Cosmoprof Bologna 2025 - summary

Noble Companions, are you curious about what happened in Bologna?

We could quote the classic saying: "What happens in Bologna stays in Bologna." But… we walked over 30 km through the trade fair aisles 😲 (no joke, we have proof), so we have to share our thoughts. We also know from some friendly sources that some of you are waiting for this (we are touched ☺️).

So, dearests, here is the truth.
An honest but subjective report, split into several parts - because it’s impossible to sum up all our impressions in just a few words.

1. "I love Poland". It is creative. Beautiful. Interesting. It meets global standards, and even surpasses some countries. Polish brands are everywhere: haircare, nails, home skincare, professional skincare, and eco-friendly beauty. And in every style: youthful, elegant, modern, fun, and minimalist. Global buyers, come to Poland - you’ll find everything you need here.

2. Ingredients don’t matter much here. What’s important is the brand concept and overall message - because no one has time to study the INCI list.

3. Retail beauty products follow two clear trends: minimalist-professional and botanical-herbal-floral. We’re not talking about hair products yet - more on that later.

4. Lip focus 👄 not new, but very visible. Lips should be full (within reason…), but also healthy, smooth, and hydrated. The goal: a fresh and natural look. 

5. Men's skincare - No breakthroughs in skincare. Just the usual: face cream and maybe a cleansing gel. However, interestingly, products for covering men's gray hair were a recurring theme 👨🏻‍💼👨‍🦳

6. Exosomes rule professional skincare. I can confidently say that at least 15 companies were showcasing professional-use ampoules with exosomes. Only one country promoted this ingredient for home skincare - Korea.

7. More and more professional devices are moving into home use (e.g., dermabrasion, cavitation, LED masks, infrared therapy). Some brands are even creating entire skincare lines designed specifically for the devices they sell.

8. Face masks - still having their moment. Extremely popular, especially sheet masks.

9. Intimate health - mostly in the context of easy-access toys for enhancing the art of love. Women's pleasure products were often sold alongside cosmetics. A curious highlight: a special LED device for the intimate area (men+women), supposedly restoring a youthful appearance 😏

10. Hairdressing & styling - sadly, nothing exciting. No real innovations, though we wonder - do we actually need anything beyond shampoo, conditioner, mask, and oil/mist? The barber scene was similarly repetitive: three types of pomade, salt spray, and styling powder 😴 But hair spa and hair steaming made a subtle appearance.

11. Fragrances - The dominant trend consists of single-note ingredients and unisex scents, such as iris 🥰, peony, citrus, tonka, select fruits, and hinoki. I only saw one company offering "luxurious" fragrances - rich, slightly oriental compositions.

12. Ingredients - In retail, familiar and well-established raw materials dominate: niacinamide…vitamin C…hyaluronic acid…aloe…retinol... Korean products also don't bring any major breakthroughs, featuring versatile ingredients like centella, hyaluronate, ginseng, bioferments, aloe, rosemary, niacinamide, and peptides. In professional-use products, apart from exosomes, nothing particularly stood out.

13. Paramedical packaging for finished products - AMPOULES occupied an impressive amount of space, along with many syringe-shaped products. One Asian company even used IV bags to attract attention. Given the great caution with which Polish manufacturers approach product claims and presentation, I see a significant contrast compared to other countries.

14. Sun protection - It was absolutely everywhere. I’d estimate its presence at around 20-25% of the offerings.

15. Sticks - They are gaining popularity, rivaling sun care products, and are most commonly associated with them - but not exclusively.

16. Perhaps some of you remember when I mentioned that “in&out” care -meaning cosmetics and supplements - is gaining popularity? At Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, this trend was noticeable - at least 4-5 companies presented their products in this configuration 🧴💊 The first signs of a growing trend! 😉

17. Was there anything new in packaging? Aside from the omnipresent sticks, we spotted a few smaller but quite interesting options: dual containers with interchangeable “bodies” and separate pumps, as well as double-sided airless packaging. Classic packaging remains the most popular, but there is visible interest in "egg-shaped" containers - pseudo-tubes with a pointed tip. The influence of younger generations is also evident in the shape of bottles, their color schemes, and distinctive closures.

18. Waterless products - two years ago, there seemed to be more of them. It looks like practicality has played a role in their evolution 😉 This year, we saw tablets combined with special, soft packaging where the product is prepared for direct use (photo). Another interesting innovation was toothpaste tablets - safe for kids, tasty, foam-forming, and even safe if swallowed. This product won a Cosmoprof Awards in the Green & Eco category.

19. Here and there, we noticed products supporting the microbiome.

20. Trends according to Beautystreams for Cosmoprof: lifting + plumping, intimate health, glass + glow, mood-enhancing neurocosmetics, minimalism, and recycling in packaging.

21. Cosmoprof Awards nominations -just a quick mention, as there were around 17 categories with 3 products in each. The most interesting ones, according to the Countess: a Korean cushion foundation with a UV light under the lid to disinfect the sponge; a vegan nail polish remover in a stick; beard care butter for graying beards; a calming and soothing cream for pregnant women; capsule packaging for cosmetics; probiotic and vitamin-infused perfumes for babies from the very first days of life. 

22. Meetings with clients and industry friends – it was fantastic to see finished products based on our formulations (we're bursting with pride), discover interesting competitor products (the bar is set high 😲), and chat over coffees, croissants, and countless smiles. And in the evenings, we found balance in the flavors of melonchello, octopus, and amabile frizzante, surrounded by beauty. 

See you next time! Ciao!