Kazuki Kobayashi wins 2026 Henry Maso Award

Congratulations to Kazuki Kobayashi (POLA Chemical Industries, Japan), our 2026 Henry Maso Award winner for his paper: Can Ultra-Fine-Bubble serve as a new means of cosmetic emulsification? published in IFSCC Magazine Vol.28 (1).

In winning this award, Kazuki joins an elite group of young researchers who represent the future of cosmetic science.

On hearing the news, Kabuki commented: “I am truly honored to receive the IFSCC 2026 Henry Maso Award and I deeply appreciate the recognition from the IFSCC committee.”

He will attend the IFSCC 2026 Congress in Perth to accept his award on stage at the Opening Ceremony. IFSCC will cover his airfare, hotel and ground transportation (up to CHF 5,000) as well as his Congress registration.

The Henry Maso Award is presented at IFSCC Congresses in even-numbered years to the Author of the best paper by a young scientist in an issue of the IFSCC Magazine published in the preceding two years so the next winner will attend the 38th Congress in Las Vegas. Authors must be no older than 40 years on the date of their paper submission.

Kazuki Kobayashi has been engaged in fundamental research on cosmetic formulations at POLA Chemical Industries for approximately six years. He majored in chemistry at Tokyo University of Science, focusing on surface chemistry during his master’s program. His research achievements have been published in several peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Currently, he leads research applying ultrafine bubbles, which are extremely small gas bubbles invisible to the naked eye, to cosmetic formulations. This work incorporates physical equipment technologies originating outside traditional cosmetic chemistry, enabling the handling of gases in ways previously difficult to achieve through conventional chemical approaches. He also manages a small team advancing this innovative research theme.

Kobayashi actively presents his work at academic conferences. At the IFSCC 2024 Iguazu Falls Congress, he was selected as one of the Top 10 Poster presenters. He has also delivered three additional invited oral presentations at domestic and international scientific meetings.

His goal is to develop highly original cosmetic dosage forms by integrating technologies from different disciplines, creating new sensory value and functionalities that have been challenging to realize with conventional cosmetics. He aims to deliver these innovations globally and contribute to addressing societal challenges through cosmetic science.