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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?
- 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
- 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.
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