Making Cosmetics 2025: biotech, targeted delivery and the challenge of microplastics

The kermesse, scheduled at Fiera Milano (Rho) from 19 to 20 November 2025, was not only a showcase of ingredients but a true laboratory of ideas focused on targeted efficacy, proven sustainability and regulatory compliance.

The agenda: not just a fair, but a scientific forum

The event stands out for its ability to integrate the exhibition with moments of deep technical and scientific exchange that enrich the experience.

The scientific angle of the conferences

The beating heart of the event is represented by the conference program, often organized in collaboration with prominent entities such as AISPEC (Federchimica). The central topics focused on:

• Regulatory updates (RegFocus): essential for formulators, with particular attention to EU legislative developments in force or upcoming.

• Ingredient innovation: technical seminars presenting in vivo and in vitro studies on next-generation molecules.

• Market Trends: analyses of new consumer needs and global market trends.

The special areas

Various thematic areas allow visitors to experience innovation firsthand in specific contexts:

• Making pack live / lab focus: demonstrative sessions on formulation and real-time production processes, an added value for laboratory technicians.

• iSense: the area dedicated to sensory experience and perfumery, designed to explore the interaction between active ingredients and textures.

• Green dream / wise ingredients: a focus on natural, biotechnological and functional ingredients that combine performance and ethics.

The 2025 innovations: three pillars of innovation

2025 is a transition year, where biotechnology consolidates and legislation imposes structural changes. The real innovations were concentrated on three fronts.

Revolution of the Delivery System (targeted efficacy)

The race for the active ingredient gives way to innovation in delivery systems.

• Advanced encapsulation technologies: companies such as Evonik, distributed by ACEF, promote the use of systems such as ROVISOME® NG and InuMax®. These systems use liposomal encapsulation or other polymeric matrices to:

  Protect the active: ensuring the stability of sensitive molecules such as Retinol (InuMax Advanced Retinol Pro).

  Specific targeting: releasing the active in a controlled way and targeting the deepest layers of the skin, maximizing efficacy and reducing irritation (e.g., X50 Hyalufiller for peptides).

• Peptides and biotech: biotechnology is the key to cellular longevity and skin-barrier repair. Innovations include next-generation peptides and fermented actives that modulate the microbiome and strengthen the lipid barrier, often proposed in combination with targeted delivery systems (e.g., Vecollage Fortify).

Sustainability and "Greenwashing" (ethical compliance)

The 2025 trends shift from “Clean” to “Verified Clean.”

• Proven sustainability: pressure for transparency and traceability intensifies. Companies present raw materials derived from upcycling or green chemistry, supported by certifications and life cycle analyses (LCA).

• Impact of the EU anti-greenwashing directive: now in force, this directive pushes the industry toward extreme rigor in environmental claims. The conferences focused on how to formulate and communicate in a compliant way, avoiding vague statements.

Regulatory urgency: goodbye microplastics

The hottest topic of Making Cosmetics 2025 was the upcoming deadline of Restriction 78 (Reg. 2023/2055) on intentionally added microplastics (insoluble synthetic polymers smaller than 5 mm).

Critical deadline: the obligation to provide the first data on sales of products containing microplastics entered into force on 17 October 2025, just a few days before the fair. This directly impacts common ingredients such as certain types of exfoliating powders, beads, and some film-formers.

• The institutional alternatives (new): exhibitors actively presented the quintessential functional and biodegradable substitutes:

  Exfoliants: Jojoba esters, seed shell granules, and Microcrystalline Cellulose.

  Opacifying and texturizing agents: Rice starch or micronized minerals such as Hydrated Silica and Quartz.

  Film-formers: new naturally derived and biodegradable polymers to replace synthetic polymers in rinse-off and leave-on products.

Conclusions and perspectives

The key to success for formulators in 2026 will lie in the ability to combine:

1. Actives developed through biotechnology.

2. Smart delivery: ensuring their bioavailability and targeted action.

3. Absolute compliance: especially regarding microplastic restrictions and the new anti-greenwashing regulations.