The world’s No. 1 cosmetics original design manufacturer (ODM), COSMAX, is leading the ultra-personalized market in the haircare sector by applying artificial intelligence (AI) across research and development, production, and consumer-tailored services. The company is strengthening its technological competitiveness in scalp and hair research by applying AI capabilities accumulated company-wide, including the development of an alopecia areata prediction model trained on approximately 22 million health checkup records from Korea and Japan.

COSMAX recently developed an AI-based alopecia areata prediction model and filed a patent application. While traditional hair-loss prediction often relies on invasive methods such as genetic testing or microbiome analysis involving the collection of biological samples, this model non-invasively predicts risk using national health checkup data from Korea and Japan. It comprehensively analyzes 33 variables, including physiological and medical indicators such as blood pressure and liver function, as well as demographic and socioeconomic indicators, thereby taking into account living environment and psychosocial factors.

COSMAX has test-applied this algorithm to its personalized beauty platform “VINIC.” Depending on the questionnaire results, it recommends products based on “SOYACT,” a non-notified functional ingredient for hair-loss alleviation, or solutions containing the premium ingredient “GANOXYL.” The company plans to realize ultra-personalized services that propose products tailored to each individual’s risk level based on data.

The research is also being expanded to reflect scalp characteristics by race. COSMAX analyzed the scalp lipidome of 387 East Asian, European, and African subjects and classified scalp types into three categories. It identified racial differences in lipid structures and vulnerability factors, as well as common lipid conditions associated with hair loss, and plans to develop race-specific biomarker panels and customized products based on these findings.

This haircare research is grounded in the AI capabilities COSMAX has accumulated across the organization. After declaring a transition to “Digital COSMAX” in 2020, the company established CAI (COSMAX AI) Lab, a dedicated AI organization, in 2021. Having introduced AI into key cosmetics development areas such as skincare, color cosmetics, and fragrance, COSMAX is now extending its use to production sites and consumer services.

In the skincare sector, the company developed a “texture standard measurement technology” that quantifies sensory feel by analyzing the relationships among physical properties such as spreadability, viscosity, and elasticity. In the color cosmetics sector, its “smart color-matching AI system” predicts final coloration from the initial formulation stage. In fragrance, COSMAX has developed an algorithm trained on data for more than 8,600 types of molecules and scents, enabling it to predict olfactory characteristics from molecular structure alone and identify off-notes early in the formulation process.

AI has also been applied to production sites. At the Pyeongtaek 2 Plant, the introduction of AI robots on half of all production lines has increased productivity by 40% compared with previous levels. In collaboration with U.S. AI healthcare startup Eon Health, the company is developing a model that analyzes biometric signals and activity data from wearable devices along with skin photographs to recommend personalized cosmetics. COSMAX also plans to leverage product and consumer data accumulated with more than 5,000 clients worldwide.

The company is achieving haircare results in materials and mechanism-of-action research as well. “Corelink-S,” co-developed with Seoul National University, restores cystine bonds in hair and improves the tensile strength of damaged hair by more than 120%. It was selected as a finalist in the Hair Care Formulation category of the Cosmopack Awards at “Cosmoprof Bologna” this year. In addition, COSMAX elucidated the mechanism of stress-induced graying using human hair follicle organoids and, based on this achievement, became the first in Korea’s beauty industry to win a main award at the 2025 International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists (IFSCC) Congress.

Business performance is also following. COSMAX’s haircare division sales in the first half of 2026 increased by about 65% year-on-year, and the company has filed 37 related patents over the past three years. It is pursuing collaboration targeting the curly-hair market with functional ingredient company ScienceCo, and has established a joint venture, “Trinex,” with Japanese distributor Fujishin to build a customized business model that combines AI formulation technology with the local distribution network.

A COSMAX official stated, “By connecting AI and big data from research and development through production to consumer-tailored services, we are enhancing competitiveness across the entire cosmetics development process,” adding, “Based on our accumulated data and research achievements, we will present customized solutions by race and hair type and lead the ultra-personalization trend in haircare.”

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