Featuring: Jennifer O’Hara, Director of Technical Marketing and Commercialization, Inolex
Summary
Jennifer O’Hara shares how Inolex is positioning its ingredient portfolio around safer, greener and “simply better” technologies for skin, hair and sun care. At in-cosmetics Global 2026, the company spotlighted LexFeel® Shine, a silicone alternative for anti-frizz hair care designed to deliver performance, shine and bounce without traditional silicone-based systems.
Meet Jennifer O’Hara
Jennifer O’Hara is Director of Technical Marketing and Commercialization at Inolex.
Speaking from in-cosmetics Global 2026, she explains that the company is focused on ingredient technologies for:
- Skin care
- Hair care
- Sun care
Its ambition is to create alternatives that are “safer, greener, and simply better”.Pull quote:“We’re boldly pursuing ingredients that are safer, greener and simply better.”
Better Alternatives for Modern Formulation
O’Hara says Inolex is looking at technologies that can offer alternatives to ingredients such as:
- Silicones
- Phenoxyethanol
- Microplastics
- Quats / BTAC
For the company, the opportunity lies in improving the “chassis” of formulations — the base ingredients that make up the bulk of many cosmetic products.
LexFeel® Shine: Anti-Frizz Without Silicones
One of the key technologies highlighted is LexFeel® Shine, which Inolex is positioning for anti-frizz hair care.
O’Hara explains that many current anti-frizz products rely on silicones, but Inolex wanted to see whether it could achieve similar — or better — performance without them.
The company tested the technology against industry benchmarks and then moved into salon trials, placing the ingredient in the hands of hair professionals to test on different hair types.
Pull quote: “Can we still get the same performance, but without silicones?”
Salon Testing and Textured Hair Performance
According to O’Hara, testing showed strong results across different hair types, including 3C hair and kinkier textures.
She says products formulated with LexFeel® Shine helped to:
- Reduce frizz
- Elongate curls
- Improve shine
- Create a lighter, bouncier feel
- Deliver visible performance without heaviness
Pull quote: “It elongated the curls, reduced the frizz.”
Why It Matters Now
For O’Hara, the importance of LexFeel® Shine lies in its ability to combine performance with a more considered ingredient approach.
Rather than relying on “forever chemicals”, she says brands can use what Inolex calls “timeless ingredients” to create anti-frizz products that still look and feel good.
in-cosmetics Global 2026: Energy, Actives and the Formulation Base
Reflecting on the show, O’Hara says in-cosmetics Global 2026 has strong energy and a more evenly laid-out three-floor format.
However, she notes that much of the industry attention is focused on active ingredients and trend-led technologies such as PDRN. For Inolex, the bigger opportunity is to bring more attention back to base ingredients and how to make the formulation chassis perform better.Pull quote:“I’m not seeing enough of the base ingredients and how to make chassis better.”
