The Company Trains AI on 36 Years of Proprietary Formulation Data
Headquarters building of Kolmar Korea. (Photo courtesy of Kolmar Korea)
Kolmar Korea has set out to secure market leadership by establishing a formulation design system utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in the research and development (R&D) of sunscreens. The plan is to digitally transform the product development system by utilizing proprietary formulation data accumulated over 36 years for AI training. This is interpreted as a strategy to strengthen AI-based sun care design capabilities.
The industry evaluates Kolmar Korea’s strategy as ‘Sun Care 2.0,’ expanding from formulation design to post-management based on AI and data. This is a point of differentiation from the existing Sun Care 1.0, which remained in the competition for UV protection performance.
According to Kolmar Korea on April 28, the UV Tech Innovation Research Institute under the Advanced Institute of Technology is operating an ‘AI-based personalized formulation design system.’ The core of the technology is that AI optimizes ingredient combination experiments, which researchers used to conduct over several months, in a short time by calculating thousands of variables such as climate, skin condition, and UV patterns. This holds the significance of establishing a data-based precise formulation development design, breaking away from the existing method that relied on the proficiency of research personnel.
The competitiveness of the AI technology pursued by Kolmar Korea lies in its long-accumulated proprietary formulation data and field application experience. The company explained that the core of its competitiveness is utilizing UV-related data, accumulated while collaborating with about 4,800 client companies over 36 years, for AI training.
This system reduces R&D costs and advances the new product launch cycle by automatically designing the optimal raw material mixing ratio at the pre-experiment stage. A Kolmar Korea official stated, “Proprietary formulation data can act as a technical entry barrier that latecomers will find difficult to catch up with in a short period of time.”
The application range of UV protection is also expanding from the existing face and body focus to other areas such as the scalp. Kolmar Korea recently succeeded in developing ‘Scalp Sun Essence,’ a sunscreen exclusively for the scalp. It is characterized by solving the stickiness unique to UV protection ingredients by optimizing the mixing ratio of water and oil components. The company added that AI technology, which quickly reviews complex mixing conditions, can be utilized in the development process of such new formulations.
Based on its UV protection technology, Kolmar Korea introduced AI simulation to the development of eco-friendly materials. It is shortening the verification period by utilizing AI to predict the performance of a microplastic alternative material being jointly developed with the global chemical company Eastman. The strategy is to increase research efficiency by confirming the safety and protection performance of new materials through simulation prior to experiments.
The growth trend of the global sun care market is giving momentum to Kolmar Korea’s moves. According to the market research firm Fortune Business Insights, the global sun care market is predicted to grow at an annual average of about 6%, from $16.12 billion in 2026 to $25.63 billion in 2034.
Kolmar Korea plans to expand this technology in the future into services that notify the time for sunscreen reapplication based on real-time skin conditions by linking with smartphones or wearable devices. The plan is to evolve beyond cosmetics manufacturing into a ‘digital health solution’ platform with data assets as a core competitive edge. This is interpreted as a strategy to expand sun care from a product-centric focus to a data-based management service.
A Kolmar Korea official stated, “Sunscreen is a scientific domain that designs the interaction between the skin and light,” and added, “Through AI, we will secure the core driving force to lead the standard of global sun care technology.”
Choi Mun-hee
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