Over the past 30 days, the beauty and personal care product industry saw a flurry of activity - from massive M&A news regarding Kimberly-Clark’s multi-million dollar acquisition of Kenvue to a ‘record-breaking’ business quarter from APR Corp, here are November’s biggest news highlights from around the world.
CosmeticsDesign APAC
In the APAC region, innovations in ingredient science, AI technology, and sustainability were the focus of some of this month’s biggest news stories.
Fermented milk postbiotic nudges skin microbes towards ‘friendly staph’: China study
Researchers from Jiangnan University and Chinese biotech firm Hangzhou Island Xingqing Biotechnology reported that their fermented milk (FM) ingredient inhibited Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), but promoted Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epidermidis) in both single-strain and mixed bacterial cultures.
In simple terms, FM appears to create an acidic, high-demand environment where S. epidermidis can cope and grow, but pathogens are forced into energy-draining defence mode, reducing their ability to proliferate.
The authors concluded that the fermented milk “showed selective antimicrobial activity against pathogens and preservation of commensal S. epidermidis”.
AI autonomy: Kolmar Korea leads government initiative to drive next-gen manufacturing
Kolmar Korea is the only cosmetics company selected to lead an AI project funded by South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR), aimed at driving next-generation manufacturing. The MOTIR is a central government agency overseeing industrial technology, R&D, commerce, and trade.
Under its national vision of becoming the “world’s leading manufacturing power by 2030”, the ministry launched the AI Factory M.AX (AI Transformation) Alliance, selecting companies from each sector to push AI innovation.
Through this project, Kolmar Korea aims to move beyond smart factory automation. The company will develop an autonomous AI manufacturing system that integrates all cosmetic production processes — from planning and formulation to quality control, filling, and packaging.
Cosmetics, beauty devices lead APR Corp’s ‘record-breaking’ performance in Q3 2025
According to its provisional consolidated earnings report, APR Corp recorded revenue of KRW385.9bn (USD267m) and operating profit of KRW96.1bn (USD66.5m) for Q3 2025.
These figures represent year-over-year growth of 122% in revenue and 253% in operating profit, marking the company’s highest quarterly performance to date.
“Despite the impact of new US tariff policy in Q3 2025, APR Corp achieved a strong 24.9% operating margin, maintaining three consecutive quarters of outperforming market expectations. Driven by this momentum, we are now certain to reach our full-year goal of KRW1tn (USD681) in revenue,” the company stated.
Kine Australia’s flushable wipes aim to overcome ‘hidden cost’ of traditional products
Kine Australia’s flushable body wipes seek to provide a reliable and sustainable alternative to traditional plastic-based products, balancing everyday convenience with environmental care. The idea came about when brand founder and managing director, Mark Yates, realised the wipes that his own family was using were increasingly being made overseas, and most contained plastics that are not biodegradable.
“It felt like the industry had accepted that compromise as normal. I wanted to prove that we could make a premium wipe locally, using better materials and processes, without sacrificing the quality of the wipe itself.
“The gap was clear — there was no brand that combined Australian-made quality, true sustainability, and a beautiful design people are proud to show off,” Yates told CosmeticsDesign-Asia.
CosmeticsDesign EMEA
Across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, data trend analysis and an updated regulatory report on tea tree oil safety were just some of the stories that captured readers’ attention in November.
Retail parks are driving health & beauty’s UK expansion
According to data and analytics company GlobalData, health & beauty’s share of the UK retail parks market is forecast to rise to 8.9% by 2029, as sector spend increases by 16.9% between 2024 and 2029, reaching an estimated £5.7bn by 2029.
Zoe Mills, Lead Retail Analyst at GlobalData, said that with CPI inflation reaching 3.8% in October 2025, shoppers are prioritising affordability and necessity-led purchases, and that retail parks are gaining importance as a retail channel.
Mills also said that more health & beauty retailers, such as Boots and Superdrug, are expanding their presence in retail parks, driving this robust growth. “These larger-format stores can stock a wider variety of products and offer more engaging services for customers,” she explained.
Euromonitor on the trends that will reshape beauty R&D in 2026
Data and analytics and research company Euromonitor International has revealed its top four global consumer trends for 2026, which it expects to shape behaviour over the next year and beyond.
One of these trends, ‘Rewired Wellness’, is already having a significant impact on the beauty and personal care industry and is likely to influence product R&D in the coming years.
Beauty innovation: lessons from Trinny London’s £70M journey
UK-based beauty brand Trinny London was founded in 2017 and, over the past eight years, has grown into a global beauty brand generating £70M in annual sales, which the brand attributes to its hyper-focused innovation strategy.
According to the brand’s Chief Innovation Officer, Claire Byrne, the best innovation starts with a deep understanding of your community, which then translates into strategies that are relevant and commercially sound.
“Our product development is grounded in deep, ongoing dialogue with our community,” she said. “Much of that begins with Trinny herself, as she brings over 20 years of experience working directly with women and has created an emotional connection and dialogue with her audience at a key point in their lives when they want to focus back on themselves – a point of transformation – and give them the tools to help them be their best selves.”
EU regulatory update: tea tree oil use in cosmetics faces new rules
After years of discussion on the safety of tea tree oil in cosmetics, the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has issued its final opinion. The document, published on 14 November, stated that the SCCS considers the use of tea tree oil as an anti-seborrhoeic and anti-microbial agent safe in four product types – up to a maximum concentration of 2.0% in shampoo, 1.0% in shower gel, 1.0% in face wash and 0.1% in face cream.
In the mandate, the SCCS called the ingredient “a moderate skin sensitiser.”
The oil used must comply with ISO 4730:2017 specifications and should only be used in formulations designed for adults and in non-aerosolised formats to avoid inhalation exposure.
The SCCS also highlighted the absence of stability data, noting the oil’s susceptibility to degradation via light, heat, air and moisture. It stressed that finished formulations must maintain TTO composition within ISO limits and highlighted the relevance of the forthcoming ISO 4730:2025 revision addressing enantiomeric parameters.
The opinion provides clarity for formulators and brands using tea tree oil in terms of defining acceptable concentration limits while also re-emphasising the need for robust stability controls to ensure regulatory compliance.
CosmeticsDesign Americas
Throughout North and South America, legislative updates regarding sunscreen innovation joined financial news from some of beauty’s biggest players to dominate this month’s industry headlines.
Industry reacts to passing of H.R. 5371
The latest federal spending package delivers a long-awaited shift in how the United States regulates over-the-counter sunscreen ingredients. Folded into H.R. 5371, which President Trump signed on November 12, are new mandates that broaden the evidence FDA can rely on, require progress reporting on nonclinical testing alternatives and set the parameters for the forthcoming sunscreen final administrative order.
For manufacturers and suppliers, the changes signal movement on issues that have stalled UV-filter innovation for more than a decade.
Kimberly-Clark to acquire Kenvue in $48.7B deal
Kimberly-Clark’s acquisition is set to unite 10 billion-dollar brands under one roof, including Kenvue’s Aveeno and Neutrogena, expanding the company’s footprint in categories such as baby care, feminine care, and over-the-counter health products.
“Our combination with Kimberly-Clark unites two highly complementary portfolios filled with iconic, beloved brands and everyday essentials that people trust and count on throughout their lives,” said Kirk Perry, Chief Executive Officer of Kenvue, in the companies’ joint press statement.
Mike Hsu, Kimberly-Clark’s Chairman and CEO, said in the same press announcement that Kenvue brings unique strengths and is “uniquely positioned at the intersection of CPG and healthcare, with exceptional talent and a differentiated brand offering serving attractive consumer health categories.”
Coty narrows US fragrance gap amid FY26 growth push
Coty has reported steady progress in its first quarter of fiscal 2026, including stronger performance in prestige fragrances, manufacturing moves that support cost efficiency, and early signs of a turnaround in its consumer beauty business. The company confirmed it is on track with its full-year goals despite a soft quarter for overall sales.
After trailing the broader prestige fragrance market earlier this year, Coty says it has now caught up. “We closed the gap between Coty’s US prestige fragrance sell-out and the overall market, from an ~5-point gap in Q4 FY25 to full alignment in Q1 FY26,” the company said during its earnings call.
This shift is significant for fragrance suppliers and manufacturers who are closely watching demand trends. Coty also expects to see growth in the category next quarter, adding that “positive sales growth [is] expected in Q2.”
ELC announces its first-ever LATAM brand investment
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) has announced its minority investment in XINÚ, a Mexican luxury fragrance brand founded in 2017. The move is the company’s first investment in a Latin American beauty brand and reflects its continued use of early-stage partnerships to expand its global fragrance portfolio.
The minority stake was made through New Incubation Ventures, the company’s strategic investment and incubation arm. NIV partners with early-stage founders and supports emerging brands that show potential for category expansion or new business models.
