Why do cosmetic products for sensitive skin have to be tested in vivo? What regulatory requirements must be met? How to recruit volunteers? What types of tests should be performed? During the Cosmetotest symposium, organised on May 24 and 25 by Skinobs and Cosmet’in Lyon, Anne Sirvent, from Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care, gave a complete overview of the issue.
All cosmetic product tests must of course comply with the regulatory framework that governs them, especially when it comes to sensitive skin.
Regulation
In Europe, this framework is determined at three levels.
European Commission Regulations
Regulation 1223/2009
The obligation to test cosmetic products stems from Article 20 (Claims) of the Cosmetics Regulation. It stipulates, inter alia, that labelling or advertising material “shall not be used to imply that these products have characteristics or functions which they do not have.”
Regulation 655/2013
This requirement is specified in Commission Regulation 655/2013, which sets out the six Common Criteria “for the justification of claims used in relation to cosmetic products.”
“This text contains, among other things, information on the protection of the end-user against misleading claims,” Anne Sirvent recalled. “This means that if you claim that your product is particularly suitable for people with sensitive skin, you have to prove it.”
Proof which, in the light of all the Common Criteria, must be true and honest.
The SCCS notes of guidance
Also at the European level, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) guidelines on the safety assessment of cosmetic ingredients indirectly provide some information on the safety assessment of finished products. Thus, …
