Young Scientist Essay Prize
Maison G de Navarre Young Scientist Essay Prize
First awarded in 1988, this prize is now awarded annually to enable a young cosmetic scientist to attend an IFSCC Congress.
The 2026 prize will be an invitation to attend the 2026 IFSCC Congress in Perth, Australia, with the cost of travel, accommodation and registration fees up to, but not exceeding, 5000 Swiss Francs, being reimbursed by the IFSCC. Any member of a member society of the IFSCC may apply, if they are no more than 35 years of age when they submit their essay (note: this means the Author can be 35 years, 364 days old when they submit their essay).
Applicant requirements
- Essay submission
Applicants should submit a blind essay of between 500 and 3,000 words on one of five topics chosen below, along with the entry form. The winner is determined by Committee, which receives blinded copies of all submitted essays. - Local Society Membership
By the time of submission, applicants must be members of good standing in their Society, which in turn must be current in its Federation subscription. - Age Requirements
Any member of a member society of the IFSCC may apply, if they are no more than 35 years of age when they submit their essay (note: this means the Author can be 35 years, 364 days old when they submit their essay). - Interview Process
The top essays chosen by the prize committee will undergo virtual interviews with questions on their essays. These interviews will be conducted by a group of members of the IFSCC Praesidium. The individual who provides the most exceptional answers, as collectively agreed upon by the prize committee, will then be declared the winner. - AI Detection
All submitted essays will be screened using AI-detection software to verify originality and compliance with the submission guidelines. Any essay flagged by the AI-detection screening will be automatically disqualified. Please note that AI-detection tools cannot reliably distinguish between an essay generated by AI and an essay written by a human but checked with tools for grammar or English-language support. For this reason, we strongly encourage authors to ensure their submissions are fully original and carefully reviewed before submitting. - Attend the IFSCC Congress
The Award winner must attend the Congress and accept the Prize in person. The winner will be invited to attend the next IFSCC congress with the cost of travel, accommodation and registration fees up to, but not exceeding, 5,000 CHF, being reimbursed by the IFSCC.
How to apply
-
Essay submission
Download form
The applicant enters the competition by emailing a copy of the blind essay (in English only) and the entry form before 1 April 2026 (applications will be accepted until 31 March 2026 at 23:59 CET) to secretariat@ifscc.org (subject line: “MGdN 2026 submission”), cc’ing the office of the Member Society to which the applicant belongs. -
Interview
The top essays chosen by the prize committee will undergo virtual interviews with questions on their essays. The individual who provides the most exceptional answers, as collectively agreed upon by the prize committee, will then be declared the winner. -
Winner announcement
The winner will be announced on our social media profiles and website at the end of July, and will be recognized in person during the Opening Ceremony at the next IFSCC Congress.
- Extreme Personalization and Hyper-targeting
Moving beyond current generic cosmetic product categories, investigate the future of ultra-personalized formulations. Reflect on what precise, real-time individual data these formulations should be based upon. Considering genetic analysis, skin microbiome profiles, living environment and lifestyle, explore how truly unique products can be created for a truly unique individual. - Artificial Intelligence and the Connected Experience
Reflect on the integration of AI and connected technology to transform both the consumer experience and product development in cosmetics. Discuss how AI, by analyzing millions of data points, can support cosmetic products innovation, and recommend personalized routines. Furthermore, explore how AI can assist in conceiving new connected devices or real-time diagnostic tools for precise cosmetic applications and personalized tracking. - Neurocosmetics and Holistic Well-being
Discuss how the recognition of the interconnectedness between the brain, nervous system, and skin (the brain-gut-skin axis) paves the way for neurocosmetics. Explore how this field could influence emotional well-being or protect the skin from the effects of psychological stress. Furthermore, analyze how this approach can integrate general well-being and overall health within a broader vision of holistic beauty. - Sustainability and Circular Eco-design
Facing environmental challenges, tomorrow’s cosmetics must be intrinsically sustainable. This encompasses the entire product lifecycle: from ingredients to production, through packaging and consumption. Discuss the challenges the cosmetic industry faces in embedding the future of its products within a circular economy where nothing is wasted. - Biotechnologies and Microbiome Science
The potential of biotechnology-derived ingredients is immense. Explore how respecting the balance of this community of microorganisms on our skin is crucial for its health and beauty, and how new, ultra-effective, and sustainable active ingredients can be developed by understanding microbiome. Investigate how modulation of the skin microbiome can boost innovation of new “intelligent” cosmetics that interact with skin biology?
Topics for the
2026 prize
Past winners
- Congratulations to Jun Miao of China’s Pechoin, our 2025 winner with his essay ‘The Science of Healthy Aging: Strategies for Skin Longevity’. We had a record number of valid essay entries this year so this really is a brilliant achievement. We presented the award on stage during the Opening Ceremony of the FSCC 2025 Cannes Congress on 15 September.
- Congratulations to our 2024 winner, Kerry-Anne Viljoen (nee White) from Environ, South Africa. Her essay choice was ‘Sustainability and Circular Economy in Cosmetic Formulations: Life Cycle Thinking’. Kerry-Anne has an MSc in Chemistry and has previously worked in Materials Science, Failure Investigations and Vendor Management roles. She has also completed the Coschem Cosmetic Science Course.
- Dr Marta Gonçalves from of the Department of Advanced Materials Science & Engineering at Korea’s Sungkyunkwan University was the winner of the IFSCC 2023 Maison G de Navarre Young Scientist Essay Prize. Dr Gonçalves completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Porto and her master’s degree at the University of Lisbon in Portugal before moving to Korea’s Sungkyunkwan’s Institute of Nanoscience and Technology (SAINT) to complete her doctoral studies.
- The winner of the 2021 IFSCC Maison G de Navarre Young Scientist Essay Prize is Jin Hui Zuo of China (Shanghai Pechoin Daily Chemical Co Ltd). He was presented with his award virtually at the 2021 IFSCC virtual Cancun Conference in 2021. A formal award presentation will be done at the 2022 IFSCC Congress in London.
- The winner of the 2019 IFSCC Maison G de Navarre Young Scientist Essay Prize was Yan Liu of China (Shanghai Pechoin Daily Chemical Co Ltd). He was presented with his award at the 2019 IFSCC Conference in Milan.
MG de Navarre Young Scientist Prize Winners
Jun Miao’s essay, The Science of Healthy Aging: Strategies for Skin Longevity was assessed through our blinded review process and was recognized as the best following interviews.
Kerry-Anne Viljoen’s MG de Navarre winning essay Sustainability and Circular Economy in Cosmetic Formulations: Life Cycle Thinking sees her heading to the 2024 Brazil Congress courtesy of the IFSCC
Dr Marta Gonçalves won the 2023 Maison G de Navarre Young Scientist Essay Prize with her essay Evolution of Clean Beauty: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future. Her prize was a fully paid trip to the 2023 Congress in Barcelona (4-7 September 2023)
Jin Hui Zuo won the 2021 Maison G de Navarre Young Scientist Prize with his essay New anti-aging strategy of cosmetics, from skin physiology to skin “psychology”. His prize was a fully paid trip to the 2022 Congress in London (19-22 September 2022)
Yan Liu won the 2019 Maison G de Navarre Young Scientist Prize with his essay The Human Skin Microbiome: A New Way to Beauty. His prize was a fully paid trip to the 2019 Conference in Milan (30 September – 2 October 2019)
2017 Franziska Wandrey (Mibelle) won the prize with her essay, How science, technology and social changes influence the cosmetics of the future. Her prize was a fully paid trip to the 2017 Conference in Seoul
2015 Chaikriangkrai Amata (KOSÉ Corporation, Japan) won the prize with his essay From an Eco-friendly to an Eco-improving World of Cosmetic Science: Addressing Water Pollution in Emerging and Developing Societies. His prize was a fully paid trip to the 2015 Conference in Zurich
Here are the most recent winning essays
2025 Maison G de Navarre Winning Essay
2024 Maison G de Navarre Winning Essay
2023 Maison G de Navarre Winning Essay
2019 Maison G de Navarre Winning Essay
2017 Maison G de Navarre Winning Essay
2015 Maison G de Navarre Winning Essay
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