|
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
5th
EMBL/EMBO Joint Conference 2004 |
|
|
Session III |
|
|
Aging, industry and policies The cosmetic point of view |
|
|
|
Paolo
Giacomoni, Executive Director-R&D, Clinique
Laboratories, New York, USA
The reverse pyramid
of ages in western populations has generated a market
for products directed to accompany the aging baby-boomers.
Besides geronto-medicine, a vast sector of consumers
orient themselves towards nutritionals, sports,
clothing, fashion, and cosmetics designed to meet
the needs of the graying population. Skin aging
is characterized by wrinkling, sagging, thinning
and discoloration. The micro-inflammatory model
of skin aging predicts the first three phenomena,
and fails to predict the fourth one. Aging is defined
as the accumulation of damages, and treatments able
to reduce the rate of accumulation of damages can
be thought of as anti-aging treatments. Strategies
to avoid excessive exposure to solar ultraviolet
radiation are but one example of successful treatments
to slow down the rate of accumulation of damages
in the skin and therefore to fight skin aging. Sunscreens
are a tool used against ultraviolet radiation. The
industry produces sunscreens designed and selected
to be photo-stable with high molar extinction coefficients,
non photo-toxic, non-allergising, odorless, and
colorless. The alliance between industry and science
has fostered great progress in photobiology. Legislation
has set rules which differ in different parts of
the globe: there are sunscreens accepted in the
EU which are not allowed in the US, sunscreens accepted
in the US which are forbidden in Europe. In Japan,
the Ministry of Health requires that new products
such as preservatives or sunscreens be tested on
animals, whereas in Europe legislation imposes a
ban on animal testing for cosmetics. Paradoxically,
testing to assess safety in humans will have to
be performed with alternative methods [i.e. not
on animals] whereas new molecules will have to be
tested on animals to be proven environmentally friendly.
The cosmetic industry is complying with the regulatory
requirements.
|
|
|
|
|
