Navigating the Future of the UK Cosmetics Industry: Insights from in-cosmetics Global

Highlights from the Amsterdam Tradeshow

Amidst the backdrop of global economic turbulence created by the imposition of import tariffs in the USA, the international cosmetic raw materials industry gathered in Amsterdam in April for the annual in-cosmetics Global tradeshow. While discussions about the impact of tariffs dominated many conversations, they did not overshadow the remarkable innovations showcased at the event. In fact, a record-breaking 211 new ingredients were unveiled in the Innovation Zone alone. You can read more about these trends in the article titled 2025 Beauty Ingredient Trends: Highlights from in-cosmetics Global's Innovation Zone.

CCUK's Strong Presence

CCUK was well represented at the show. Directors Gill Westgate, Katerina Steventon, Rachael Davison-White, and Alastair Gardner attended, along with several exhibiting members. Alastair presided over the DBT’s UK pavilion, where ten companies shared the stand. You can find a full meeting recap later in this newsletter.

Sadly, this was Alastair’s last event as a director of CCUK. Due to his promotion to Head of Trade and Investment, Chemicals for the Department for Business & Trade (DBT), he will be leaving our board. However, he will remain closely connected as an advisor and supporter of CCUK, particularly for our international activities. We extend our heartfelt thanks to him for his years of service, including being a founding director of the cluster.

The Importance of Sun Care

As we have experienced unusually hot and sunny weather in recent weeks, thoughts are turning to sun care. Many companies and organizations are raising awareness about the need for sun protection in their communications. Education is key in this area. CCUK is delighted to announce that we are partnering with CTPA, Boots, Global Cosmetic Developments, Tan Cream, and Symrise to sponsor a two-week summer workshop programme for families on the science of sun protection. This will be held at the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Widnes. We are very excited to be involved and extend our thanks to our fellow sponsors for their support of this worthwhile project.

Annual Board Meeting Insights

This month, we held our annual board meeting in person at the offices of Barentz UK. We are grateful to the Barentz team for their hospitality. During the meeting, we discussed current and future plans for activities across our four pillars. We also prepared for our member’s annual networking meeting on June 17 at the University of Bradford. This event will celebrate our 5th anniversary, launch our redesigned website, and announce our third industry careers survey. The event is open to non-members, and the theme of the day is education and skills. We are pleased to announce that Henry Lovett of the Royal Society of Chemistry will deliver the keynote address. You can register here: Members Networking Day | Cosmetics Cluster UK. Before this event, we will participate again at CHEMUK on booth M84. We look forward to welcoming members and visitors to our stand for networking and fruitful discussions. Full details of our activities can be found later in the newsletter and on our website events diary page.

Welcoming New Members

This month, we welcome new member Stephensons into our network. If you are interested in joining us too, please visit our website by clicking here. Our renewing members this month are Addible and Kelp Crofters. We appreciate your continuing support!

Best wishes from the CCUK Team

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