Cosmetics & Personal Care | Monthly bulletin | November 2023

Eurofins monthly bulletin Cosmetics and Personal Care

Lines Unveiled: Eurofins Revolutionises Testing for Youthful Skin Efficacy

As skin aging concerns emerge earlier in consumers, expression lines become the initial visible signs of aging, sparing no area of the face. In response, the beauty industry is delving into formulations targeting these early-emerging wrinkles.

Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care introduces a novel test protocol to provide cosmetics companies with the most effective method for evaluating products designed for these emotionally overstimulated wrinkles.

The protocol employs C-Bright to analyse expression lines associated with smiles. Utilising standardised photos, our in-house developed software adjusts facial positioning, standardises smile expressions, and measures resulting expression lines—typically invisible in the resting state.

This innovative protocol allows for the assessment of anti-aging cosmetic products on a younger age range: 25 to 40.

Banishing Nitrosamines: Eurofins Empowers Your Cosmetic Safety with Precision

Nitrosamines, potential carcinogens, often infiltrate cosmetic products as unwanted trace elements. Indeed, nitrosamines, or N-nitro compounds, are generally produced unintentionally when an ingredient acts as a nitrosating agent, or if cosmetic products contain an amine ingredient combined with production or storage conditions that favor nitrosamine formation. Scientific studies highlight their harmful impact, with N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA) as the most potent carcinogenic member. Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), Nitrosomorpholine (NMOR), and Nitrosoiethylamine (NDEA) also make up this concerning group, alongside newly discovered nitrosamines.

Since the 1990s, the cosmetics industry has received recommendations to mitigate nitrosamine presence, with a 2009 technical guide by Cosmetics Europe reinforcing this effort. Furthermore, Regulation (EU) n°1223/2009 states that nitrosamines should not be included in the composition of cosmetic products above trace levels technically unavoidable under good manufacturing practice. Recent scrutiny extends to skincare, hair dyes, and mascara, with nail varnishes facing attention due to nitrosamine formation.

Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care stands ready to address nitrosamine challenges. Our analysis, employing GC-MS/MS or LC-MS/MS post-sample preparation, includes NDELA analysis according to ISO 15819:2014. We consistently adhere to current standards, like ISO 15819:2014, ensuring precise detection of NDELA in cosmetics by HPLC-MS. Our expert team is committed to ongoing technical innovations, with a current focus on developing a comprehensive screening procedure for total nitrosamine content.

Chill-Proof Beauty: Testing Skin Products Efficacy in Harsh Winters

The harsh conditions of winter bring about notable changes in our skin—intense dryness leading to itchiness, redness, flakiness, and increased skin texture. The cold weather also renders the skin more delicate, making fine lines and wrinkles more prominent.

In the heart of Canada's frigid winters, we find the ideal setting for evaluating the effectiveness of cold weather products designed for various body zones (skin, hair, lips, etc.) and phototypes. Assessing a product's capacity to enhance and sustain skin barrier function while preventing moisture loss becomes paramount.

For this purpose, two in vivo methods stand out:

Tewameter®: assesses improvement in skin barrier function by significantly reducing transepidermal water loss
Corneometer®: determines the hydration level of the skin's surface (stratum corneum).

In addition to instrumental methods, the efficacy of products can be evaluated through clinical grading by expert graders, image analysis, and consumer questionnaires to confirm enhancements in skin parameters like texture and redness.

You can rely on Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care's extensive network of laboratories for the execution of clinical studies in extreme cold conditions.

What’s next?

Webinar

Heavy metals: a world tour of tests

5 dec - 2 p.m CET

Worlwide audience

Les émotions, réponses aux enjeux cosmétiques mondiaux de demain ?

14 dec - 11 a.m CET

French audience

S’inscrire : https://www.eurofins.com/cosmetics/media-centre/emotion-webinar/.