Proya Claims Podium Fundamental Research Award at 2026 IFSCC

Proya Also Named a Top 10 Finalist for the Podium Fundamental Research Award

PERTH, Australia, Oct. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Proya Cosmetics, a leading Chinese beauty company, has claimed the 2026 IFSCC Podium Fundamental Research Award at the 36th Congress of the International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) — a historic first for the company, with its research on "MGME1-Mediated Mitochondrial DNA Replication Homeostasis Regulates Skin Fibroblast Senescence via the cGAS-STING Pathway" selected from thousands of scientific papers submitted worldwide. In a second honor, a separate Proya paper was also named among this year's "IFSCC 2026 Top 10 Podium Fundamental Research Award" finalists. Presented at the Congress, held from September 28 to October 1 in Perth, Western Australia, the two awards mark Proya's second consecutive year of recognition on the IFSCC stage. Proya Cosmetics has become the first Chinese company to earn two awards at the same time at the IFSCC Congress.

Proya, as China's leading listed beauty company, was also named a "Technical Gold Benefactor" this year, in recognition of its sustained contribution to cosmetic science R&D.

IFSCC is often referred to as "the Nobel Prize of cosmetic science." This year's Congress, themed "Solving the Sustainable Beauty Equation," showcased frontier research from across the global cosmetic science community, accepting 76 papers for podium presentation and 749 for poster presentation in total. Proya Cosmetics had all 20 of its submitted works accepted, with four as podium presentations and 16 as posters. This marks the strongest showing in Proya's IFSCC history, both in the number of podium presentations and in the overall scale of accepted research, and sets a new record for the most podium presentations by a Chinese cosmetics company at a single IFSCC Congress.

This year, Proya Cosmetics presented research on mitochondrial anti-aging, pigmentation mechanisms, AI-driven active ingredient screening, and sunscreen film structural engineering. Together, these studies span fundamental skin science, active ingredients, and formulation technology, reflecting the company's shift in recent years from pursuing standalone research breakthroughs to building a systematic R&D capability.

The top-placed research was titled "MGME1-Mediated Mitochondrial DNA Replication Homeostasis Regulates Skin Fibroblast Aging via the cGAS-STING Pathway." It was honored as the sole "2026 IFSCC Podium Fundamental Research Award", presented by Song Yaling of Proya's Hangzhou Longwu R&D Center.

Chronic, low-grade inflammation is widely considered one of the key drivers behind skin aging. This research found that declining function of the regulatory factor MGME1 disrupts mitochondrial DNA replication, causing mitochondrial DNA to leak abnormally into the cell's cytoplasm. That, in turn, activates the cGAS-STING inflammatory signaling pathway, accelerating fibroblast senescence and disrupting collagen balance in the skin. The findings reveal a previously unclear connection between MGME1-driven mitochondrial DNA replication and fibroblast inflammation and aging, opening up a new upstream direction for anti-aging research.

The research is currently informing R&D and efficacy testing for Proya's Energy series and lays scientific groundwork for future anti-aging ingredient discovery. Mitochondria are increasingly becoming a central research focus within Proya's anti-aging program, from fundamental science through to product development.

The second paper, named among the Top 10 "2026 IFSCC Podium Fundamental Research Award" finalists was titled "Fibroblast Senescence Induced by Melanosome Internalization: Insights Into Inflammation, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Dermal Pigmentation," presented at the Congress by Feng Zhe of Proya's Hangzhou Longwu R&D Center.

Stubborn dark spots aren't just a surface-level problem, and this research shows why. The study found that once dermal fibroblasts absorb melanosomes — the granules that carry skin pigment — it triggers cellular senescence, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, which together drive visible pigmentation. Rather than focusing on the epidermis, as most pigmentation research does, this work looks deeper, into how melanin actually behaves and metabolizes within the dermis itself. That's what makes it possible to target the real biological root of stubborn, recurring dark spots, rather than just treating the surface.

The research establishes a new mechanistic connection between pigmentation, inflammation, mitochondrial function, and cellular senescence — offering fresh scientific insight into how uneven skin tone and skin aging are linked and opening a new research direction for future ingredient and product development.

At the same Congress, IFSCC also named Proya Cosmetics a Technical Gold Benefactor. The distinction is reserved for companies that have shown sustained, substantial investment in science and technology, and have actively helped advance the field of cosmetic science. Only three beauty companies worldwide currently hold this distinction. Mr. Robert McPherson, IFSCC President-Elect, remarked: "This shows the tremendous effort and scientific excellence taking place at Proya, and we're glad to see that shared with the international community. We also recognize that at the 2025 Congress, Proya's research was selected among the Top 10 podium presentations, which paved the way for Proya to become a Technical Gold Benefactor. That reflects not only Proya's continued support of IFSCC, but also its delivery of genuine technical excellence."

Proya Cosmetics Founder and Chairman Hou Juncheng said: "This honor recognizes not only Proya's longstanding commitment to scientific and technological innovation, but also the growing scientific strength of China's beauty industry. Scientific and technological innovation has always been the foundation of Proya's development and a core driver of our growth. As consumer needs become increasingly diverse and expectations for product performance continue to rise, we are steadily increasing our R&D investment, strengthening our global research network, bringing together scientific expertise and resources from around the world, and benchmarking ourselves against leading international standards. Looking ahead, we will remain equally committed to independent innovation and global collaboration. By competing internationally through stronger scientific capabilities, we aim to bring more original Chinese beauty technologies to the world and enable consumers everywhere to experience the scientific strength behind Chinese beauty."

In recent years, Proya Cosmetics has steadily increased its R&D investment, building a global research system anchored by the Hangzhou Longwu R&D Center, the Shanghai R&D Center, and the Europe Innovation Center. Since 2020, R&D investment has grown nearly threefold, and the research team has expanded to nearly 400 people, more than half holding master's or doctoral degrees. As of June 2026, Proya held 332 patents in total — 154 invention patents, 26 utility model patents, and 152 design patents. But the more telling number isn't the scale of that investment, but rather how consistently Proya Cosmetics is now turning research into real products.

Proya Cosmetics' progress at IFSCC tells a clear story. After winning the Top 10 Basic Research Award for its mitochondrial anti-aging research in 2025, the company returned this year claiming the Podium Fundamental Research Award for the first time, alongside being named a Top 10 finalist of the Podium Fundamental Research Award. These achievements reflect more than occasional standout results; they demonstrate a sustained commitment to original research and its consistent translation into tangible outcomes. Looking ahead, Proya Cosmetics will continue to deepen fundamental research in frontier fields such as skin science and life sciences, contributing more original technologies that can be validated and translated into practical applications to the global cosmetic science community. By strengthening its core scientific capabilities, the company aims to support the high-quality development of China's beauty industry and advance Chinese beauty innovation on the global stage.

About Proya Cosmetics

As a leading listed company specialized in the R&D, production, and sales of cosmetics in the domestic cosmetics industry, Proya Cosmetics Co., Ltd. (stock code: 603605) owns a diverse portfolio of brands including PROYA, TIMAGE, O&Relax, Flower Knows, HAPSODE, CORRECTORS, INSBAHA, Awaken Seeds, SINGULADERM, UZERO and ANYA. These brands cover a wide range of beauty product areas such as skincare, makeup, body and hair care, and high-efficacy skincare. In 2025, Proya Cosmetics reported revenue of RMB 10.597 billion, ranking first among Chinese cosmetics companies for three consecutive years. It is currently the only Chinese cosmetics company to achieve an annual revenue exceeding RMB 10 billion.

Since its founding, Proya Cosmetics has consistently prioritized technology as its core driver, establishing the Longwu R&D Center in Hangzhou, the Shanghai R&D Center, and the Europe Innovation Center. We have forged partnerships with the world's top ten premium raw material suppliers, industry associations, and academic institutions, introduced world-class R&D equipment, and accelerated the development of new technologies, evolving into an innovative enterprise with robust core competitiveness. Facing global competition, Proya Cosmetics has established its "Double Ten" strategic vision — "To rank among the top ten in the global cosmetics industry within the next decade" — and is dedicated to becoming a world-class beauty company. The company strives to lead the high-quality development of domestic beauty products, foster healthy and sustainable growth in China's beauty industry, and serve as an industry benchmark that propels Chinese beauty brands into the global top tier.

Media Contact:

Hanbing Li | PR Specialist for Proya Cosmetics
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Min Gong | PR support
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SOURCE Proya