When TWELVE Beauty, founder Pedro Catalá isn't in his lab, he's on a plane...usually bound for In-Cosmetics Global in Paris, its counterpart in Bangkok, or any number of specialized ingredient fairs across Milan and Barcelona. As one of clean beauty's most rigorous formulators, Pedro attends these expos not to chase trends but to interrogate them. Which ingredients emerging from biotech labs and ancient botanical traditions are genuinely worth your attention? Which are noise?

In this guest post, Pedro walks us through how he navigates the dizzying world of raw materials — from PDRN (yes, salmon sperm) to deep-sea microorganisms to enzyme-activated traditional plants — and why the most exciting ingredient story in skincare right now isn't about what's new; it's about what's finally been perfected.

If you have ever stepped onto the floor of a global skincare fair, you know the feeling: it is a sensory marathon. From the bustling aisles of In-Cosmetics Global in Paris to the high-tech energy of its Asian counterpart in Bangkok and the intimate, specialized labs of Cosmetorium in Barcelona and Making Cosmetics in Milan, the world of raw materials is a constant hum of "the next big thing."

I travel to these fairs because I believe that as a formulator, I must never stop being a student. To create products that truly respect the skin’s physiology, I need to know what tools are available. But there is a secret to navigating these events: just because an ingredient is new doesn't mean it’s necessary.

The Art of the "Ingredient Resurrection"

One of my favorite things to witness lately is the industry's ability to look backward to move forward. We are seeing a beautiful "resurrection" of traditional ingredients—botanicals and minerals used for centuries—now being re-examined through the lens of modern biotechnology. Salmon sperm, anyone?

We are taking the wisdom of the past and "cleaning it up"—optimizing extraction processes to ensure potency without the irritation or the lack of ethical sourcing that sometimes plagued older formulations. It’s not about reinventing the wheel; it’s about refining it until it runs perfectly.

The Formulator’s Discipline: Knowledge vs. Impulse

When I walk through the "Innovation Zones," I see incredible breakthroughs: neuro-cosmetics that claim to "talk" to your brain, or microorganisms from the deep sea that are true survivors. It is easy to get "ingredient fever." For those who know me, I do get carried away; I become over-enthusiastic and go totally crazy for a few seconds. Maybe it’s a Spanish thing!

Luckily, my more rational side eventually surfaces and whispers, "Pedro, you do not need another hyaluronic acid or botanical alternative to retinol." I am certain I must be one of the most irritating visitors; I approach the stands as if I’m going to buy the whole production site, but the closer I get, the quicker I realize it’s not for me. (Though I do still fall for good lighting and cool furniture!)

Jokes aside, what I really do is treat newly acquired knowledge like a library. To use an English expression I’ve always liked, I put these new ideas on the back burner.

The Reverent Antioxidant Dry Body Oil: This was an idea I’d had since my second year of college in the early 90s. It started as a herbal tonic lotion for “heavy legs”, made to boost circulation and lymphatic drainage. I waited 25 years to launch it, finally replacing the old base with natural, skin-friendly ingredients to achieve that impossible-to-match sensorial feel. It is wow.

The Great Barrier Relief Hand Cream: This was a project I left abandoned for years until I found ingredients with a real purpose. I didn’t want to launch "just another natural hand cream," but when I came across specific traditional plants activated by enzymes, I had my eureka moment and finished the formula.

I find this approach much better for my mental health. I’d rather use a well-vetted, reliable ingredient that I have studied for years than rush a "trendy" active into a bottle just to be the first to market.

Bringing it Home to San Francisco

My recent travels have reinforced my commitment to what we do at Twelve Beauty and what we share with our friends at Ayla. Whether I am in Milan looking at the latest in "green chemistry" or in Seoul exploring Asian biodiversity, my goal remains the same: to find what truly works for the skin.

I bring back a suitcase full of ideas, but only a tiny fraction of those will ever make it into a Twelve Beauty formula. When you see a new ingredient in one of my products, know that it isn't there because I saw it on a poster in Paris last month—it’s there because it finally earned its place.

My motto: Stay curious, but stay grounded.

Besos,
Pedro