TWINALT scientists had an opportunity to participate in an extensive course on safety assessment of cosmetics in the EU, organized by Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Organised as e-learning, the course offered the access to 22 lectures, pre-recorded by the experts. The lectures were organized in five sessions, covering the regulatory aspects of safety assessment of cosmetics, skin and eye irritation assays, skin sensitization and photosensitization, some aspects of testing cosmetics and their ingredients as well as new and alternative methods for safety assessment. The additional part was focused on preparing a Product Information File (PIF), with some regulatory guidelines accompanied by the practical aspects and case studies.
The lectures presented physiological and medical knowledge as a solid base, allowing participants to understand the mechanisms of complex processes occurring in the skin during its contact with allergens or irritants. The course also covered also the nuances of packaging, the usage of nanoparticles in cosmetics or the assessment of specific products like sprays. Step-by-step risk assessment procedures, including New Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) approach, were shown in the form of case studies. The emphasis was put on the alternative methods for toxicity testing, therefore many in vitro, in chemico and in silico methods were discussed.
Alongside the videos the participants had the access to handouts, summarizing the aspects presented in the lectures, which constitute a carefully prepared knowledge base for future use.
The whole course was really comprehensive and offered a broad range of topics for scientists and safety assessors.
