REGULATORY INSECT REPELLENTS
mosquitoes, ticks and head lice, without killing insects or harming aquatic organisms. Importantly, however, IR3535 scores particularly well when it comes to tolerance – for everyone, from babies and toddlers to the elderly. “These official product authorisations are crucial for consumer confidence,” states Dr Daniel Neumann, responsible for Product Compliance at Merck. “So even if they don’t perceive IR3535 in the formulation because it’s odourless, they need confirmation on-pack. Is it really safe? Yes, it ticks all the right boxes for toxicological and eco- toxicological properties. Can everyone in my family use it? Yes, it ticks all the right boxes again. And finally, has the product efficacy been independently verified and confirmed? Yes, of course.”
TESTED, TESTED, TESTED
Merck first started R&D work on its unique active substance in the early 1980s. As a company with one of the longest scientific track records in Germany, product safety has always been of the utmost priority. As a result, over the last 40 years Merck has helped set and establish important new safety standards for products used by humans and pets.
SAVE TIME & MONEY
Launching repellents is a highly complex undertaking in Europe. Not only is gaining the necessary approvals expensive, but the processes can be extremely time consuming – “unless somebody has completed all of the key formalities for you,” says Dr Neumann. “We’re familiar with the processes and bureaucracy of the officials, so we’ve made it our mission to make life easier for our customers and get the authorisations for them up-front.” To smooth the way, the Merck portfolio spans four so-called reference formulations for IR3535. Each offers proven efficacy based on defined protection requirements, ie they do the job and remain effective over time. This allows manufacturers to cut several corners in R&D and offer products that match the individual lifestyles of their customers. For example, Merck already has a number of pre-formulated, off-the-shelf products, all of which are more or less ready for launch. These range from a lotion application to some spray applications with different usage levels of IR3535. Merck also offers a unique, pump spray application for protecting schoolchildren from re-infestation with head lice. “Basically, we’ve
Successful partnerships = successful products Joining forces with the right partner is an important step in accelerating the launch of repellents. Merck makes it significantly easier to gain authorisations, providing a selection of reference formulations based on IR3535.
already done a lot of the donkey work for you,” says Dr Neumann. “The process of a ‘Same Biocidal Product Authorisation’ means that all you need are a small number of administrative changes with the local authority and an entirely sensible amount of money, and in around three months your product is ready to go.”
BRANDING PROVIDES REASSURANCE There are legal requirements for regulated products to instruct the consumer of using repellents responsibly, including the amount and number of applications per day for different age groups. In addition, you will always find confirmation on the label regarding how long lasting your product is and the number of hours of protection delivered by one application. Once products are on shelf, for many modern consumers your products are only really signed, sealed and delivered if they provide further confirmation that using them is safe, also for certain groups such as infants – or consumers with sensitive or atopic skin, who may have had problems finding a suitable brand, ie one that is even tolerated by skin affected by neurodermatitis. They will appreciate products that have been dermatologically tested. To enjoy a good night’s sleep, it really helps to use a repellent that can be worn at night – without having to worry. The easiest way to identify brands with such an ingredient is to look out for the IR3535 logo, which comes into play as a co-branding hallmark of quality. Not only is this important for consumers who ask for such products at the pharmacy or read back-of-pack declarations, but these days many users go online to contrast and compare ingredients or read reviews. In that respect, IR3535 scores very well in all areas – as a safe bet that offers long term protection from bug attacks, day and night, and performs excellently when it comes to user tolerance
Authors Dr Daniel Neumann & Bettina Magsaam, Merck KGaA
www.merckgroup.com
Toxicological safety profile Based on comprehensive safety studies, IR3535 has an excellent toxicological and eco- toxicological profile – in other words, it’s not toxic to aquatic organisms such as fish or algae. Also, it doesn’t build up in the environment.
54 September 2022
References Full references for this article can be found at
cosmeticsbusiness.com.
IR3535 is a registered trademark of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany.
cosmeticsbusiness.com
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