Cosmetic expo by final-year pharmaceutical science students
The organising team, judges and students of Monash University Malaysia’s Cosmetic Expo 2026.
Creativity and science came together at Monash University Malaysia's Cosmetic Expo 2026, where final-year Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science students showcased skincare products they developed as part of their studies.
The Expo featured four teams, each presenting a skincare range consisting of a cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser and sunscreen. Throughout the semester, students researched consumer needs, developed their formulations, designed product branding and presented their work to a panel of industry judges.
The Expo gave students the opportunity to share their work with professionals from the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, receive feedback on their products and network.
Team Nefr.
Each team created its skincare range with a different group of consumers in mind. For example, Team Nefr developed products for people with sensitive skin, inspired by their own experiences of finding suitable skincare.
"We wanted to create a complete skincare range for people with sensitive skin because each of us has experienced skin problems ourselves," said team representative Amirul. Year 3, BPharmSci student.
"Everyone's skin is different. I hope more people understand the importance of choosing skincare that suits their own skin." said Amirul.
For him, the project was about much more than just making skincare products. "It's not only about creating a formula, we had to do a lot of research, follow Malaysian regulations, test our products and make sure they were safe and suitable for consumers. It was something we couldn't fully learn from lectures alone." he explained.
Meanwhile, Team Lumiere developed a skincare range designed for Malaysia's hot and humid weather, with lightweight products suitable for daily use.
For team representative Gee Qi, Year 3, BPharmSci student, learning to work together was one of the biggest lessons.
"We had many different ideas at the beginning and the biggest challenge was learning how to work through our differences and achieve the same goal." she said
Looking back, Gee Qi described the project in one word, enjoyable. "We never imagined we could create our own cosmetic products. Spending months working together and finally seeing the finished products made all the hard work worthwhile."
Team Lumiere.
Inspired by the freshness of morning dew, Team Embun created an affordable skincare range for people with oily skin living in humid climates.
Jasmine Liaw from Team Embun said the project showed the team that developing cosmetic products takes patience and teamwork.
"Product formulation isn't as easy as it looks and iIt takes a lot of trial and error, feedback and teamwork." she said.
"We kept improving our formulations until all five products worked well together as one complete skincare routine." explained Jasmine.
Team Embun.
Team Hydrea drew inspiration from the ocean to develop a lightweight skincare range that focuses on hydration and strengthening the skin barrier for people living in Southeast Asia.
Asia Ng from team Hydrea said seeing their ideas become real products was the team's proudest moment.
"We kept improving them step by step until we achieved the results we wanted. Seeing how far we had come made us really proud."
Team Hydrea.
Throughout the Expo, industry judges assessed each team's products based on their formulations, scientific approach, branding and commercial potential. Their feedback gave students valuable insights into current industry expectations.
The Expo also created opportunities for students to connect with professionals from the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, including Monash University Malaysia alumni who returned to share their experiences and career advice.
By combining science, creativity and teamwork, the Cosmetic Expo gave students an opportunity to apply what they had learned in the classroom to a real-world challenge. As Monash University Malaysia’s first Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science cohort prepares to graduate, the Expo showcases the knowledge, practical skills and confidence they have gained throughout their studies.