Korean Cosmetics Research Institute Expands Domestic Ingredient Support Initiative

The Korea Cosmetic Industry Institute (KCI), led by Director Cho Shin-haeng, announced on the 10th that it is expanding its domestic ingredient localization support program for the year 2026. The new initiative focuses on supporting the costs associated with quality testing and examination, specifically targeting companies engaged in the manufacturing or operation of domestic cosmetics ingredients.

The program aims to select approximately 20 additional companies that produce cosmetics ingredients within Korea, thereby further enhancing local manufacturing capabilities. Supporting elements include testing services by accredited laboratories to ensure raw material compliance with domestic and international standards.

Key testing categories encompass heavy metals, microbial and preservative efficacy, physicochemical characteristics (such as pH, viscosity, and refractive index), ingredient identification (using techniques like GC-MS and LC-MS), residual pesticides, 57 types of allergenic substances, stability, purity, and impurities. The program will cover the expenses associated with these tests, with the flexibility to adjust the specific testing categories within the funding limits.

Moreover, this initiative offers consulting to participating companies based on their submitted project proposals, ensuring that the testing categories align with the specific properties of the ingredients. This approach is expected to empower businesses to establish more efficient and systematic quality management strategies while acquiring reliable data essential for commercialization.

Eligible companies can receive support for testing costs amounting to a maximum of 10 million KRW. The total project budget will be structured to match government support with the financial contribution from the companies based on their size. SMEs will receive 75% of the total project costs funded by the government, while mid-sized enterprises will receive 70%, and large enterprises will be eligible for 50%.

A KCI representative expressed, "The support for quality testing and examinations serves as a crucial foundation for domestic ingredients to enter global markets," and added, "We anticipate that this initiative will provide substantive support to domestic raw material companies to enhance their quality competitiveness and reduce import dependency."

Companies interested in participating in the support initiative can apply via the Cosmetics Industry Information Portal (Allcos) at https://www.allcos.biz/. After signing up and logging in, applicants can select the tab for "Education/Seminars" under the menu and choose "2026 Domestic Ingredient Localization Support Project (Quality Testing and Examination) Recruitment of Participating Companies." They can then review the attached announcement and additional files to prepare the necessary documentation for submission.