Preface

摘要

The cosmetic world is often perceived as the land of luxury, in which science fails to play any part. This is, however, not justified since several aspects of the development of cosmetic products require significant scientific input. Multiple research groups are involved in the formulation of innovative cosmetic products in the quest for new galenic forms on the macro- or nano-scale and/or in the objective assessment of the efficacy of cosmetic products. In addition and most importantly, cosmetic products are not allowed to be placed on the market unless their safety for the consumer has been scientifically proven. Whereas the safety standards for cosmetic products vary between different parts of the globe, it is generally agreed upon that Europe has put in place a relatively stringent regulatory framework to ensure cosmetic safety, in which the development of validated alternative methods plays a key role. It is a real challenge for industry, academia and regulatory bodies to maintain, under these conditions, the standards for cosmetic safety high. This book, therefore, solely focuses on the challenging subject of safety assessment of cosmetics in the current European regulatory framework and does not cover the interesting topics of cosmetic product development and claim substantiation.