CosBeauty Magazine #74

the Innovative new methods for testing
the safety of cosmetics.
Words by Terri Vinson (BSc. DipFormChem. DipEd)
Founder and Formulator of Synergie Skin.
Animal testing in the cosmetic
industry has become archaic,
and alternative testing
methods are growing. These new
methods are certainly more ethical
and are invariably more cost-effective
than breeding and testing products
on laboratory animals.
Animal testing has sadly been
conducted by cosmetic companies
for decades. Companies find it
more convenient to repeat the tests
that have always been performed
rather than adopt newer and more
reliable tests.
Alternatives to animal testing
are not only more ethical, they are
simply better. For example, animal
tests performed on pregnant rats to
predict the effect of chemicals on
unborn foetuses could only detect
60% of dangerous substances, a fairly
unreliable statistic. However, stem cell
culture tests that caused zero harm to
the rats were able to detect an accurate
100% of dangerous substances.
Silicon chip
organs
New technology has enabled entire
human organs to be mapped and
reproduced on chips. These devices
are able to mimic live organs and
can be used to test effectiveness and
safety of substances on humans. The
skin, being the largest organ of the
human body, can now be reproduced
on a computer chip. Scientists are
currently striving to create an entire
human body on a single chip!
Computer models
Modern technology now has the
ability to replicate aspects of the
human body. Computer skin models
can be used to conduct virtual
experiments based on existing
information and mathematical data.
Skin cell cultures
Science has developed innovative
methods to culture human skin
cells and even 3D skin models in a
laboratory, enabling cosmeceutical
companies to finally be able to
test the effectiveness and safety of
ingredients in ‘ex vivo’ trials rather
than using live animal studies.
Human tissue
donors
Human volunteers may also donate
skin cells and biopsies for skin studies.
Biopsies following cosmetic surgery
and even transplants of healthy and
diseased skin can provide cosmetic
companies and dermatologists with
the tools to study the physiology of
human skin and effects of cosmetic
ingredients. This tissue can be used
to create human skin models which
can replace the traditional rabbit
irritation tests.
Reconstituted human skin models
produced by innovative companies
such as Episkin can be used to replace
the common Draize skin irritation
tests performed on rabbits. The
rudimentary Draize Rabbit irritation
test, which was developed in 1944,
can only predict 60% of adverse skin
reactions. By utilising a 3D human
skin cell culture method, we can
accurately predict over 90% of skin
irritant reactions. Episkin tests have
proven to be more effective than
animal models at predicting human
skin reactions to cosmetic ingredients.
human volunteers
Testing the efficacy of novel
cosmeceutical ingredients is often
performed on live human volunteers.
Companies such as Lipotec test
the effectiveness of ingredients on
groups of individuals (usually around
20 volunteers in cosmetic studies).
Results of these in vivo studies
provide statistically significant results
for marketing purposes.
Sophisticated new imaging devices
such as the Visia scanner produced
by Canfield, world leaders in medical
imaging, can produce reliable clinical
data showing the effect of ingredients
on facial lines, redness, uneven skin
tone, UV damage and pore size.
Reliable and analytical medical before
and after images provide competing
data for cosmeceutical companies
which can replace animal tests.
The Chinese government currently
conducts routine animal testing
on cosmetic products imported
directly to China. Thankfully, there
is increasing pressure on China,
mainly from Europe and the UK,
to seek alternative methods for
testing cosmetics.
Whilst new methods are being
developed as viable alternatives to
animal testing, organisations such
as CCF (Choose Cruelty free) are
overcoming bureaucratic obstacles
and striving to convince cosmetic
companies to shift from traditional
animal testing to newer and more
ethical alternatives. There are still
challenges faced in convincing
companies to adopt and implement
new testing methods but the
alternatives are real, reliable and,
quite simply, right. CBM
www.cosbeauty.com.au 59