Testing Haircare and Trichological Products
Anti-hair loss, anti-dandruff, detangling or fortifying: prove that your haircare product is effective and substantiate your claim
Prove the efficacy of your cosmetic product in a scientific and repeatable manner
Abich – Lifeanalytics offers a wide range of in vitro and in vivo efficacy tests with protocols tailored to your needs.
Coloured, short, layered, curly: fashion trends multiply and put a strain on haircare product formulators. When dealing with a complex structure mostly made up of proteins (like keratin), water, lipids, pigments, and trace elements, meeting your customers’ needs is far from easy.
To address customers’ needs at best, the companies producing trichological cosmetic products test them with specific efficacy tests. Indeed, according to the European Regulation (EU) No. 1233/2009 on cosmetic products, all the claims stated on the label must be substantiated by specific and reproducible in vitro and in vivo tests.
Human hair supplied by specialised centres is used for testing. It is usually hair strands from different ethnic origins, washed and sanitised, with all the tips pointing in the same direction in order to have an even distribution of cuticle scales. Depending on the test it may or may be not necessary that strands are human, canine, for specific products for dogs, or yak, for coloring and bleaching tests.
However, some claims require a synergy between in vitro and in-vivo testing to guarantee extremely reliable results. For example, in order to substantiate anti-hair loss efficacy, the increased proliferation of the protein synthesis of mesenchymal cells of the dermal papilla can be tested in vitro, followed by an objective clinical evaluation with high-resolution images.
Lifeanalytics, your safest choice in cosmetics
Thanks to its state-of-the-art laboratories, Abich – Lifeanalytics, the Group’s Competence Center for Pharma and Cosmetic industries, can provide any in vitro and in vivo test that may be necessary to market your haircare cosmetic products with the most competitive claims.
Find out the full range of tests:
Evaluation of hair restructuring efficacy
The clinical test is designed to be applied to hair products and cosmetics products for scalp treatment with the purpose of substantiating the claim “Hair loss protection” according to Guidelines to Commission Regulation (EU) No 655/2013.
In vivo test: performed on selected volunteers with specific trichological features (dry and damaged hair). Volunteers will apply the product according to pre-agreed frequency and methods. 10 hairs from each subject will be gathered at T=0 and T= X days (duration to be defined with the customer). Dynamometric measurements will be performed in order to evaluate the increase in tensile strength of the hairs and their resistance to breakage. Subjective evaluations will be provided by volunteers using an open and multiple choices questionnaire to verify the perceived efficacy and other parameters such as effects on hair volume and agreeability.
In vitro test: standardized locks of human hair (several types are available according to preferences) will be treated with a damaging mixture in controlled conditions. Part of the locks will then undergo treatment with the product. Comparative imaging will be performed under tangent light to highlight improvement of hair brightness. 2 samples will be taken from each lock to evaluate improvement by phase contrast microscopy or SEM.
Antimicrobial efficacy test vs Malassezia furfur
The in vitro test is designed to be applied to anti-dandruff hair products, ingredients or finished products with the purpose of substantiating the claim “Anti-dandruff” according to proprietary method.
Evaluation of the anti-dandruff efficacy by testing the inhibition of the proliferation of Malassezia furfur by an ingredient or finished product.
Hair loss prevention efficacy test
The clinical test is designed to be applied to cosmetic products for hair and scalp treatment with the purpose of substantiating the claim “Hair loss protection” according to Guidelines to Commission Regulation (EU) No 655/2013.
Clinical objective evaluation with high resolution imaging.
Pull test: count of the number of hairs collected under standardized traction. Trichographic analysis through cell biology techniques, and evaluation of the biological activity of collected hairs from each volunteer through MTT evaluation of cell vitality.
Trichoscan phototrichogram:
- Hair density in the target region (number of hairs/cm2);
- Growth rate (mm/day);
- Percentage of hairs in anagen phase;
- Number of hairs in anagen phase.
Detangling combing test
The in vitro test is designed to be applied to hair products with the purpose of substantiating the claim “Improves combing” according to proprietary method.
Dynamometric analysis of the resistance to combing on standardized hair locks. Comparison between treated and untreated wet locks. Results in terms of combing friction (in Newtons) and percentage of friction reduction compared to the untreated control.
Hair resistance to breakage assay
The clinical test is designed to be applied to strengthening hair products with the purpose of substantiating the claim “Strenghtener” according to proprietary method.
Dynamometric analysis of the tensile strength and resistance to breakage on treated and untreated hairs collected ex vivo from 20 volunteer. Results in terms of tensile strength (in Newtons) and percentage of strengthening compared to the untreated control.
Evaluation of proliferation and protein synthesis on dermal papilla mesenchymal cells
The in vitro test is designed to be applied to active ingredients and finished products with the purpose of substantiating claims “Hair loss protection” and “Strenghtener” according to proprietary method.
Quantitative evaluation of the effects of a finished product or active ingredient on cell proliferation and protein synthesis through MTT test and total protein quantification after different periods of exposure.
5α-reductase inhibition efficacy test by mRNA analysis
The in vitro test is designed to be applied to active ingredients and finished products with the purpose of substantiating the claim “Hair loss protection” according to proprietary method.
Quantification of the changes in the gene expression of 5α-reductase in murine Balb/3T3 fibroblasts. Demonstration of the efficacy of the ingredient or finished product in reducing the expression of mRNA codifying for 5α-reductase type I or II.
Eye tolerability test
The in vitro test is designed to be applied to children shampoos and body washes with the purpose of substantiating the claim “Ophthalmologically tested” according to Guidelines to Commission Regulation (EU) No 655/2013.
Ophthalmology experts evaluate the conditions of the eye surface and periocular region before and after 5 and 60 minutes of application of the diluted product. Self-evaluation of itching, burning, and irritation feeling.
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Lifeanalytics S.r.l.
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