth on their sights, it’s no wonder thousands of beauty and aesthetic product manufacturers, suppliers, packaging specialists and technology providers descend on Cosmoprof Asia every year to showcase their services to guests from across the globe. In fact, the number of international attendees is on the up, according to data gathered from last year’s event. That edition welcomed over 2,500 exhibitors and 80,000 attendees – both higher than in years prior. 120,000sqm of exhibition space was used, and featured 18 country and group pavilions including Australia.
For many years, Professional Beauty Australia has attended Cosmoprof Asia to report on emerging industry trends. This year marked the beauty trade exhibition’s 27th year of operation – and it didn’t disappoint. Held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from November 14-16, Cosmoprof coincided with supply chain fair, Cosmopack, which was held in the days prior. Cosmoprof and Cosmopack Asia 2024 were jointly produced by Asia Informa Markets, Hong Kong and BolognaFiere.
“As always, we’re excited to provide a home for the best-of-the-best in the beauty industry, while connecting industry professionals from around the world,” Angel Fu, Event Director at Informa Markets told the press.
The Awards
This year, 80% of the 420 products submitted from nearly 400 companies into the 2024 Cosmoprof & Cosmopack Asia Awards came from countries outside of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This figure underscores the event’s expansive reach and impact of the show on a global scale. The awards are produced in partnership with international trend agency, BEAUTYSTREAMS. Awards were presented across 11 categories and recognised achievements in innovation, technology, design, and excellence. The jury was made up of judges from five continents. Winners were announced over a champagne celebration at Cosmo Onstage.
The Talks
Eager insiders flocked to the CosmoTalks stage to listen in on several industry-related discussions featuring global beauty KOLs, 70% of whom were representative of countries outside of Hong Kong. The programme was reflective of Cosmoprof’s commitment to exploring global topics, addressing both challenges and opportunities for professionals. Beauty influencers, stemming from Poland to Korea, were also in attendance via the event’s Beauty Hunt activation.
The Innovations
Cosmo Onstage provided an exclusive opportunity for companies to showcase their expertise via live demonstrations, performances and competitions. Those presenting included makeup artists, hair stylists, nail artists, and influencers. Similarly, COSMOLAB paved the way for innovators in hair care to present on the trend of ‘Skintification’ in hair care. This interactive presentation, which was hosted in collaboration with OPAL, allowed visitors to explore the future of beauty through the AI-powered HairCoSys ‘Bloomtastic’ platform.
The Human Touch
BUYER PROGRAMME was set up to forge connections amongst beauty professionals worldwide. In addition, BOUTIQUE was developed as a charity initiative with proceeds donated to Save The Children. Attendees who made a minimum donation of $HKD100 ($AUD20) were able to experience the best of flagship products from 15 selected sponsors. In return, they received a bag of goodies containing five product samples.
“We’re excited to provide a home for the best-of-the-best in the beauty industry, while connecting industry professionals from around the world.”
The Trends
Three key trends in the Asia-Pacific region were identified by Cosmoprof organisers:
- Sensitive skincare has attracted much attention
- Prove it with science; earn trust to drive innovation
- Redefining aging.
On the topic of ‘Redefining Aging’, it was noted that growing interest in this space presents an opportunity for brands to innovate and promote a positive perspective on aging as a natural part of life’s journey. According to Mintel, 24% of Chinese women aged 18-24 strongly agree that cosmetic brands consistently present an untrue image of women in their advertisements (compared to 17% of all women surveyed). Ingredients like collagen and peptides have become essential in anti-aging products, particularly recombinant human collagen and cyclic peptides.
According to Mintel’s 2024 Ingredients Trend List, the top three anti-aging ingredients with the highest potential are ergothioneine, copper peptides, and astaxanthin. In Japan, anti-aging claims associated with new skincare products experienced a downturn, with claims instead focused on reducing fine lines and wrinkles. The same could be said for South Korea.
Emphasis was also placed on our projected heightened life span, and ensuring that our beauty and inner wellness remains aligned into our old age. Researchers are said to be looking at activating a gene that targets chronic inflammation – a potentially game-changing move for the beauty and wellness industries.
The COSMOTRENDS ASIA report was curated by BEAUTYSTREAMS and highlighted key emerging trends reflected in a selection of 20 shortlisted products. 91% of the submitted products came from global companies – a feat organisers said “showcases Cosmoprof Asia’s strong ability to attract cutting-edge innovation and creativity from around the world.”
On the ground, Professional Beauty spotted the following eye-catching product trends and unique offerings:
- Exosomes
- Spicules
- ‘Water’ or ‘Aqua’ heroes on the front of skincare product packaging, in association with descriptors like ‘Glass’, ‘Translucent’
- Vegetable-based sheet masks
- Portable LED lights for all areas of the face and body
- Devices featuring upwards of 10 hand pieces
- Scalp rejuvenation services
- Microcurrent hair combs
- Non-invasive services made available in different formats
- Full body spa booths
- UV booths for skin whitening
- Hair removal at-home topicals
- Adhesive gel nail strips.
What’s next for Cosmoprof Asia?
Cosmopack Asia and Cosmoprof Asia 2025 will officially run from November 11-13 2025, and November 12-14 2025 respectively. Set to launch is a new activation: Beauty Ingredients and Formulation Asia (BIFA) – a stream set to provide insights from raw material suppliers, and facilitate meetings between suppliers and companies. Director of Cosmoprof Asia, David Bondi said, “ It’s important to meet with R&D, marketers and brand owners. They’re all interested in solutions; there is a positive ecosystem here.”
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