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Guo Xueping, an unfulfilled wish

Guo Xueping, former chief scientist of Bloomage Biotechnology, has passed away. After promoting the industrialization of hyaluronic acid, he devoted his later years to the synthesis of non-animal-derived heparin, a project that remains unfinished.

YAN BEAUTY REVIEW10/13/2026, 15:44:1529 views

Briefing

/14October. 2026Latest update

No briefings today. Showing the most recent update.

16:42

Galderma will acquire ZO Skin Health for 15 hundred million US dollars

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Galderma has signed an agreement to acquire ZO Skin Health in an all-cash transaction of 15 hundred million US dollars, funded by cash reserves and bank financing, expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026 or early 2027. ZO Skin Health, founded by dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi and headquartered in Irvine, California, is a leading physician-dispensed skincare brand with over 40 products, sold through more than 16,500 physicians, medical spas, and online channels in over 40 countries. In the 12 months ended 6 2026, its net sales were approximately 3.3 hundred million US dollars. Galderma CEO Flemming Ornoskov said this acquisition is an important step in building the world's most innovative dermatology product portfolio and will strengthen the company's presence in areas where it already has significant capabilities. ZO Skin Health brings strong clinical credentials, a unique protocol-based approach, and a trusted position among dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Galderma plans to reinvigorate its growth through investment in innovation and commercial coverage. This move further deepens Galderma's presence in the fast-growing medical-grade skincare sector, which has grown rapidly since the pandemic. According to L'Oréal estimates, dermocosmetics market sales doubled from 143 hundred million euros in 2019 to 282 hundred million euros in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 7.8%, growing 2 percentage points faster than the overall beauty market.

16:42

Ipsy launches wellness box subscription service, entering the supplement market

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Beauty subscription box service provider Ipsy announced the launch of its wellness box subscription service Ipsy Wellness, officially entering the supplement market. The service includes three quarterly curated boxes targeting skin, hair, and overall health, each priced at 65 US dollars and containing four products, primarily oral supplements supplemented by topical products. The first batch of partner brands includes Goli, Sakara, Apothékary, and others, while Kourtney Kardashian Barker's Lemme, Beam, and Good Bacteria will join in 2027. Ipsy CEO Galen Smith stated that this move is an important evolution of the company's business, aiming to leverage its product selection and trial experience in the beauty sector to help members make choices in an increasingly crowded health market. Ipsy's 2025 member survey showed that 66% of members are interested in health products but find it difficult to choose, and 69% of members said they would not commit to long-term supplement use before trying. This expansion comes at a time when supplements are gaining popularity in the beauty and personal care sector, with Unilever recently acquiring Grüns for 10 hundred million US dollars and Procter & Gamble acquiring Thorne for 38 hundred million US dollars, both demonstrating the growth potential of this track. Ipsy's move is expected to leverage its existing member base to secure a place in the trend of health and beauty convergence.

16:42

Amazon in talks to acquire AI startup Decart for 70 hundred million US dollars

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According to The Wall Street Journal, Amazon is in negotiations to acquire artificial intelligence startup Decart, with a transaction amount of approximately 70 hundred million US dollars. Decart is headquartered in San Francisco and was founded by three Israeli engineers in 2023. Its software allows developers to switch more easily between different AI chips. The company has raised over 4 hundred million US dollars from investors including Sequoia Capital, Benchmark, and Radical Ventures, and was valued at nearly 40 hundred million US dollars in 2026 5. Decart is also developing AI world models capable of generating and simulating three-dimensional environments, and had early access to Amazon Web Services' Trainium3 chips, which compete with Nvidia's AI processors. Negotiations are still ongoing and no agreement has been reached. This potential acquisition highlights intensifying competition among technology companies to control AI infrastructure, reduce reliance on third-party processors, and accelerate the development of advanced generative AI systems. These capabilities may also support broader applications of AI-driven product visualization, virtual experiences, and digital content creation across various industries, including cosmetics and beauty.

16:42

Galderma to acquire ZO Skin Health for approximately $1.5 billion

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Swiss skincare conglomerate Galderma has agreed to acquire medical-grade skincare company ZO Skin Health for around $1.5 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. The deal could be announced in the coming days. ZO, owned by investment firm Blackstone, was exploring a sale with Citigroup and Raymond James. Galderma, in which L'Oréal holds a 20% stake, aims to expand its US presence. ZO, founded by dermatologist Zein Obagi in 2007, sells physician-distributed skincare products. The acquisition reflects strategic buyers' preference for clinically backed, physician-distributed brand…

16:41

Aurelian Lis to Depart Dermalogica

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Dermalogica global CEO Aurelian Lis will step down at the end of 12 month, 2026. Lis joined the brand in 2015, when Dermalogica had just been acquired by Unilever. According to sources, during his tenure, the brand's retail sales grew from 2.4 hundred million US dollars in 2014 to nearly 10 hundred million US dollars, but Unilever executives declined to comment. Dermalogica is one of the four core brands in Unilever's prestige beauty division, which is led by Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson. Gasco-Buisson expressed gratitude for Lis's ten years of leadership and contributions, and said the brand has solidified its global leadership position in professional skincare. North America general manager Tim Bunch will temporarily take over the business, while the company has begun the search for a successor. In a letter to employees, Lis said he will return to entrepreneurship and believes that the integration of AI with skincare, health, and overall wellness is the most exciting area right now.

16:41

Aurelian Lis to Depart Dermalogica

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Dermalogica global CEO Aurelian Lis will step down at the end of 12 2026. Lis joined the brand in 2015, when Dermalogica had just been acquired by Unilever, with sales of 2.4 hundred million US dollars in 2014. Under Lis's leadership, the brand's retail sales approached 10 hundred million US dollars, making it one of the four core brands in Unilever's prestige beauty division. Mary Carmen Gasco-Buisson, CEO of Unilever Prestige, expressed gratitude for Lis's ten years of leadership and announced that Tim Bunch, General Manager of North America, will temporarily oversee the business while a successor is sought. In a letter to employees, Lis said he will return to entrepreneurship, focusing on the integration of AI with skincare, health, and overall wellness. Dermalogica is a global leader in professional skincare, and this leadership change may affect the brand's strategic direction, but the company says it is prepared for the next phase.

11:28

Gauge Capital acquires tanning brand Saltyface

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Private equity firm Gauge Capital has acquired Vancouver-based tanning brand Saltyface, with terms undisclosed. Saltyface was founded by Bethany and David Menzel, and its buildable formulas are designed to provide a natural glow while prioritizing skin health, using DHA derived from organic beets. Its hero product, Saltyface Tanning Water, is designed for the face, developing gradually so consumers can customize their tan depth. Co-founder David Menzel said the brand was born from a skincare-first philosophy, and Gauge Capital's experience and resources will help the brand reach a wider audience and develop new products. Gauge Capital Managing Director and Operating Partner Andrew Stanleick believes the tanning category is evolving from a traditional seasonal category into a year-round beauty routine influenced by skincare, and Saltyface has built a compelling brand within the category. Saltyface sells through select retailers, its own e-commerce, and Amazon. Gauge's investment will support the brand's next phase of growth, including increasing brand awareness, product innovation, and expanding omnichannel distribution.

11:28

BeautyPro acquires Supercover to enhance its color cosmetics line

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British beauty company BeautyPro announced the acquisition of color cosmetics brand Supercover, with the transaction amount undisclosed. Supercover was founded by Zaf and Najma Ansari in 1997, and is the brand created by the parents of BeautyPro co-founder Ibs Ansari. This acquisition is BeautyPro's third acquisition in less than two years, following the acquisition of Skin Sapiens in 2025 4. After the acquisition, Ibs Ansari will be responsible for operating the brand founded by his parents. Supercover will relaunch on supercover.co.uk with a newly designed website, aiming to bring the brand's heritage to a new generation of consumers. The brand offers 42 shades and covers 10 undertones, and has a strong following among makeup artists and South Asian consumers. This acquisition is expected to strengthen BeautyPro's product portfolio in the color cosmetics sector and leverage the brand's heritage to expand into diverse consumer markets.

11:28

Givaudan's performance in the first nine months of 2026 boosted by high-end fragrance business

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Swiss fragrance and flavor company Givaudan announced its results for 1 to 9 of 2026, with revenue better than expected, mainly driven by growth in the high-end fragrance division. Total sales for the period were 590 ten thousand Swiss francs, of which the fragrance and beauty division contributed 310 ten thousand Swiss francs, with comparable sales growth of 8.8%, higher than the expected 4.7%. The high-end fragrance division grew 15.3%, becoming a key driver, compared with 18.7% growth in the same period last year. The consumer products business grew 9.3%, compared with 5.9% in the same period last year; however, sales in the fragrance ingredients and active beauty division declined 2.5%. CEO Christian Stammkoetter expressed satisfaction with the acceleration in sales growth, with the fragrance and beauty business remaining strong and the taste and wellbeing business gradually improving. In terms of regional performance, sales in Asia Pacific grew 10.6%, North America grew only 1.1% (compared with 3.5% in the same period last year), and Latin America had zero comparable growth. The company's five-year strategy is "driving sustainable growth together with customers," targeting average comparable sales growth of 4% to 6% and average adjusted free cash flow of more than 12%, while focusing on environmental and human protection and strategic acquisition opportunities.

11:28

Hua Xi Biotech Chief Scientist Guo Xueping passed away at the age of 61.

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Hua Xi Biotech Co., Ltd. issued an obituary on 10 month 13 day, announcing that Mr. Guo Xueping, chairman of its subsidiary Hua Xi Tang'an Biotech (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., former deputy general manager and chief scientist of the company, passed away due to illness at the age of 61. Guo Xueping was hailed as the "Father of Hyaluronic Acid" and was the pioneer of hyaluronic acid fermentation production technology and industrialization in China. He led his team to overcome the technology for large-scale production of hyaluronic acid through microbial fermentation in 1992, increasing hyaluronic acid output from kilogram level to hundred-ton level, significantly reducing costs, and promoting hyaluronic acid from being "more expensive than gold" to the mass market. The injectable modified sodium hyaluronate gel (Run Baiyan) he led the development of was the first domestically approved soft tissue filler in China, and he participated in the formulation of multiple industry standards, holding over 30 domestic and international patents. The passing of Guo Xueping is a major loss to Hua Xi Biotech and the hyaluronic acid industry, and may have a profound impact on the company's technological research and development and market competition landscape in the field of hyaluronic acid raw materials.

Latest News

Guo Xueping, an unfulfilled wish

Guo Xueping, former chief scientist of Bloomage Biotech, has passed away. After promoting the industrialization of hyaluronic acid, he devoted his later years to the synthesis of non-animal-derived heparin, a project that remained unfinished.

YAN BEAUTY REVIEW10/13/2026Huaxi Biotech

The world's largest beauty OEM loses the lawsuit

Cosmax lost the patent invalidation lawsuit against Shanghai Zhenchun, and the Supreme People's Court upheld the validity of the patent, highlighting the fierce competition over process patents in the beauty OEM field.

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"Korean L'Oréal," partnering with G-Dragon to do beauty

Korean beauty group GOODAI GLOBAL and G-Dragon's fashion brand PEACEMINUSONE have collaborated to launch a beauty brand, planned to be listed in 2027 year, from

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BASF eyes Evonik: Is the upstream beauty ingredients market about to change?

BASF is exploring the acquisition of Evonik, which, if completed, would reshape the global beauty ingredients supply landscape and strengthen its high-value-added actives and delivery technologies.

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Three major international beauty brands "collide" on the same eye mask

Fenty Skin, Glow Recipe, and Huda Beauty almost simultaneously launched rotating slice-type eye masks, behind which is the Korean supply chain integrating packaging materials,

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