To attract consumers cosmetics companies come up with unique benefits and therefore claims for their products; these claims are based on the ingredients contained in the product or on the attributes of the products.
With any cosmetic claim that is put out into the public domain, it needs to be backed up with supporting data which must be made available to the regulatory authority, but not only that - it must also withstand scrutiny by independent experts in case of a challenge.
It is important for cosmetic companies to understand the testing support – such as human tests or instrumental or sensorial testing; whether done on the product or on ingredients – to make sure it holds up and is therefore strong enough to make the claims.
A strict, defined protocol needs to be used with any kind of testing – and cosmetic ingredients are certainly no different. It needs controlled conditions, and clear objectives need to be set out - the purpose of the investigation, what information is required and how the data is going to be analysed to minimise possible bias. Other things to think about are what instrument is going to show the effect expected and if expert grading will be used.
Once testing is completed, data should be assessed; statistical evaluation must be made to determine whether the objective has been achieved, if modification is needed and/or if more data is required. The panelists’ self-assessment is also very important, it reflects perceived efficacy as in real life and it provides indications on safety and product esthetics.
When cosmetic claims stand up to consumers’ expectations, satisfaction will help boost the product sales.
To learn more about claims support and the requirements, register for the ‘Claim Support - What's New in Cosmetics Efficacy Testing’ workshop www.in-cosmeticsasia.com/Workshops