Driving Ingredient Innovation at PCHi 2026
Interview with Peter Liu,
Director, Cosmetics Business Unit, Reed Sinopharm Exhibitions
Looking ahead to PCHi 2026, what emerging trends in cosmetics formulation, packaging, or technology do you expect will dominate the show floor — and why are these particularly relevant for brands and manufacturers right now?
Ingredient evolution and formulation breakthroughs will remain central at PCHi 2026. As the industry shifts towards efficacy-led innovation, consumer demand in China and across Asia-Pacific increasingly centres on proven performance, particularly in anti-wrinkle solutions and skin barrier repair. This emphasis on evidence-based efficacy is driving deeper investment in active ingredient research, safety validation and refined functional raw materials.
Sustainability will also be a defining theme. What was once a differentiator is now a baseline expectation. Brands are embedding sustainability across the full life cycle of ingredient R&D, production and packaging, in line with China’s carbon neutrality goals and broader global priorities. PCHi 2026 will reflect this through a dedicated Sustainability Zone featuring forums and showcases focused on practical pathways towards greener ingredient development and low-carbon manufacturing.
Interdisciplinary integration is opening new growth avenues. Synthetic biology, neurocosmetics and AI-enabled research are converging with raw material innovation, reshaping ingredient development and evaluation. The PCHi Annual Industry Conference will gather global experts to explore key technical pathways, including policy, raw materials, efficacy and global expansion.
PCHi 2026 will reach a record scale of 70,000 sqm, bringing together over 850 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions across the full beauty value chain — from raw materials and testing to equipment, packaging and AI. More than 20 companies will debut new products globally or in China, reinforcing its role as a launch platform for industry innovation.
How do you see PCHi’s role evolving in the global cosmetics and personal care landscape? In what ways does the event help bridge innovation and business opportunities between East and West?
PCHi’s significance lies in its professionalism and focus within China’s cosmetics ingredients sector. As the country’s only large-scale professional exhibition dedicated to cosmetics ingredients, it serves as a key hub linking global ingredient technologies with the Chinese and Asia-Pacific markets.
China has become a core growth engine of the global beauty industry. According to the China Association of Fragrance, Flavour and Cosmetics Industries, the country’s cosmetics industry reached RMB 1.104 trillion in 2025, consolidating its position as the world’s largest cosmetics consumer market. With more than 6,100 licensed manufacturers and over 20,000 registrants, China also represents Asia’s largest beauty manufacturing base.
Against this backdrop, PCHi bridges international innovation resources with domestic demand. Guided by its core values — Technology, Power and Spirit — the event facilitates technical exchange, matches upstream and downstream needs in ingredient innovation and formulation R&D, and provides a platform for new product launches, academic dialogue and business collaboration. It supports both global enterprises entering China and Chinese companies engaging internationally, helping translate innovation into tangible business opportunities.
China and the broader Asia region have been key growth engines for beauty. What unique industry developments in China should international stakeholders be paying attention to ahead of PCHi 2026?
China’s cosmetics market is entering a phase of high-quality, technology-driven development. Growth is increasingly anchored in ingredient science, formulation capability and regulatory sophistication rather than marketing-led expansion.
A defining shift is the rise of efficacy-driven R&D. Chinese consumers are more ingredient-conscious and evidence-focused, accelerating innovation in active ingredients and functional raw materials, particularly in anti-ageing and skin barrier repair. The strong response to the PCHi Fountain Awards — which attracted 295 innovative product entries and 19 outstanding engineers — reflects the vitality of this innovation ecosystem and PCHi’s ability to convene leading technical resources.
Sustainability has also become a structural requirement. As China advances towards its carbon neutrality goals, enterprises are embedding green principles into sourcing, production and packaging. The returning Sustainability Zone at PCHi 2026 reflects these priorities and provides a focused platform to address global green development demands.
At the same time, interdisciplinary technologies are reshaping the sector. Advances in synthetic biology, dermatological research and AI-assisted formulation are converging with ingredient R&D. Through the concurrently-held PCHi Annual Industry Conference, PCHi 2026 offers structured insight into policy developments, raw material innovation, efficacy evaluation and global expansion pathways.
What are some of the most pressing challenges facing the cosmetics industry in China today — and how is PCHi facilitating discussion or solutions around these?
China’s cosmetics industry is in a critical phase of high-quality development and compliance transformation. Regulatory requirements have intensified under full life-cycle supervision, raising costs and extending R&D timelines while demanding more disciplined innovation.
Supply chain resilience is another priority. Although the industry has shifted towards technology- and ingredient-driven growth, reliance on imported high-end active ingredients and global fluctuations highlight the need for stronger local innovation and supply security.
Sustainability adds further complexity. As global green development accelerates, enterprises face rising ESG expectations alongside cost pressures and evolving standards. Meanwhile, consumers increasingly prioritise ingredients and evidence-based efficacy, prompting a shift from marketing-led growth to R&D- and quality-led development.
PCHi positions itself as a communication and solution platform. The China Rules & Regulation Symposium will interpret the latest regulatory developments and share practical case insights. The Sustainable Beauty Conference will focus on green ingredients and low-carbon manufacturing, while thematic forums on formulation R&D and AI applications aim to strengthen technological capabilities across the value chain.
Looking beyond the exhibition itself, what long-term impact do you hope PCHi 2026 will have on innovation, collaboration, and market growth within China and across Asia’s beauty industry?
Founded in 2008, PCHi has grown into one of the most influential exhibitions in the global cosmetics and personal care ingredients sector. Rooted in China while serving Asia-Pacific and international markets, it integrates exhibitions, conferences and awards into a comprehensive industry platform.
Looking ahead, PCHi aims to deepen its role as a catalyst for sustained, technology-led development. By convening over 860 exhibitors and more than 1,700 experts from research institutions, universities and finished product enterprises, the platform strengthens collaboration across academia and industry.
The PCHi Fountain Awards will continue to recognise product innovation and engineering excellence, while the University Innovation Forum will promote industry–academia collaboration and nurture formulation talent. Dedicated sustainability programmes will highlight enterprises’ contributions to responsible development.
Ultimately, PCHi 2026 seeks to accelerate the integration of global advanced technologies with Chinese market needs, supporting a cosmetics industry that is safer, more innovative and more sustainable across China and Asia.
Website: www.pchi-china.com/en
Contact: pchi@reedsinopharm.com
About PCHi
The Personal Care and Homecare Ingredients (PCHi) trade show is China's #1 Sourcing Platform for the Global Personal Care and Homecare Industry. As an innovation-led event, PCHi provides cosmetics, home and personal care manufacturers, ingredients suppliers, cosmetics packaging, machinery and product testing providers from all over the world with a quality platform for ingredients sourcing, gaining insight into global trends, and networking with world-class experts.
