L'Oréal’s EpiSkin Is Removing Animals From The Cosmetics Testing Process

L'Oréal’s pioneering work in the use of human skin cells to test the safety of chemicals used in cosmetics continues to transform the industry, in particular reducing or eliminating animal testing. Batches of the company’s lab-grown human skin, dubbed EpiSkin, are sold by its EPISKIN subsidiary to other cosmetics companies, to chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and to university-based scientists. EpiSkin reproduces the distinctive shape of the cells in each layer of human skin, giving laboratories a fuller picture of how skin reacts to different substances and allows them to better select the product to be tested in clinical studies. Researchers now plan to expand the EpiSkin range with skin models that mimic dry skin, inflamed skin or sensitive skin. They are also developing tissue models that integrate the latest advances such as tissue reconstruction using functionalized cells. [Image Credit: © L'Oréal ]