In Vitro Evaluation Methods for Functional Cosmetic Material Development

The document discussed the development of in vitro evaluation methods for functional cosmetic ingredients, particularly focusing on whitening, anti-wrinkle, and hair growth products. It highlighted the importance of these methods due to the growing regulation against animal testing in Europe. For anti-wrinkle ingredients, collagen and MMP-1 were identified as key biological targets, while whitening effects were assessed through the activity of tyrosinase and melanogenic enzymes. Hair growth ingredients were evaluated using dermal papilla cell culture and hair organ culture. The paper noted that while co-culture systems and reconstructed skin were more reliable than monolayer cell cultures, there was a need for continuous development of methods with higher relevance to human biology and reliable biomarkers.