Advances in Alternative Methods of Animal Experiments for Cosmetic Dermal Toxicity
**Alternative Methods for Animal Testing in Cosmetic Dermal Toxicity – Progress Update: May 6, 2015**
Cosmetics are essential products that people use daily. To ensure their quality, they must be stable, safe, effective, and user-friendly. Among these, safety is a fundamental requirement. Traditionally, the safety of cosmetic ingredients and finished products has been assessed through animal testing. While this method has contributed significantly to scientific progress, it raises ethical concerns due to the harm and suffering inflicted on animals.
With growing global awareness of animal welfare and the increasing emphasis on humane treatment, many countries have started to restrict or ban animal testing in cosmetics. The European Union was among the first to implement strict regulations, such as EC 1223/2009, which prohibits the sale and import of cosmetics tested on animals. Other related regulations, like REACH and 2010/65/EU, also support this shift. Following this trend, countries such as Japan, South Korea, India, and members of ASEAN have adopted similar standards, promoting the development of alternative testing methods.
In response to these changes, Chinese daily chemical companies must adapt to avoid trade barriers and maintain competitiveness. One promising solution is the adoption of animal alternative technologies. Dr. Cheng Shujun from Sun Yat-Sen University highlighted that standardized alternative methods are now widely used in toxicological assessments of chemicals, cosmetics, and consumer products. Since the first alternative method was accepted by OECD in 2004, numerous guidelines have been developed by organizations like OECD and ISO. Over 60 methods have been validated by EURL-ECVAM and ICCVAM, covering areas such as skin irritation, eye irritation, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity. These methods form a comprehensive system to ensure product safety without relying on animal testing.
Most cosmetic raw materials are sourced from the "International Cosmetic Raw Materials Standard List" (excluding new ingredients). However, during formulation, interactions between ingredients may lead to unexpected effects. Therefore, toxicity testing is typically divided into two parts: testing raw materials and testing finished products. Ensuring the safety of raw materials is crucial for the safety of the final product. New ingredients require special attention.
SGS recommends that daily chemical companies consider combining in vitro methods, such as OECD 439 (artificial skin model), OECD 437 (corneal irritation test), and cytotoxicity tests, alongside traditional animal experiments. This integrated approach can help verify the safety of both raw materials and finished products efficiently and ethically.
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