TESTING


Adapting to the impact of vegan challenge testing


Georgia Morgan, Marina Raynbird, Leannah Rayment, Gemma Jones - ISCA


Examining cosmetic and personal care items stands as a pivotal and arguably the most crucial phase in the creation of a new product. To introduce any personal care product into global markets, rigorous testing becomes imperative to gauge its microbiological integrity, guaranteeing the safety of the product for all consumers. In addition to microbiological testing, each


product must undergo a stability assessment of some degree. This evaluation encompasses an examination of the product’s physical and chemical composition under various conditions to ascertain the formulation’s resilience. Variables including appearance, pH levels,


viscosity, colour, and odour undergo meticulous examination at ISCA during our comprehensive 12-week accelerated stability test. A cosmetic stability test and microbiological


assessment report of a product is a required element of the cosmetic safety assessment that is required for the Product Information File (PIF), which is a legal document that is required according to the Cosmetic Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 for any cosmetic/personal care product that is to be sold within the European market.1 Cosmetic products and the associated


testing methods must evolve in step with industry trends. This motivated our decision at ISCA to reassess our existing test procedures and enhance them to align with the dynamic cosmetic sector. Our pursuit of this goal led to the development of our own certified Vegan Challenge Test method, in collaboration with The Vegan Society.


Market trends The beauty industry remains in a constant state of transformation, consistently adopting new trends. These trends encompass a wide range of


TABLE 1: MICROBIAL TEST SPECIES Phase


Incubation (days) Total Species


Staphylococcus aureus Pseudomonas aeruginosa Candida albicans


Aspergillus brasiliensis Escherichia coli


P - Required X - Optional (Oral products) EP 28


4/5 P P P P X


shifts, from the exploration of innovative natural ingredients through creative formulations to the introduction of entirely new cosmetic products. An increasingly significant trend in recent years has been the growing demand for cosmetics to meet vegan-friendly criteria. Major players in the industry, like Lush,


are leading the way by committing to making their products entirely vegan and promoting ‘green’ marketing.2


Consumers are increasingly


interested in purchasing products that are sustainable, cruelty-free, and in line with vegan


USP 28 5 P P P P P


ISO 28 5 P P P P P


principles, leading other cosmetic companies to follow suit in this endeavour. The ethical beauty movement, which


originated in the 1980s, gave rise to the vegan movement. Its primary aim was to eliminate any form of animal exploitation within industries, particularly the cosmetic sector. This involves abstaining from using animal-


derived ingredients in products and refraining from conducting animal testing. Google data indicates that consumers actively seek out products aligning with these criteria, increasing consumer confidence in the brand.3 The Body Shop emerged as one of the


pioneers in committing to 100% vegan ‘challenge testing’. They achieved this by collaborating with MSL, who introduced their VeganSure media in 2019 as a substitute for traditional microbiological test methods. These traditional methods, such as Tryptic


Soy Agar (TSA) and Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA), along with other media, traditionally included animal by-products in the testing standards.4


Changing attitudes Here at ISCA Cosmetic Testing, we knew that we


www.personalcaremagazine.com November 2023 PERSONAL CARE


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