Valerie George answers a chemist’s query about 2026 ingredient trends.

Dear Valerie: Any thoughts on what ingredient trends us chemists should look out for in 2026?
—CRYSTAL BALL

Dear Crystal,
K-beauty never really went away as an industry phenomenon, yet I feel some sort of resurgence with non-stop chatter about ingredient technologies burgeoning from Korea within the last year. I was hoping I would never have to see another email blast about PDRN or exosomes, but I’m afraid my future in that respect looks quite dismal. I don’t have anything against these ingredients per se, but as I opined in November 2025’s publication of Dear Valerie, I feel the industry is capitalizing on the exosome trend with disguised technologies that aren’t quite the same. I also have ethical concerns with salmon PDRN, so I genuinely look forward to advances in bio-based versions, although I’m not sure how these would be different from synthetic human DNA sequences already available on the market.

Speaking of bio… I predict we will stop talking about biodegradation as an industry and start talking about degradation. Biodegradation is important as products and raw materials volatilize into air or go down our shower drains, but it’s not the end all, be all for determining the “sustainability” of a chemical. Chemicals do degrade by other means, just not through biological routes. And while sometimes these degradation routes may occur more slowly, sometimes they do more quickly than their biodegradation counterparts.

Silicones are a great example. Grant Industries and CHT have done a great job educating consumers on the non-detrimental environmental impact of silicones. Dow presented an incredible poster at IFSCC 2025, comparing their conceptual modeling of silicone degradation against real life mechanisms for water, soil and air (the study was funded by the Global Silicones Council). What they found is that volatile methylsiloxanes and linear polydimethylsiloxanes do degrade to basic compounds completely via various mechanisms, none of which are biotic. I had the opportunity to speak with part of the team that conducted the work and their silicone knowledge is unparalleled. I implore you to learn more about their work firsthand. One may dismiss these corporate efforts as corporate “schillism,” but there is no denying there are acceptable, alternate routes for degradation of silicones.

Metals is another trend; that is, anti-metal. There is a bit of consumer interest in how metals interact with hair and skin. The metal conversation is complex, as some metals like iron and copper wreak havoc on hair keratin, but play a critical role in skin mechanisms. Metals like calcium and magnesium are seen as a nuisance, but there is no shortage of interest in magnesium-containing products for skin health. 

Iron is also a bit further complicated, as menopausal women lose the ability to regulate iron content in skin as they age. If that catches your attention, you might enjoy Dr. Xi Huang’s fascinating work in the area of iron research, hormones and health. While he does have a skincare line based on fighting iron accumulation in skin, most of his metal research predates this venture, in metal-induced, coal-related diseases. The only literature on the matter more interesting than his chapter 17 of Handbook on the Toxicology of the Metals, Volume II will be the launch of his upcoming book, Stop Rusting. 

Do you have a question for Dear Valerie? Send it here askvalerie@icloud.com.

Valerie George is a cosmetic chemist, science communicator, educator, leader, and avid proponent of transparency in the beauty industry. She works on the latest research in hair color and hair care at her company, Simply Formulas, and is the co-host of The Beauty Brains podcast. You can find her on Instagram at @cosmetic_chemist or showcasing her favorite ingredients to small brands and home formulators at simply-ingredients.com.