Viviana Ciampitti
Framesi SpA – R&D division Director
S.S. dei Giovi, 135, Paderno Dugnano (MI) Italy

Abstract

According to the European Regulation (EU) No. 1223/2009 all claims used in relation to cosmetic products, must be substantiated. In the scientific world, there are different types of methods to provide data on the performance of cosmetic products. Among them the ex vivo methods refer to experimentation done on tissue from an organism in an external environment with minimal alteration of natural conditions.
The efficacy evaluation of the professional trichologist cosmetics consists in the substantiation of the cosmetic “result” through tests carried out on human or animal hair, according to laboratory tests strictly coded and under controlled conditions.
This type of tests are carried out along the different stages of manufacturing process of the cosmetic product, from its conception (R&D) – allowing researcher to predict with good reliability the in vivo results on the head – to the quality control(QC) to guarantee quality stability in the product.

EX VIVO HAIR TESTING: METHODOLOGY AND LOCKS CHOICE

The instrumental approach can be adopted when it is necessary to obtain a numeric data while the sensorial approach is preferable when it is necessary to test end consumer perception of product efficacy and fine tune with consumer habit. 

Scientifically, there are several ways to demonstrate a product’s cosmetic activity. Amongst these the ex-vivo tests are the type of experimentation performed on skin tissue and attachments taken from the organism and outside the organism itself.
For trichological cosmetics, used on hair, assessment of product effectiveness consists in checking the cosmetic result through tests on human hair or animal fur (Figure 1).
Those tests are used in the various cosmetic preparation stages, from development to quality control during production.

When developing the formula, they give you a fair approximation of results on a model and are the intermediate, irreplaceable step between the in-vitro tests and the final in-vivo ones.
In quality control, they allow you to check whether the cosmetic result can be reproduced between one production lo ...