Common Methods of Cosmetic Testing and Corresponding Analysis

Cosmetic brands can use many test methods to test the safety of their products, characterize their efficacy and active ingredients, or guide the development of new formulations.

Ex vivo models can more accurately represent human skin, especially when researchers want to study the transdermal delivery of ingredients following topical application or study the effects of products on skin integrity and tissue morphology. Meanwhile, in vitro models offer a lot of versatility, especially when a product must be tested on different types of skin or specific demographics simultaneously (age, race, etc.), or when a more in-depth mechanism of action study is required.

In vitro testing refers to experiments performed on cell cultures to determine the effects of ingredients or formulations. Essentially, what you do is take cells (human or microbes) in a petri dish, expose them to your ingredients, and measure how it affects them. This is one way that raw material suppliers can find exciting new technologies. It's also a way for companies to predict product stability and whether their products will negatively affect people by causing irritation or even cancer. In vitro testing is usually the first test performed on any ingredient in a cosmetic.

In vivo testing refers to experiments performed on humans or small animals to determine the effects of an ingredient or formulation. Animal testing of cosmetics is a highly controversial topic, and it has been banned in various markets around the world. Since the 1970s, the amount of animal testing on cosmetic products has decreased considerably. But to find the effect of material on the whole body, there is currently no effective alternative to all types of animal testing. The EU continues to track work on alternatives to animal testing and you can read the progress there. More extensive in vivo testing of the cosmetics were conducted directly on human volunteers. These are clinical tests for things like irritation, product effectiveness and claims testing. Such testing is performed only after product developers have eliminated ingredients that could cause cancer or other serious human diseases.

Crossover between in vitro and in vivo testing. These types of tests involve taking a living tissue from a source or creating one and then experimenting with how different treatments will affect it. This can be used to test hair follicles or skin tissue. This type of testing is still in development, but it is hoped that it will one day replace all cosmetic animal testing.

In situ testing refers to testing on a specific site, which in the case of cosmetic testing means skin, hair, or nails. Essentially, this means placing probes on the skin and hair and measuring things like hydration, wrinkle depth, color changes, and more. It is similar to an in vivo test in that it is performed on living tissue, but does not require the tissue to be associated with the exam subject.

In Silico testing is an advanced type of testing still in development that involves collecting data on skin, hair, and other body systems and using it to create models of the world and predict how materials will function in real life. It's futuristic stuff that hasn't made a huge impact on cosmetics so far. But as more big data becomes available and computer processing speeds increase, this type of testing could one day completely replace human and animal testing.

Share interesting but useful information!