First and foremost we need to consider that at the time of this writing, there is a very loose cosmetic safety standard in the US; cosmetic products shall be ‘generally recognised as safe’, or GRAS.
The cosmetic industry adopted internal standards for safety; a product of this class should not be irritating, sensitising or contaminated with microorganisms. This article will focus on the US market and recent trends in safety testing. First, let me define a few of the most utilised safety testing techniques in use today.
In vitro safety testing
With the animal testing ban fully in effect in Europe and the animal rights advocacy movement everywhere else, the majority of raw material and finished goods manufacturers have opted for alternative methods. The European Center for Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM)1 has led the way with validation of methods. In the US we have Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM),2 and at Johns Hopkins University the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT).3 To date, the US government does not accept most alternative methods for safety testing.
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