International event unveils latest trends in personal care production and packaging

By BENG TAN, Ringier Events

The ASEAN Personal Care Technology Summit which took place from December 7-8, 2023 in Jakarta, Indonesia marked another milestone for Ringier Events Southeast Asia. The conference gathered leading industry associations, international companies and Indonesia-based manufacturers of personal care products and personal care packaging. The summit is part of the series of personal care technology events which saw its first run in Bangkok in June 2023 and was well-received by the general audience and exhibitors. The forum had the participation of domestic high-quality cosmetics brands, factories, agents, and distributors to discuss the future of cosmetics technology development in Indonesia.

Indonesia is touted as the “world’s sixth largest economy of the future” and its growing population offers a large consumer base with rapidly expanding purchasing power. The market economy is also driving the boom in the Indonesian beauty market. The fastest growing industry is the skincare industry, which has been expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 9.6% and has been rated as the fastest growing beauty market in Asia. Indonesia's beauty and skincare market is highly sought after, with natural, organic, environmentally friendly, moisturizing, whitening, anti-aging, and anti-pollution products being popular among Indonesian consumers. The country's Muslim population and potential for Muslim-certified cosmetics further enhance its market potential.

The ASEAN Personal Care Technology Summit had the participation of leading industry associations in Indonesia: Indonesian Packaging Federation (IPF), Asosiasi Spa Indonesia Wellness & SPA (ASPI Wellness & Spa), and Perhimpunan Perusahaan dan Asosiasi Kosmetika Indonesia (PPAK).  Business partners also presented their products during the summit and these include: Lexa-Mix Dispersion System; Changzhou Huituo Technology Co.,Ltd.; MetaNovas Biotech; Qiaolei Packaging Technology Co., Ltd; Guangzhou Barel Industrial Co.,LTD; Guangzhou Conker Chemical Technology Co., Ltd; ZhongShan Tentop Fine Chemical Co., Ltd; Guagnzhou Leyin Flavors & Fragrances Co.,Ltd; Guangzhou Healthvolution Materials Technology Co., LTD; Spec-Chem Industry Inc. and Guangzhou Noyain Biotech Co., Ltd.

Special participation of experts in cosmetics and personal care products 

At the summit, PPA Kosmetika Indonesia was represented by its Head of Industry DPP, Dra. Dewita Agus, who opened the sessions with a presentation on the development trends and regulatory requirements in the Indonesian cosmetics industry. Dr. Agus stressed that in the ever-evolving cosmetics industry, staying ahead is vital; and that consumer preferences, regulations, and technology continuously reshape the future. She also mentioned how the quest for sustainability and personalization have created eco-friendly products and custom-made solutions. Industry innovations are moving towards enhanced responsibility and driving innovations to create a new breed of cosmetics.

An interesting presentation by Ms. Kusuma Ida Anjani, Chairperson of the Marketing Division of ASPI Wellness and Spa and Director of Business Development and Innovation at Mustika Ratu, was well-received by the participants. Ms. Anjani discussed the synergy of Indonesia’s natural ingredients in aromatherapy and beauty products for delivering holistic beauty & wellness practice. She also traced the growth momentum of Indonesia’s beauty & personal care market which is experiencing a surge in demand for halal-certified products, catering to the country’s predominantly Muslim population. She also provided an overview of the aromatherapy and essential oils production in Indonesia and the markets for such products; and went on to discuss the Indonesia’s natural ingredients that are being used to produce natural beauty products.

The presentations from the business partners were started by Ms. Alice Wang, Director of Application R&D at Spec-Chem Industry. Ms. Wang has been engaged in the research and development of personal care for about 20 years and has been deeply studying the compatibility mechanism of products to find out the application of the formula. She talked about SC® Innovation Technologies for Holistic Whitening and Anti-aging Solutions. 

The presentation of Mr. Axel Wittek, Founder of LEXA, focused on the Lexa-Mix Dispersion System. LEXA is the owner of the LEXA-MIX (LM) brand, which has been providing processing solutions for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food industries. Mr. Wittek talked about the various LEXA-MIX models and their features. He also mentioned that the Asian market has different Vacuum Mixers (VM) such as Asian Style and European Style. The Asian VM is slowly getting phased out due to too low shear-rates and long batch times, as well as being non-GMP and difficult to clean.  With LEXA-MIX VM, it has become possible to scaleup a production process and provide customers with the most efficient vacuum mixing technology.  

 MetaNovas Biotech CEO Meijie Wang presented the developments in cosmetics ingredients and product development utilizing a revolutionary AI-driven technology. MetaNovas offers specialised technical consulting services encompassing biological understanding, virtual screening, evidence discovery, and more, to its strategic partners. The company seamlessly integrates advanced artificial intelligence and life sciences by leveraging proprietary technologies and extensive expertise in the healthcare and biomedical sectors.   

A virtual presentation by the Vice President of the Thai Cosmetic Cluster Trade Association and CEO of Siam Natural Products Co., Ltd. Dr. Thanathat Sonteera, covered the trends and developments in vegan beauty products and how this type of products can achieve world-class status. Given the rising demand for vegan products and the consciousness of the consumers, Dr. Sonteera enlightened the audience on the potential for vegan beauty products. 

ASPI Wellness & Spa’s Chairman of the Legal Division, Dr. Mohammad Asyhadi, discussed the certification process for wellness and Spa business in Indonesia. Given the rising popularity of Indonesia’s spa, the legal requirements and safety standards were discussed in the presentation. 

Halal-beauty products and how to deliver the demands of the markets was the topic of Dr. Ir. Muslich, M. Si, Halal Partnership and Audit Services Director of Lembaga Pengkajian Pangan, Obat-obatan,  Kosmetika (LPPOM MUI), an institution that undertake research and studies to determine if the cosmetic products are safe and comply to the Islamic teaching. 

Alternative material for cosmetic was presented by Prof. Nurjanah, a faculty member of Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Aquatic Product Technology at IPB University. Her discussion centered on several studies conducted on seaweed as raw material for the production of cosmetic products. 

Intelligent packaging that meets stringent requirements

The right packaging is very important in the personal care industry as packaging plays a key role in ensuring the safety and efficacy of these products. Three expert speakers on this field shared information-packed presentations. The Foreign Trade Manager of Changzhou Huituo Technology Co.,Ltd., Lyu Ming Xiao focused on intelligent flexible packaging solutions for cosmetics and personal care. The company offers liquid filling and capping machines for chemicals, cosmetics, food and pharmaceuticals. Several machines and their features were presented to emphasize their benefits for manufacturers of personal care products.

Two expert speakers on packaging represented the Indonesian Packaging Federation (IPF). Mr. Henky Wibawa, Vice President for Education of World Packaging Organisation and Executive Director of IPF discussed the innovations in cosmetic packaging and developments in smart packaging, new materials and designs. He discussed the future trends in packaging design and how changing demands have provided impetus for growth in the smart manufacturing, automation and digitalization.

The Ambassador of IPF, Mr. Hari Noegroho, provided an interesting discussion on packaging design and development strategy for personal care products in Indonesia.  Mr. Noegroho gave an overview on the importance of packaging design in personal care sector and how packaging functions to preserve and ensure the safety of the products. He also discussed how sustainable packaging trends in the personal care sector and how this has been encouraging innovations.