Winners Announced: 2026 Ringier Formulation Master Awards

The winners of the 2026 Ringier Formulation Master Awards for Personal Care have been announced, following expert assessment and sensory evaluations by industry participants.

Organised by Ringier Trade Media and happi China, this year’s competition challenged formulators to address “Skin Homeostasis: How Formulation Can Support the Skin’s Long-Term Self-Regulation.” The brief encouraged entrants to consider how efficacy, barrier support, mildness and everyday user experience could work together in a facial cream.

Li Wanxian received the Award of Excellence. First prizes went to Fu Maodong and the Shanghai Shangmei team. The competition also recognised three second-prize winners, four third-prize winners and six individuals or teams for their potential. The Liyan Workshop R&D team received both a third prize and the special VLOG popularity award.

Chinese version

Three categories, a shared focus on skin balance

Entries increased to 89 this year, up from 83 in 2025. Repair and soothing attracted 37 submissions, followed by anti-ageing with 33 and brightening with 19.

Across the categories, entrants explored ways to connect their primary efficacy targets with broader skin needs. Repair and soothing concepts combined hydration, lipid replenishment and approaches to sensory discomfort. Anti-ageing entries paired botanical actives and peptides with barrier support, while brightening formulations incorporated soothing and moisturising strategies.

Texture was also central to product positioning. Formulators considered how lighter or richer creams might suit different skin types, usage occasions and preferences.

A designated library of seven ingredients from four suppliers provided a common starting point for experimentation with active combinations, emulsion structures, hydration and sensory properties.

From formulation concept to user experience

Coded entries were assessed through expert review and hands-on sensory evaluation.

Within the professional assessment, sensory performance accounted for 50% of the score, formulation concept for 30%, and commercial feasibility and safety and compliance for 10% each. Professional results were then combined with public sensory feedback.

At PCT Shanghai in July, industry visitors contributed 1,777 evaluation records, assessing attributes including texture, scent, spreadability, absorption, lightness, richness and immediate skin feel.

Judges also examined the reasoning behind ingredient selection, manufacturing processes, cost assumptions and product claims. Their comments repeatedly raised a practical question: how well does the evidence support the finished formulation?

What stood out in the winning formulators’ work?

Li Wanxian’s formulation brought together approaches to sensory soothing, inflammation-related pathways and barrier repair within a liquid-crystal emulsion system. Judges highlighted the completeness of its technical rationale, costing and process documentation.

Fu Maodong’s anti-ageing cream connected a seasonal floral concept with a distinctive pink appearance. Another of his submissions considered target users, costs and manufacturing scale-up early in development. The Shanghai Shangmei team’s botanical anti-ageing concept received positive feedback for balancing a light feel with moisturising richness.

Other entries addressed specific user needs, including anti-ageing care for oily skin and richer protection for demanding environments. These choices shaped the texture, processing requirements and testing needed for each concept.

Beyond the results

For the happi China editorial team, a recurring theme was the need to connect ingredient evidence, formulation decisions and finished-product performance.

Ingredient research can guide selection, but the final combination still needs appropriate stability, safety, tolerance and efficacy testing. Manufacturing consistency, packaging compatibility and cost remain equally relevant as concepts move towards commercial production.

Further coverage across happi China, Ringier’s industry platforms and the Ringier Personal Care WeChat account will feature interviews with winning formulators and judges, exploring ingredient choices, sensory development, scale-up and the decisions behind the entries.

The awards ceremony will take place alongside PCT Guangzhou on 18–19 November 2026 at the Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center, bringing winners and industry colleagues together for further discussion and exchange.

Reporting: John Xie, happi China, RIngier Trade Media