Wasabi Flavone™, an anti-aging ingredient for skin care, hair care, and scalp care, caught jurors’ eyes for several reasons. This wasabi leaf extract from the Wasabia japonica plant – specifically a component called isosaponarin – is derived from upcycled wasabi crops that would otherwise have been disposed of. One juror noted that “as a food by-product, it is a unique sustainability story for a high-performance ingredient.” The ingredient is particularly effective on the hair and scalp, acting to reduce dandruff, redness, and sebum on the scalp, and combatting hair fall and encouraging hair growth. This means it appeals to what one juror described as “a big focus on scalp from the consumer’s side.” With the brand’s clinical tests showing that the ingredient reduces hair loss by 90%, jurors liked its “great clinical results,” while also praising its “lovely texture,” and “nice consistency.”

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PlusSome’s skin care formula delivery system was singled out by jurors for offering an “innovative technology to deliver ingredients to the skin.” The panel also liked its versatility, meaning the technology can offer “seamless incorporation into various product formulations, spanning skin care to most make-up formulations containing a small amount of water.” PlusSome’s skin delivery system relies on cationic liposomes, whose surface has been modified to create a positive charge. This means that when they interact with the negative charge present on the skin’s surface, it creates an electrostatic attraction. This attraction allows for improved absorption by the skin of the active ingredients encapsulated in the liposomes. One juror noted that “the ion charge delivery system is interesting in skin care. We see it in hair care but less with the skin.” This delivery system both improves active ingredients’ absorption and their efficacy. The cationic liposomes are created using chitosan, a cationic polymer derived from non-animal mushrooms, so it is vegan compliant. Jurors also praised PlusSome as representing “technology at the service of skincare.”  

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A kit that makes cosmetics products more accessible to consumers with mobility difficulties, the FR.Handly Kit was highlighted by jurors for “prioritizing accessibility and ease of use, ensuring make-up application is accessible to everyone.” The kit spotlights  several different accessibility solutions. Among them is Soft Prehension, a PP container with a soft-touch finish for an ergonomic opening. The container is printed with CyR.U.S. raised symbols, which help those who are visually impaired to understand the product. And the Adaptive Sleeve is a brush handle that is sensitive to pressure, making it easy to grab for those with prosthetics or limited finger mobility. One juror noted that the kit’s “brilliant” solution is necessary when “there are so few beauty items designed with mobility challenged people in mind. This is clever and ergonomic.” Another added that the kit illustrates “how to innovate and […] democratize accessible design across multiple brands. [And] the use of CyR.U.S. (which similarly promises to democratize accessibility in a brand agnostic way) makes sense.”

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With a solid stick wax that styles both hair and brows, packaged in a tactile, egg-shaped vessel, jurors thought that this would tap into the trend for hair sticks among “younger generations.” Another juror pointed out how it serves the trend for styling hair into “slick buns,” and liked that it can double as a brow wax, too. The wax comes in a transparent version for an invisible, glossed finish, and in a pearlized version to provide an iridescent effect visible under lights, enhancing hair’s color and luminosity, with jurors calling these two finishes “great points.” The formula is composed of waxes with different melting points, to create a spreadable yet long-lasting film, while a wax resin composite offers better adhesion, and castor seed oil cares for hair. Jurors also liked that the product is “fun to use” and “cute and portable.”

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The Globes, single-use face cleansing gummies won plaudits for being “fun and different,” with a strong visual appeal for the “younger market.” The solid soaps are activated when applied to wet skin, and then transform into a rinse-off foam. With 99% natural, eco-friendly ingredients, the soaps come in two different formulations – the orange gummy is infused with orange blossom floral water and an orange flower scent, while the yellow gummy contains an argan scent, helichrysum flower extract to combat the effects of environmental stress, and Ginkgo biloba extract with antioxidant, sebum-regulating, and toning properties. They are presented in a blister pack-like packaging, so each soap can be used on separate occasions. One juror liked the product’s appearance and how it presents an alternative “beyond sachets” for single use in hotels and during travel. Another juror praised the product for being “innovative [and] super interesting,” adding that it “ignites desire.”

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Jurors loved almost every aspect of Cryolight, a hybrid powder with a creamy, silky, and bouncy consistency, created via Omnicos Group’s patent pending nitrogen-boosted formulation process. One juror noted that it “looks incredible on the skin and reflects light beautifully, […] applies easily and has a great innovative, bouncy texture.” The cold temperature of the liquid nitrogen used during production results in the powder’s sensoriality, as using liquid nitrogen also saves energy, in contrast to energy-intensive baking processes, thus reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption. “This is a unique innovation that you could build a good product story behind,” one juror commented, while another pointed out that “the nitrogen-boosted process […] is a compelling, sustainable twist on cold-process manufacturing.” In addition, the formulation encompasses a high concentration of different sized pearlescent pigments for luminosity, and two texturizing powders for a smooth application and blendability. One juror liked how Cryolight’s sensoriality, with its good “glide,” interacted with the formula’s high “payoff.”

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