Recap and Latest Developments

Animal testing is banned in many countries. South Korea was one of the pioneers that protected animal rights since 2013. According to South Korea’s Cosmetics Act, no cosmetics or cosmetic ingredients for which animal testing was conducted, should be distributed in South Korea. The ban on animal testing also applies to imported cosmetics.

To guide cosmetic enterprises in smoothly conducting safety tests, the Korean authority has published twenty-nine guidelines on alternative animal testing methods. This article summarises all Korean officially published alternative animal testing methods, along with the latest developments.

Alternative Animal Testing Guidelines Published by MFDS

Exemptions from Animal Testing Ban

However, MFDS specifies six situations which animal testing can be adopted on cosmetics:

1. Situation when animal testing is needed to determine the standards for using raw materials requiring a specific restriction on usage, such as preservatives, coloring or sun-blocks, or to assess hazards of cosmetics raw materials, etc., posing risks to public health;
2. Situation when animal testing is needed because no alternative to animal testing exists;
3. Situation when animal testing is needed to export cosmetics following the statutes and regulations of the exporting country;
4. Situation when animal testing is needed for product development following the statutes and regulations of the importing country;
5. Situation when raw materials developed through animal testing conducted under other statutes and regulations are used for the manufacture, etc. of cosmetics;
6. Other cases prescribed by MFSD, where it is impractical to conduct alternatives to animal testing.

Latest Developments

On October 18, 2023, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) issued a new alternative animal testing guideline, named Guideline of Alternative Animal Testing Methods for Cosmetics: Eye Irritation(Acute Eye Damage or Irritation) Test using Reconstructed human Cornea-like Epithelium (RhCE)(인체각막유사 상피모델을 이용한 안 유해성 시험법). This guideline is established based on the latest OECD-approved alternative testing methods. The “eye damage or irritation” refers to harmful effects such as damage or irritation that occur when the test substance comes into contact with the eyes. RhCE eye irritation test method is expected to help enterprises develop safer cosmetic products without animal testing.

Further Reading

• South Korea Modifies the Cosmetic Safety Standard: Ingredients and CAS No.
• South Korea Revises Cosmetic Colorant Requirement
• Exploring the Use of Animal Testing in Japanese Cosmetics
• US Moves Towards National Ban on Cosmetic Animal Testing

ChemLinked Cosmetic Portal (cosmetic.chemlinked.com) is a media platform operated by REACH24H Consulting Group. Our focus is on providing comprehensive one-stop-market access information services and solutions to members of the cosmetics industry, including domestic and foreign manufacturers, trade logistics, raw material companies, as well as government departments, industry associations, and research institutions.

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(Sponsored content)

Cosmetics claims can be a bit of a minefield and the launch of Skinobs new pre-clinical testing platform aims to tackle that head-on. We spoke to Anne Charpentier, the Founder of Skinobs, to discuss what this launch means for the future of testing.

Skinobs is known as a cosmetics industry in-vivo and in-vitro testing expert. You launched your clinical testing platform four years ago and have now unveiled a brand new pre-clinical version – what are its benefits for formulators?

This new Preclinical Testing Platform enables the cosmeticians worldwide, who are involved in the personal care or active development, to find the relevant methods and the right-testing laboratories (CROs) for their product characterisation or claim substantiation.

This unique tool quickly puts the beauty industry stakeholders in contact with the CROs and makes it easier to find comprehensive and independent information on testing.  The database provides a complete overview of the “who, what and where” to simplify and accelerate the sourcing of tests.  Overall, the platform increases efficiency when consulting the test principles, the CRO corporate sheet, the directory, or world map.

Since January, 1,800 users from 58 countries have consulted the Preclinical & Clinical Testing Platforms, remaining on the site for more than 6 minutes and viewing 33,600 pages. The success of these unique tools has been built on a collaborative relationship with industry players offering a global and accurate view of testing, with more than 600 methods and more than 200 CROs referenced worldwide.

As we all know, cosmetic claims can be controversial – can you give us examples of how Skinobs can help formulators navigate this minefield?

The number of claims seems to be unlimited, however, each of them must be substantiated using the more accurate methods. At the same time, how is it possible to embrace a global vision of all preclinical testing?

Thanks to the links Skinobs has made between methods and product claims, it has never been easier to identify the appropriate assays. After logging in free of charge, the testing managers can connect, in just 2 clicks, to a panorama of in-tubo, in-vitro or ex-vivo assays and choose from seven different test categories:

• Analytical and stability
• Content-container interaction
• Ecotoxicity and Biodegradability
• Microbiology, Safety
• Toxicology
• UV protection
• Efficacy tests

The cosmeticians can choose their desired claims, assay supports and countries to receive a list of the relevant methods from, plus a list of the CROs around the world.  If they wish, they can contact each CRO directly through the automatic request.

This fantastic, free database gives you access to everything you ever wanted to know about preclinical testing.

Haptic, or the sense of touch, is the new buzzword – how can it be applied in terms of sensory analysis for the likes of skin, scalp, nails, and hair?

Indeed, haptic is the new horizon of innovation for the beauty industry. As a unique organ devoted to the receiver/transmitter function, sense of touch enters the field of the skin ecosystem completely.

The approach of touch is a major consideration in personal care development; considering the importance of the organoleptic characteristics for all cosmetic formulations, packaging, and shopping experience.

The sensory analysis is a scientific predictive tool to study the emotions, implementing trained panel protocols. In the clinical testing platform, Skinobs has referenced 16 CROs offering this protocol. Organoleptic characteristics are studied by a group of trained subjects that describe the product attributes, before, during and after the application.

The trends of personalisation combined with the increase of connected beauty meet to form today’s haptic trends. It will provide a great opportunity for the beauty industry to integrate this new vision of touch and to offer consumers a new way to perceive their appearance.

You work with almost 200 laboratories across the world and have thousands of subscribers, so you are in a privileged position to evaluate how testing is evolving. So what does the future of testing hold?

Testing to ensure the safety, tolerance, and efficacy of active and finished products has evolved according to the regulatory, technological innovations, marketing trends and now the health context. Beyond hydration, anti-ageing and lightening activity, some claims remain at the forefront of the scene such as those related to the anti-pollution, the microbiota, the healthy skin.

How can we summarise the key testing trends?

1. For preclinical tests:

• Blue and infrared light and vivo/vitro hybrid UV tests
• Evaluation of the efficacy on specific 3D models: coloured, altered, or aged skin
• Assessments of bactericidal activities
• Untargeted approach of the “omics” techniques

2. For clinical trials:

• Nomadic biometrological measurements
• The digitalisation of the tolerance tests
• Scorages usingA
• Biochemical analysis using skin swabbing

We are looking forward to sharing our expertise during the next in-cosmetics Global in Barcelona. Visit us at the Testing & Regulation zone, presented in collaboration with in-cosmetics, to talk with the formulators about the preclinical and clinical testing project.

Want to read more Q&As from our exhibitor base? Here’s “Let’s talk about high-performance plant-based ingredients and global expansion” with Roquette

(Sponsored content) An interview with David Caballero-Lima, R&D Manager, Labskin

Labskin has been around for twelve years – can you tell us about the history of the company as well as your field of expertise?

The Labskin model was created by a group of microbiologists at the University of Leeds to study the skin human microbiota and the microbial/host interaction in a controlled environment. Labskin has unique features, including its improved barrier function, dry surface and the expression of antimicrobial peptides which allow the colonization of the model with skin microbiome. We use these defining characteristics to develop methods for testing ingredients and formulations on the microbial community on Labskin.

We colonise Labskin with different microbial consortia containing mixes of skin bacteria and fungi. We can also isolate the whole microbiome from volunteers and transplant this microbiome onto Labskin. We can even challenge those consortia or microbiomes with pathogens. Then, combining a range of techniques such as colony counting, RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry, ELISA or sequencing; we are able to look at the effect of those products on both the host and the microbiota at the same time.

We can’t avoid the obligatory question about Covid-19 and testing sanitizers… you collaborate with various universities and academics…any exciting initiatives you can share with us?

We regularly carry out tests on skin sanitisers, soaps and cleansers using our commensal skin consortia and specific pathogens. In the lab, our standard methods for testing sanitisers against the virus implement the most robust safety measures.  We are now working with two leading universities with Containment Level 3 biosafety levels for specific laboratory work on SARS–CoV2.

Most data on the efficacy of hand sanitisers against the Covid-19 virus do not correlate to a real-life situation. We use our Labskin model to get data in an environment that closely resembles real human skin. Additionally, we isolate microbiome from volunteers and have developed methods to isolate those microbiomes without contact with the subject. In effect, we run remote clinical trials that use an internet portal to recruit and send swabs to the volunteers and recover the whole microbiomes from those volunteers to safely transplant them onto our skin models in our facilities. 

Your 3-D skin model is a great alternative to animal testing in China. You are now also working on a melanocyte skin model for ethnic African and Asian skin… What can we look forward to internationally?

China still mandates that cosmetics safety has to be tested in animals although recent announcements have lifted restrictions on importing cosmetic products with alternative methods for safety assessment. The Chinese regulator is looking to establish alternatives in vitro standards to animal testing. Labskin is in an excellent position to become a key part of the new regulatory environment emerging in the Chinese cosmetics market.

In January 2020 Labskin signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Innocare Group to promote innovation and cooperation on regulatory compliance without animal testing. To make our skin models more relevant to Asian markets, Labskin is collaborating with the University of Bradford to develop a model containing melanocytes so that next-generation skin models can be created using cells from donors with different ethnic backgrounds. Melanin is a natural sink of chemical compounds so different level of pigmentation could become an important factor not only for safety testing and efficacy.

Looking ahead 10 or 20 years from now, what does the future hold for the lab–grown human skin model? How far can you go?

At this point, there is no limit to what we can do with skin models. The most urgent matter to address is adding extra complexity. This includes the need for melanocytes and Langerhans cells, sourced to improve the immune response of the models. Research demonstrates that this is possible; it just needs to be commercially produced. The next step will be to add complex macrostructures, such as hair follicles, sweat and sebaceous glands, possibly by reprogramming stem cells. Blood vessels could be developed inside a 3D model like Labskin as we know that seeding endothelial cells into a skin model produces a self-organized microvasculature.

A combination of these techniques and 3D bioprinting will give rise to a new generation of skin models with blood/lymphatic vessels that could be connected to a microfluidic system, similar to our circulatory system, wired to keep the skin alive. All of this improvement combined with further developments in acute, chronic toxicology and efficacy will result in improved models.

Visit the Labskin website to discover more of their work. Labskin is also exhibiting at in-cosmetics Virtual on 6-8 October 2020; book a video meeting with them to pose your own questions.

P&G and L’Oréal results underline challenges and resilience

Despite the pandemic, both P&G and L’Oréal have reported financial results that indicate the two multinationals are riding out the pandemic storm well.

The news is generally positive, although both businesses did report areas of weaknesses on account of the worldwide lockdowns, which first began in China at the end of January.

Earlier this month P&G announced that its net sales were up 4% to $17.7 billion thanks to gains in all of its business areas, except in beauty, which dropped 1% and grooming which dropped 5%.

The losses in beauty were attributable to a double digit drop in sales of its premium SK-II brand, which was hit because of reduced travel, although this was partially offset by gains in hair care and personal cleansing products.

Despite the impact of the beauty, the overall picture looks good for P&G, according to its CEO David Taylor, who believes the company will continue to post positive results for the duration of the pandemic.

“We expect to grow through this crisis and come out even stronger on the other side,”​ Taylor said.

L’Oréal’s results did not paint such a rosy picture, with sales for the first half of 2020 dropping by 11.7% on a like-for-like basis to reach €13.07 billion. The decline meant that profit for period dropped by 13% to €2.1 billion.

Reflecting the tough pandemic lockdowns, sales declines were most dramatic in Western Europe, where revenues for the first six months of the years fell by 16.1%, with revenues in Spain and Italy falling dramatically.

However, the company also said that the trajectory has been very much on the up since the month of May, as many lockdown measures have been lifted, which a spike in internet sales has also helped to counterbalance declines.

CEO Paul Agon believes the company’s performance has shown its resilience by ensuring the health of its workers and overcoming a series of crisis in its supply chain, caused by the pandemic.

“In these exceptionally difficult circumstances, each division of L’Oréal has demonstrated great business resilience,”​ Agon said.

Amazon teams up to fight counterfeit

In the US, Amazon has teamed up with KF beauty to file a lawsuit against four companies for allegedly selling counterfeit KF products on Amazon.

The lawsuit names 16 individuals who the legal action states violated Amazon’s e-commerce platform rules.

Filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, the lawsuit alleges that the defendants worked together to sell the counterfeit KF Beauty products through the Amazon platform.

Amazon says it has already refunded customers that received the counterfeit products and that if the defendants are found guilty any damages paid will be reimbursed to KF Beauty.

Amazon has been working hard to crack down on the sale of fake cosmetic and personal care products, as well as other luxury consumer goods it sells on its platform.

As part of measures to tackle the problem, the digital retailer has launched its own counterfeit crimes unit, while also testing live seller verification methods.

“The majority of sellers in our store are law-abiding entrepreneurs, but we will take aggressive action to protect customers, brands, and our store from counterfeiters,” said Cristina Posa, associate general counsel and director of the Amazon Counterfeit Crimes Unit.

“Amazon and KF Beauty are holding these companies and individuals accountable, and we appreciate the close cooperation we’ve had in this investigation.” 

Colombia to ban animal testing

Colombia has signed into being a bill that will outlaw the testing of cosmetics on animals and ban the import of animal-tested cosmetics by 2024.

Bill 120/2018 passed the Colombian senate will also restrict reliance on animal testing for ingredients used in cosmetic and personal care formulation.

The bill passed both the senate and the house of representatives earlier this summer, and was finally signed as a law by Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez last week.

“This is a great step forward for our society, after the Animal Abuse Law, the prohibition of testing of cosmetics on animals marks a fundamental path in the development of legislation for the protection and defense of all animals in Colombia,” House Representative and bill author Juan Carlos Losada.

“The use of animals in laboratories is a subject that has not received the necessary attention, millions are suffering in the world and at least in Colombia we must pay all the necessary attention.”

In 2017, Guatemala become the first Latin American country to take legislative action to end animal testing for cosmetics products and ingredients.

Edgewell Personal Care to acquire Cremo Company

In the US, Edgewell has further expanded its beauty and personal care portfolio with the addition of men’s grooming business Cremo Company.

In an all-cash transaction, Edgewell will pay a purchase price of $235 million for the business.

Cremo has proven to be one of the fastest growing masstige men’s grooming brands in the US, offering an extensive range of beard care, hair care, shaving and skin care products.

According to executives at Edgewell, that addition of the new business to the portfolio will complement insurgent brands that include Jack Black and UK brand Bulldog, because it serves such a unique consumer profile.

“The men’s grooming category remains a strategic focus for Edgewell and this acquisition will help us accelerate growth and strengthen our position in the fastest growing categories in men’s grooming,” said Rod Little, Edgewell’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“We are acquiring a profitable, growing business with an established presence that is well diversified across grooming categories, yet has significant opportunities for expansion.  We are extremely impressed with the Cremo brand and its positioning and expect it to continue to resonate over the long term with consumers.”

Discover more on the future of Clarisonic and a brand new cosmetic ingredients app. 

Belinda Carli is the Director of Institute of Personal Care Science, leaders in on-line Internationally Recognized Training for Cosmetic Formulation and Regulatory Affairs. Belinda provides training to all levels of industry, from Beginners through to Advanced Diplomas both on-site and via distance. She specializes in training on innovative and compliant product developments.

Customization is a rapidly growing trend that Personal Care companies need to embrace! Belinda Carli discusses some of the key features in this presentation including customisable bases with optional actives, how to customize color or scent, how apps can play a big part in your customized offerings etc. Watch this presentation to find out how to add customization to your product offerings so that you don’t get left behind.

More videos from Marketing Trends & Regulations at in-cosmetics Korea 2017 can be found at news.in-cosmetics.com.

Video taken at in-cosmetics Korea – the only exhibition in South Korea dedicated to personal care ingredients – 2017.  Register and learn more at korea.in-cosmetics.com.The post “The present and future of customization” by Belinda Carli, Director at the Institute of Personal Care Science first appeared on in-cosmetics Connect.]]> https://connect.in-cosmetics.com/news-category/the-present-and-future-of-customization-by-belinda-carli-director-at-the-institute-of-personal-care-science/feed/ 0 5205 https://connect.in-cosmetics.com/news-category/cosmeceutical-development-an-in-silico-approach-by-seokjoo-yoon-department-of-predictive-toxicology-director-korea-institute-of-toxicology/ https://connect.in-cosmetics.com/news-category/cosmeceutical-development-an-in-silico-approach-by-seokjoo-yoon-department-of-predictive-toxicology-director-korea-institute-of-toxicology/#respond Tue, 21 Nov 2017 08:50:12 +0000 http://new-incos-news.bitnamiapp.com/?p=5193 At in-cosmetics Korea 2017, Seokjoo Yoon, Department of Predictive Toxicology Director a the Korea Institute of Toxicology, conducted a presentation on the “Cosmeceutical development – An in-silico approach” during the Marketing Trends & Regulations presentations. Dr. Yoon is an appointed Professor of human and environmental toxicology at the Korea University of Science and Technology (UST). He is also leading the department […]