Cosmetics & Personal Care | Monthly bulletin | July 2023

Follow local needs in the anti-ageing market

Ageing is an inevitable process that begins from the moment we are born. However, due to behavioural, cultural, ethnic, environmental, nutritional and genetic differences, the rate and the severity of age-associated cutaneous changes might manifest differently in different people.

Anti-ageing has been a key focus point in the beauty industry for years. By 2030, it is estimated that one in six people globally will be aged over 60, meaning we can therefore expect further strong market growth. However, the visible signs of ageing and the products used to counteract them are approached differently in different parts of the world:

In Europe, while demand has remained consistent over the past few years (anti-wrinkle, firming, anti-age-spot, etc.), we're seeing a shift towards "healthy ageing" and away from anti-aging. The idea is often no longer to hide wrinkles or grey hair, but to embrace them. In other words, it's no longer a question of preventing ageing, but of ageing well. Emotions are an integral part of the concept of “ageing well” or "happy ageing". Eurofins has been addressing this for many years, developing specific protocols based on neuroscience. In this way, specific cognitive measures of age perception, wellbeing or self-esteem can be correlated with an instrumental approach.

Asian people tend to experience a distinct rate of ageing and have characteristic signs of ageing compared to other ethnicities. In Asia, consumers have a particular interest in skin tone and skin whitening.
- In China, in order to assess the anti-age-spot and whitening effects of cosmetics, the National Medical Products Administration has developed two standardised testing methods. As a result, there is a huge market for whitening and anti-age-spot products in China.
- In Korea, there is also high demand for health functional foods that promote antioxidation, skin health, and relief of menopausal symptoms, as well as beauty devices. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) in Korea regulates cosmetics and oral supplements that claim to have a specific effect as functional cosmetic and health functional foods, respectively. Certification marks are granted to products that have been verified for safety and efficacy by evaluation.
North America has dominated the global anti-ageing market. Sales of sunscreens are rising fast in the U.S. due to increased consumer awareness of the health risks associated with overexposure to the sun, particularly premature skin ageing. Preventing the signs of ageing is a key consideration in the use of sunscreens, with nearly seven out of ten adults using them for this purpose. The anti-ageing trend in the USA is also very focused on a regular skin routine and food supplements.

With a worldwide network of accredited laboratories and experts at the forefront of local regulations, Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care can support you in addressing local anti-ageing demands in order to stay competitive on your market while being compliant with regulations.

Launch reliable, transparent and sustainable cosmetic products on the market

Nowadays, consumers are struggling to comprehend the many labels indicating the sustainability of cosmetic products, and sometimes companies can misrepresent the environmental impact of their products, a practice known as greenwashing. When claims appear to be unreliable, this undermines consumer trust. The EU Commission is committed to combating greenwashing and misleading environmental claims, going beyond the general ban on misleading advertising.

On March 2023, the Commission adopted a proposal for a directive on “green” claims. Currently, it is under public consultation, with a planned deadline for this summer. The directive will define new criteria to stop companies from making misleading claims about the environmental merits of their products and services.

The Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care network of laboratories can help you to substantiate your green claims using robust, science-based and verifiable methods for your cosmetic products and packaging. We offer a full range of biodegradability, compostability and recyclability testing. Some of our tests include:

Ready biodegradability (OECD 301 A,OECD 301 B, OECD 301 D, OECD 301 F)
Intrinsic biodegradability (OECD 302 B, OECD 302 C)
Compostability testing (EN 13432 ASTM D6400, in an industrial environment) comprises 4 tests - Chemical composition study - Biodegradability testing (ISO 14855) - Disintegration testing (ISO 16929), - Terrestrial ecotoxicity testing (OCDE 208)
Compostability testing in a domestic environment (NF T 51800)

Our experts can advise you on the best selection of tests to suit your needs and products. In addition, other tests can complement these studies to determine whether the degraded material remaining after biodegradation/disintegration releases toxic or harmful chemicals: ecotoxicity tests on terrestrial organisms and plants, microplastic analysis, etc.

Evaluate the solar spectrum protection of your sunscreen products

Until very recently, discussions on sun protection was focused on ultraviolet rays (UVs). Indeed, exposure to UV radiation leads to darkening of the skin (tanning) and can also cause the appearance of erythema, free radicals and premature ageing. However, UVs represent only 7% of radiation reaching the earth's surface; the remainder consists of visible light and infrared (IR). High energy visible light (HEV) is also a known cause of indirect DNA damage, carrying an increased risk of skin inflammation and immunosuppression, and advanced pre-ageing. This is blue light that is emitted by the sun and devices such as phones, laptops, and televisions. Long-term exposure is harmful, but unfortunately our skin is increasingly being exposed to artificial blue light via electronic devices.

The Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care network of companies provides a broad range of testing services to evaluate the solar spectrum protection in vitro and in vivo:

Protection from all UVs protection according to local legislation
IR protection, through quantification of the Malondialdehyde (MDA) level, commonly known as a marker of oxidative stress
Blue light protection (both oxidative and pigmentation protections on different phototypes, HEV blocking potential, hazardous blue-violet 415-455 nm blocking potential, HEV Critical Wavelength, HEV photostability ratio)

With 20 testing laboratories worldwide, including in Europe, Australia, the USA and China (CMA certified and NMPA approved), with experts actively involved in standardisation committees (e.g. the ALT-SPF Consortium, ISO, etc.), Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care is committed to staying ahead of the current and future regulatory environment for solar testing.

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