Cosmetic experimentation: These are the technological alternatives that avoid testing in animals

Testing in animals of cosmetic products remains a method of experimentation to prove its effectiveness.Although European legislation prohibits this practice in the countries of the European Union since 2013, there are some exceptions.

These are collected by the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemical substances (REACH).In addition, some countries outside the continent still accept experimentation in animals.This is an issue that worries enough consumers and, therefore, there are more and more technological alternatives to avoid this testing.

Artificial skin printed in 3D

Artificial human skin printing is a technology that can replace some of the clinical trials in which animals are used, both to try medications and medical material and to create cosmetics.

These three -dimensional tissues allow to verify whether a product generates irritation or allergies in humans.You can also work on new creams, shampoos, lotions or gels that help skin or scalp health.

José González Flores, Technical Manager and Regulatory Affairs of Natura Cosmetics and The Body Shop in Chile, explained that “3D models consist of the construction of skin structures similar to the skin through a printer that has a gel with the same cellscultivated in the laboratory that the layers of the skin have ".

According to González, the results of this artificial skin are similar to those that would be obtained when trying the products directly in a human skin.In addition, he added that the 3D impression of artificial human skin "contributes to the stage of development of ingredients, since the speed increases and decreases the variability of the evaluations".

Computer simulations

Another measure that scientists are also implementing are the simulators of computerized human patients.These are quite realistic, since they simulate breathing, bleeding, convulsing, speaking and even dying, Peta reports on your blog.

A study published in Physicans Committee for Responsible Medicine assured that 97% of medical schools in the United States had changed animal experiments for these simulations.

In addition, Animanaturalis, an organization that fights animal abuse, highlighted the Topkat software that "predicts oral toxicity, cutaneous and irritation of the eyes".This technology avoids experimentation in animals and is used by the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and the American Navy.

In vitro cell and test cultures

One of the tests that are performed on animals is to apply chemicals in their eyes to check its toxicity.However, there are currently other methods, such as growing cells in a membrane and electrically control.

AVON PRODUCTS INC.He killed until June 1989 about 24,000 animals every year in his experimentation for his cosmetics.Now, carry out many tests without using animals to measure substances irritation levels.

Through a synthetic tissue that simulates cornea and human skin, prove the reaction of these body parts to different substances.This artificial test can be used to determine the toxicity of more than 5.000 different materials.

On the other hand, there are corrositex that is an in vitro test that replaces the one performed with animals' skins.It uses a protein membrane that reacts as the skin would do before corrosive substances.

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