Miss Perfect – Total Care Balm: Retro Beauty Meets Modern Microcare® Innovation

In January 2026, THOR attended the Cosmet’Agora tradeshow in Paris, France, to showcase our skincare, hair care and wider Microcare® personal care formulation portfolio. The annual event also runs a Prix de la Formulation (Formulation Award) every year, giving exhibitors the opportunity to demonstrate their innovative prowess and products in action, to a theme set by the competition organisers.

As a company with innovation inherent in our DNA, these events provide a perfect showcase THOR’s multitude of formulation strengths. So, for Cosmet’Agora 2026 and this year’s theme of ‘Retro Beauty Trends’, we introduced the world to the specially formulated prototype, Miss Perfect – Total Care Balm.

Why Retro Beauty Trends Matter in 2026

Cosmet’Agora’s Formulation Awards challenged entrants to reinterpret 1950s icons through today’s lenses of naturality, durability, efficacy, and transparency. The personal care industry’s shift towards clean and sustainable formulations, and multifunctional products for simplified beauty routines presents a golden opportunity for brands to take advantage of THOR’s Microcare® personal care solutions. Enter: Miss Perfect!

Miss Perfect – Total Care Balm responds to the competition brief with a retro chic, multi-purpose balm that delivers hydration, comfort and a healthy glow, anytime, anywhere, in a compact, travel-friendly format!

Meeting Demand for Multifunctional, Portable Skincare

Consumers are increasingly seeking simplified routines and portable formats without having to sacrifice sensorial pleasure or performance. According to Mintel¹, customers actively look for products that deliver multiple benefits in a single format, with 41% of UK-based hand/body/footcare users wanting multifunctional products usable on multiple body parts. Elsewhere, 31% of Chinese consumers prefer multifunctional products beauty and personal care products over single-function ones, whilst 18% of US skincare users consider multifunctionality an indicator of good value.

Miss Perfect merges multifunctionality, portability, and sensorial luxury into one elegant solution, designed for face, hands, cuticles, and dry spots throughout the day.

Formulation Innovations Behind the Prototype

Demonstrating cross-category innovation, THOR’s team of personal care formulation experts adapted quaternary conditioning actives, typically reserved for hair care products, to create exceptional softness, a silky finish, and a non-greasy glow. This elevates the sensorial profile beyond conventional wax heavy balms.

Mintel analysis² shows an increase in patent registrations for products pairing moisturising benefits with anti-ageing, barrier repair, or skin health claims. Moreover, 84% of US personal care users are interested in, or willing to pay more, for products with multiple uses, reinforcing the market readiness for multifunctional concepts, and putting formulators to the test.

What makes Microcare® Ingredients different?

Microcare® Quat LDG for nourishment and protection

Microcare® Quat LDG is a liquid, multifunctional conditioning active derived from olive oil. Proven across hair care, skin care and wet wipe applications, it delivers high levels of skin hydration and elasticity, supports global hair repair, and provides a soft, comfortable after‑feel in wet wipe formulations.

Microcare® Emollient HGD for lightweight glide and refined sensoriality.

Microcare® Emollient HGD is a high performance, multifunctional ingredient that combines emollient conditioning with antioxidant support and preservative boosting efficacy. Designed for modern personal care formulations, its optimised blend of glycols and antioxidant actives deliver broad spectrum protection against bacteria, yeasts and moulds, while supporting skin compatibility and simplified, minimalist formulations.

Microcare® Quat EQG for deep hydration and long-lasting softness.

Microcare® Quat EQG, is a versatile ester-quat that offers multifunctional activity like conditioning, emulsifying and preservative boosting properties to cosmetic formulations. It is the perfect answer to Clean Beauty trends and consumer expectations. Specially designed to replace the functions of several ingredients, formulators can create simple but highly effective formulations for skin and hair care products, as well as in wet wipes. An ideal solution for less-is-more formulations, Microcare® Quat EQG is an unparalleled option to simplify and enhance your products.

Miss Perfect boasts proven moisturising performance. Instrumental corneometer tests (THOR Method MOT 01, Multi Skin Center® MC 750) show +55% hydration for the Microcare® Quat LDG and Microcare® Quat EQG formula compared to untreated skin, and up to +83% hydration when 1.5% Microcare® Emollient HGD is included. Achieving an ISO 16128 NOC of 88.73% also reflects THOR’s dedication to naturality, without compromising efficacy.

Proven Performance: Hydration & Sensorial Testing Results

• Deep, long-lasting hydration without occlusive heaviness.

• Non-greasy glow, elegant, modern touch.

• Multi-purpose, portable care in a compact format.

• Velvety sensoriality with instant melt in texture.

Challenges Solved in Development

Adapting quats for skin: our experts used quaternary actives more commonly utilised in hair products, to balance conditioning performance with a soft, non-tacky finish. This required careful selection of our Microcare® Quat LDG and Microcare® Quat EQG ratios, as well as the addition of Microcare® Emollient HGD to optimise glide and preservation of the formulation.

Texture engineering: to achieve an optimum balm application that melts quickly yet remains portable, called for a measured blend of cocoa and shea butters, as well as isoamyl laurate ester, alongside the Microcare® actives.

Process control: tight thermal profiles ensured full dissolution of phases and a stable emulsion before cool-down and late-stage addition of sensitive components.

Full scope of benefits

• Hydration & comfort: immediate and sustained moisturisation for dry, tight areas.

• Protection & softness: conditioning actives support a supple, protected feel.

• Elegant sensoriality: lightweight glide, velvety finish, healthy radiance.

• On the go practicality: compact, multi-use format; one product, many uses.

Miss Perfect at Cosmet’Agora 2026

Presented within the Cosmet’Agora ‘Prix de la Formulation’ framework, Miss Perfect exemplifies the Retro Beauty theme while offering the perfect opportunity for our Microcare® scientists to flex their formulation muscles!

The event has been a great way to showcase not only THOR’s formulation credentials, but also our knowledge of established and emerging industry trends and our ability to react and innovate at speed to bring new and improved products to market and meet modern expectations of efficacy and transparency.

Sample tins were offered out to passers-by from THOR’s stand at Cosmet’Agora. The activity generated strong engagement, with on site feedback providing encouraging insights into sensorial skincare appeal and overall consumer interest.

Explore More Microcare® Innovation

Miss Perfect – Total Care Balm demonstrates how Microcare® ingredients meet 2026’s demand for multifunctional, natural, sensorial beauty. Learn more about our Microcare® expertise and our work across the Skin Care, Hair Care, Wet Wipes, Toiletries, and Decorative Cosmetics sectors, or get in touch below to speak with an expert!

_{1 - Mintel – Patent Insights: Multifunctional Dermocosmetics – July 2024}

_{2 - Mintel – Patent Insights: Multifunctional Dermocosmetics – July 2024}

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