The introduction of the full ban on animal testing for cosmetics in the EU in 2013 was unquestionably a pivotal milestone for animal welfare. Today, when the discussion on animal testing is high on the European agenda again, Cosmetics Europe emphasises its full support for the ban under the EU Cosmetic Products Regulation. We value all initiatives aimed at promoting animal-free testing and welcome the fact that the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Save cruelty-free cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without animal testing’ raises important questions. The interface between the EU Cosmetic Products Regulation and the REACH chemicals regulation, which permits the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA...

According to the European Union (EU) Cosmetics Regulation, animal testing for the risk assessment of cosmetic products or their ingredients is prohibited in the EU and all its member countries. The regulation includes an EU-wide marketing ban on cosmetics with ingredients tested on animals. This landmark political decision secured the EU a leading role in the protection of animal welfare and has contributed to positive developments in using alternative methods to animal testing beyond the EU’s borders. “In fact, the cosmetics sector has become an engine for change, which – fuelled by European legislation – has greatly advanced the use of alternative methods to animal testing in other parts of the world...

Created in 2001 following the publication of the European Commission’s White Paper “Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy”, the Downstream Users of Chemicals Coordination group (DUCC) is a joint platform of 11 European associations whose member companies use chemicals to formulate mixtures for...

Millimeter by millimeter, your hair is building a record of your diet. As hair strands are built from amino acids that come from your food, they preserve the chemical traces of the protein in that food. It’s a strong enough record to show whether you prefer veggie burgers or double bacon cheeseburgers. A study led by University of Utah researchers finds that this record reveals a divergence in diet according to socioeconomic status (SES), with lower-SES areas displaying higher proportions of protein coming from cornfed animals. It’s a way, the authors write, to assess a community’s diet and their health risks. The study is published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “This information can be used to quantify dietary trends in ways that surveys cannot capture,” says...

When Marie Antoinette was captured during the French Revolution, her hair reportedly turned white overnight. In more recent history, former U.S. Senator John McCain experienced severe injuries as a prisoner during the Vietnam War—and lost color in his hair. For a long time, anecdotes have connected stressful experiences with hair-graying. Now, for the first time, Harvard University scientists have discovered exactly how the process plays...

The results of a pivotal clinical trial on hair loss in women have been published in The Lancet’s journal, EClinicalMedicine, and the paper has been placed in The Lancet’s Specialty Collection on Regenerative Medicine. The investigation studied the patent-pending botanical Replenology^® hair system from Arbor Life Labs, which is designed to promote healthy hair growth, prevent hair loss and activate dormant hair follicles. Although scalp hair loss or alopecia is perceived to be a normal sign of aging, it can be a socially debilitating and psychologically distressing condition in women...

A researcher at the University of Cincinnati is looking at ways to make products such as anti-aging and skin lightening creams, lotions and gels more effective. “We are attacking problems that haven’t yet been solved in skin permeation,” says University of Cincinnati cosmetic scientist Gerald Kasting, the principal investigator on a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant that supports academic and industry partnerships. Kasting, a professor in UC’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, and co-investigator Johannes Nitsche at the University at Buffalo have been awarded a three-year, $409,000, NSF GOALI grant, in partnership with...

For the next four years, 17 partners representing 11 countries in Europe will be working together to develop sustainable production systems for plant-derived cosmetic ingredients. The research is funded by the European Commission with a budget of €7.9 million and is coordinated by the VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd). The project is exploring a stakeholder-led approach to ensure that new cosmetic ingredients are suitable for the market and appeal to today’s increasingly quality-conscious and...