Cosmetics & Personal Care | Monthly bulletin | March 2024
5G: A new component of the skin exposome?
The “skin exposome” is a concept initiated by Prof. Krutmann in 2017. It refers to the several environmental factors responsible for major disruptions in the skin's homeostasis, thereby contributing to the acceleration of skin ageing. These factors include diet, sleep, stress, smoking, pollution and solar irradiation. A great deal of research has led to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the skin's response to these different factors. Although extremely comprehensive and finely detailed, the list of elements making up the exposome needs updating. Today, we live in the digital era and are exposed daily to an "electromagnetic fog" that is becoming ever denser with the roll-out of 5G.
This is why, as part of an in-house research project, Eurofins Cosmetics and Personal Care has studied the impact of 5G radiation on human skin explants ex vivo. An approach combining transcriptomic and microscopic analysis showed that 5G irradiation (6 GHz) impacts skin barrier function, in particular by reducing filaggrin expression. An increase in inflammation (IL-1 alpha) and oxidative stress (HO-1 and COX-2) was also observed upon this electromagnetic stress.
These preliminary results confirm the importance of better characterising the impact of electromagnetic waves on the skin and open up new horizons for the development of active ingredients and cosmetic products in line with consumer expectations in terms of protection.
Scalp ageing: Eurofins C&PC revolutionises efficacy testing for anti-ageing products
With the continuous improvement of economic living standards, there is an increasing focus on combating ageing and enhancing beauty. The process of ageing, influenced by age progression and various external factors, gradually affects the body, with many signs of ageing becoming evident in the skin and hair. While most consumers possess a certain understanding of skin ageing and utilise anti-ageing products for prolonged periods, their awareness and attention towards the scalp, which serves as the foundation for hair growth – and comprises two-thirds of the head and facial skin area, remains relatively low.
Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care has introduced a novel testing protocol aimed at providing cosmetic companies with an optimal approach to assess the efficacy of products designed for anti-ageing treatments targeting the scalp, such as: scalp redness improvement, hair growth improvement...
The protocol primarily employs clinical grading and instrumental evaluations to gauge the anti-ageing effectiveness of the product, categorising diverse dimensions of anti-ageing claims based on product mechanisms, and offering varied evaluation schemes tailored to different hair and scalp regions.
In addition to clinical grading and instrumental evaluations, the efficacy of products can also be evaluated through image analysis and consumer questionnaires to assess improvements in the overall degree of ageing of the scalp or hair.
Non-compliant products: Eurofins C&PC strengthens your cosmetics compliance process
In 2023, 2,091 cosmetics products were subject to European Union (EU) prohibition or recall measures notified by Safety Gate, the EU's rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products. The risks identified were mainly of a chemical nature: for example, the presence of recently banned ingredients such as Lilial and HAA299, as well as hydroquinone, formaldehyde, methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) and methylisothiazolinone (MI). There were also instances of non-conformity concerning cyclic silicones (D4), which also have an environmental impact.
Moreover, one soap presented a choking hazard due to its visual characteristics, form, colour and size, which meant it could have been mistaken for foodstuff. A small part (cherry shape) could easily detach and a small child may have put it in the mouth and choked.
Finally, some products were recalled for microbiological reasons. Several cases were linked to contamination by Burkholderia cepacian or Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pluralibacter gergoviae, or Staphylococcus aureus.
On the French market, 58 products were recalled thanks to the Rappel Conso plateform managed by the DGCCRF, the French authority responsible for the safety of products, post-market surveillance, and the regulation of commercial practices. The reasons were usually the presence of Lilial or Lyral. Some solar products also contained TiO2 particles with a diameter smaller than the regulatory limit.
Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care is committed to providing you with a complete range of analyses and personalised support for your cosmetics compliance procedures, including, but not limited to: Silicone, Microbiological quality control, Nanoparticles…
What’s next?
Trade show
In-cosmetics Global – 16-18th Apr
Paris – Stand 1T80
Technical Seminar – 17th April - 3.30pm - 'EcoChic Beauty: Unveiling the green impact – A guide to measuring cosmetic product biodegradability'
Learn more: https://www.eurofins.com/cosmetics/media-centre/in-cosmetics/
ASCC Annual Conference – 29th Apr - 1st May
Gold Coast – Stands 20 & 21
Suppliers’ Day - 1-2nd May
New York – Stand 1467
Learn more: https://www.eurofins.com/cosmetics/media-centre/nyscc-suppliers-day/
Webinar
Sun Care in a Heating World
4th April
Time: 15:00 GMT / 16:00 CEST / 10:00 EDT
Learn more: https://hpcimedia.com/service/signup-campaign/cbroundtable7
