April 2025 • Vol. 31 • Issue 4
Hypoallergenic Testing Innovations: Towards Safer and More Ethical Cosmetic Standards
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…Imke Göllner and Sarah Risse
ensitive skin is becoming an increasingly common condition among consumers worldwide. As an independent test institute, Dermatest® has been carrying out dermatological studies for almost 50 years and our database analysis of more than 5,000 currently actively participating test subjects shows that more than one-third of the participants have sensitive skin.1 Among these, women—especially those over the age of 40—are disproportionately represented.1 Environmental and lifestyle-related triggers such as air pollution, climate fluctuations, and stress, as well as the use of cosmetic ingredients, have all been identified as contributing factors.2-5 As consumers become more aware of their skin sensitivities, they increasingly look for products labelled as “suitable for sensitive skin” or “hypoallergenic.” To maintain consumers’ trust in these claims and labels, efficacy studies must go way beyond marketing claims and provide scientifically substantiated data. Although traditionally used to support the 'hypoallergenic' claim and to determine sensitization potential, the Human Repeat Insult Patch Test (HRIPT) is considered a standard in cosmetic research due to the lack of alternatives, but it is outdated and inadequate.6-7 Unfortunately, the huge disadvantages of this method are tolerated. The HRIPT is increasingly criticized both for its ethical implications, since it involves the deliberate induction of sensitization resulting in the triggering of allergies in healthy volunteers. In addition, there is also a lack of defined standards such as globally accepted HRIPT protocols leading to inconsistent results and difficulties in comparing studies. Even the approach of increasing the number of test subjects to maximize the reliability of the test results is also not a state-of-the-art solution and just augments the ethical concerns. Considering these concerns, Dermatest has developed new, science-driven methodologies that emphasize both the safety of test participants and the reliability of results. With its vast experience with human skin tolerability studies and intensive knowledge of the needs of customers, the company has introduced two structured testing frameworks: the Sensitive Seal Study and HypoSense. These methods have been designed to meet increasing regulatory, ethical, and consumer demands while ensuring scientifically valid results.
HypoSense® As a New Benchmark
HypoSense is the latest addition to Dermatest’s testing landscape and was introduced to assess whether products are hypoallergenic using a modern, meaningful, and ethically acceptable study protocol. Unlike previous approaches, HypoSense is built on a multi-layered, holistic testing concept that prioritizes ethical responsibility, scientific rigor, and real-world relevance. The method was developed to close the gap left by outdated testing models and to support trustworthy hypoallergenic claims with high(continued on Page 6) quality data.
C O M P R E H E N S I V E A P P R O A C H T O S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y • A P R I L 1 6 t h ...see pages 8-10 for more information.