What Are In Vitro and In Vivo Testing? The Secret Behind Cosmetic Product Safety
Cosmetic product claims cannot be based solely on active ingredients or commonly known benefits. Manufacturers need to ensure that claims such as moisturizing, brightening, soothing, or strengthening the skin barrier are supported by relevant scientific data through in vitro and in vivo testing. Both methods can be used to evaluate the safety, effectiveness, and response of a product according to its intended purpose.
Table of Content:
- What Is In Vitro Testing?
- What Is In Vivo Testing?
- What Is the Difference Between In Vitro and In Vivo Testing?
- How Does Testing Support Cosmetic Product Claims?
What Is In Vitro Testing?
In vitro testing is testing conducted outside a living organism, carried out on skin models, isolated skin samples, reconstructed epidermis, cell cultures, or membrane systems. In the cosmetics industry, in vitro testing is used to evaluate a product's safety and efficacy without directly involving humans or animals.
This method allows researchers to more closely control test conditions, such as ingredient concentration, exposure duration, temperature, and the type of model used. Through in vitro testing, manufacturers can obtain preliminary data on potential irritation, cell toxicity, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory effects, or the active ingredient's ability to influence specific biological processes before proceeding to the next phase of testing.
What Is In Vivo Testing?
In vivo testing is testing conducted on living subjects, either human or animal. In the cosmetics industry, in vivo testing typically involves human volunteers with various skin types, where the product is applied to their skin under specific conditions.
Metode ini memungkinkan peneliti mengamati respons kulit secara langsung setelah penggunaan produk, termasuk perubahan tingkat hidrasi, kemerahan, elastisitas, pigmentasi, atau fungsi skin barrier. Karena melibatkan kondisi biologis yang lebih kompleks, uji in vivo dapat memberikan gambaran yang lebih mendekati penggunaan nyata. Namun, pelaksanaannya harus mengikuti protokol yang ketat, mendapatkan persetujuan etik, serta memastikan keamanan dan kenyamanan relawan selama penelitian.
What Is the Difference Between In Vitro and In Vivo Testing?
The key difference between in vitro and in vivo testing is that in vitro testing is conducted outside a living organism, using cell cultures, reconstructed skin models, or biological membranes within a controlled environment. In vivo testing, by contrast, is conducted directly on a living subject in the cosmetics context, using human volunteers allowing it to capture the skin's full physiological response, including the dynamic interactions between tissues, circulation, and individual variation that cannot be replicated in a laboratory.
How Does Testing Support Cosmetic Product Claims?
In Indonesia, BPOM Regulation No. 3 of 2022 stipulates that cosmetic claims must meet six main criteria: legal compliance, accuracy of information, honesty, fairness, the ability to be substantiated by scientific testing and R&D data, and clarity so as not to mislead consumers. Supporting data for cosmetic claims such as a complete product benefit assessment report, a literature review on an ingredient's benefit claims, or the latest product testing report all fall under the Safety and Efficacy Data category within the Cosmetic Product Information Document (Dokumen Informasi Produk, or DIP), which must be prepared for BPOM notification purposes.
Choose the Right Cosmetic Testing Method with IML
Ensure your cosmetic safety and efficacy claims are supported by appropriate testing methods. Consult IML Testing & Research for in vitro and in vivo testing to obtain accurate and relevant scientific data for product development and documentation.
Author: Elmira
Editor: Lina
Daftar Pustaka
Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan Republik Indonesia. (2022). Peraturan Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan Nomor 3 Tahun 2022 tentang Persyaratan Teknis Klaim Kosmetika. BPOM RI.
Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan Republik Indonesia. (2023). Peraturan Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan Nomor 17 Tahun 2023 tentang Pedoman Dokumen Informasi Produk Kosmetik. BPOM RI.
Sanabria-de la Torre, R., Fernández-González, A., Quiñones-Vico, M. I., Montero-Vílchez, T., & Arias-Santiago, S. (2020). Bioengineered skin intended as in vitro model for pharmacosmetics, skin disease study and environmental skin impact analysis. Biomedicines, 8(11), 464. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines8110464
