Terri Vinson (BSc. DipFormChem. DipEd) Founder and Formulator of Synergie Skin, looks at the innovative new methods for testing the safety of cosmetics.
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.
