Sustainability
Securing Resilient Supply Chains While Driving Real Impact
A practical perspective for procurement and sustainability leaders
Blog
Insights, Trends and Innovations
Beauty Blog
At AAK Personal Care, we believe in the power of sustainable, plant-based solutions to shape the future of beauty and skincare. Our blog is your go-to source for insights on innovative ingredients, industry trends, and the latest advancements in sustainable beauty.
Here, we share our expertise, highlight our commitment to responsible sourcing, and explore how collaboration drives meaningful change. If you’re looking for updates on our pioneering work, you’ll find it all right here.
Join us as we continue to make better happen—one ingredient at a time
Trends
in-cosmetics Global 2026 (Paris)
We are back from three intense and inspiring days at in-cosmetics Global in Paris, where we met customers, partners, and fellow suppliers across the cosmetics industry. The volume of input was enormous, so we have summar...
Trends
PCHi 2026: Insights into the Future of Beauty
PCHi 2026, officially known as the Personal Care and Homecare Ingredients Exhibition 2026, was held from 18 to 20 March 2026 at Hangzhou Grand Convention & Exhibition Center. As a premier professional event serving t...
Trends
Future Haircare Trends 2026: Clean, Inclusive, Sustainable & Health-Focused
The global haircare category is entering one of its most transformative eras. Consumers increasingly expect science‑aligned performance, holistic wellness benefits, and responsible ingredient choices — shifting the marke...
Grainy Shea Butter in Cosmetics: Why It Happens — and How to Prevent It
Graininess—often referred to as fat bloom—is one of the most common texture issues in cosmetic formulations containing shea butter. A product may feel perfectly smooth at filling, only to develop a gritty or sandy textur...
How Oxidation of Oils Influences Skin Microbiome Health
Understanding how cosmetic ingredients interact with the skin microbiome has become essential for formulators striving to create safe, mild, and truly skin friendly products. At AAK, we set out to investigate whether veg...
Why Liquid Shea Boosts Stability in Formulations
If you have been reading our blogposts, and often read us in Linkedin, you probably have seen that we have been having a big focus on liquid shea and what can it do for YOU. The rationale behind itis that, contrary to so...
Why Shea Butter Gets Grainy And How to Fix It
At AAK, we know that the texture and stability of cosmetic products is essential. Not just for performance, but for the experience they create. Crystallization in fats and butters, such as shea, is a natural process gove...
Personal Care Trends for 2026: A New Era of Wellness, Technology & Authenticity
As we approach 2026, the personal-care landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. Skincare and hygiene are no longer viewed primarily through the lens of appearance; instead, they are becoming holistic, tech-enab...
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Sustainability
The journey towards certification
AAK started the Kolo Nafaso journey back in 2009. Since then, the program has developed into what we believe is the largest direct sourcing program of its kind, directly impacting more than 230,000 women, their families ...
Trends
Clean Beauty & Sustainability Trends from EU and Brazil Summits
Last month, we had the privilege of attending two major summits that brought together thought leaders, innovators, and stakeholders from across the globe. From São Paulo to Paris, discussions centred on innovation, susta...
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Trends
Longevity and the Microbiome: the New Beauty Buzzwords
For decades, the beauty and personal care industry has been driven by the promise of antiaging—products designed to reverse the visible signs of time. But today, a profound shift is underway. The focus is moving from “an...
The Value of Liquid Shea Butter
Shea butter is a highly valued and broadly used natural emollient in the personal care industry, known for its natural moisturizing and barrier-protecting properties. It is widely recognized and preferred by consumers fo...
Melting Matters: Solid Emollients in Skincare Formulations
Understanding the melting behavior of solid emollients is crucial for cosmetic formulators aiming to tailor product texture and skin feel. Unlike common assumptions of a single melting point, many plant-based solid emoll...
How Oil Selection Controls Crystallization in Shea Butter Formulations
When working with shea–based formulations, you’ve probably noticed a dusty, grainy layer show up sooner or later.
Trends
Key Trends from NYSCC Supplier’s Day 2025
The New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC) Supplier’s Day took place on June 3 and 4 at the Jacob Javits Center. This event usually happens around May, but this year’s scheduling allowed more breathing space for a...
Shea Butter Myths vs. Truths in Hair & Skincare
Shea is the most used plant-based butter in cosmetics. Chances are you are already formulating with shea, but can you truly claim to be a shea master? This is the challenge we put to visitors to In-cosmetics, who we invi...
Sustainability
Sustainable Beauty Starts Here: How AAK Helps Personal Care Brands Lead with Purpose
In 2024, we made tangible progress toward our long-term sustainability targets, reducing our environmental impact while supporting our customers and suppliers in their shift to greener practices. Explore how we’re achiev...
Trends
What In-cosmetics Global 2025 Tells Us About the Future of Beauty
Last month over 10.000 people gathered in Amsterdam for in-cosmetics Global, the most significant date in the calendar for players across the personal care value chain.
Shea Butter Formulation Challenges & How to Solve Them
Struggling with crystalization and oxidation issues when formulating cosmetics? It’s all down to choosing the right shea butter.
Trends
SheaLuxe: Helping you meet key haircare trends for 2025
From shine and ‘skinification’, to sustainability, AAK’s LIPEX® SheaLuxe TR™ provides a solution to meet the haircare industry’s leading trends.
It’s personal care industry trends time!
With the end of the year approaching, players across the industry are giving their own predictions on what the key personal care industry trends of 2025 will be.
Sustainable Beauty: The Journey and Impact of Fair for Life Illipe Butter
Illipe butter, a lesser known yet highly valued ingredient in the cosmetics and skincare industry, originates from the nuts of the Shorea Stenoptera tree, native to the rainforests of Borneo. This butter is prized for it...
Looking for a sustainable emollient ester to replace low viscosity dimethicones?
But not prepared to compromise on soft, silky texture and non-greasy after-feel? Then LIPEX® SheaLuxe TR™ – our new, fully traceable shea-derived emollient ester could be exactly what you’re looking for.
Exploring our Rainforest Alliance Certified Coconut Supply Chain in the Philippines
The Philippines is one of the world’s leading producers of coconuts, a crop produced from the "Tree of Life", so called due to its incredible versatility and importance to local communities. Indonesia, the Philippines an...
Does the lipstick effect still hold true post-pandemic, and what is the new normal for color cosmetics?
In this article, Elena Genesca Pont examines the resilience of the color cosmetic category in times of economic crises, how the pandemic upset the pattern, and what the future holds for the sector. She also offers insigh...
Suncare
How do you choose the right emollient for mineral sunscreen formulations?
When formulating sunscreens, getting the emollient wrong can lead to uneven UV protection and white casting on the skin. Nobody wants that ashy, uneven look or a sun cream that isn’t reliable. So how can you make sure th...
Key takeaways from In-cosmetics Global 2024
It's been nearly two months since we all gathered in Paris for this annual event – the most significant date in the calendar for players in the personal care value chain. The AAK team was present at stand IS110 to introd...
Sustainability
Driving sustainable transformation
The future is increasingly plant-based. Plant-based oils and fats are key to moving towards sustainable food systems, replacing animal-based fats, and creating sustainable, renewable, and biodegradable products in candle...
Meet the new silicone alternative with next-level sustainability creds
Known for their stability and favorable sensory profile, dimethicones have been a mainstay in skincare for over 50 years. However, as consumer awareness and industry pressures grow, the quest for sustainable and responsi...
How do you avoid bloom in your formulation?
When working with tropical butters in formulations, you’ve likely been disappointed by the appearance of bloom at some point.