Cosmetic R&D: Is There Sufficient Space for Innovation? A Study of Technologists’ Needs Based on the Polish Industry

The cosmetic industry, traditionally a realm of rapid innovation and trend-setting, is currently facing a multitude of challenges. This sector is striving to maintain the balance of maintaining product novelty while conforming to increasingly rigorous environmental and regulatory standards. The challenges are diverse. On one hand, there’s a compelling need to align with the EU’s Green Deal objectives, emphasizing sustainability and environmental responsibility. On the other hand, the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe, notably the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have left profound impacts. These events have caused supply chain disruptions and complicated business relations, prompting many companies to reassess their operational strategies. Besides this, as a driving force of change, we can add also: the rapid digital transformation and constantly active chemophobic nature of the consumers demands, which results in the specific chemicals management decisions. We observe yearly at least a few of ingredients which are restricted or banned for use in cosmetic. In the same time the new ingredients authorizations are scarce, which results from the legislative paradox of article 18 and the toxicological dossier demands for authorisation. Hopefully, with the new risk assessment methodologies, there is a glimmer of hope for the approval of new ingredients. As a result of these complex issues, the industry has shifted from long-term operating strategies to an agile management model, particularly in product development technology. There’s a burgeoning curiosity about how Research and Development (R&D) departments are coping in this demanding world. To gain insight into these dynamics, we conducted the “Technologist Needs Survey” with representatives from the Polish cosmetic industry. The first round of this survey was carried out in the first half of 2020, a time when the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic in Poland was not yet apparent, and then it was repeated in second quarter of 2023. The responses shed light on the unique challenges faced by companies.