Since the 1990s, testing services dedicated to the beauty market have been at the forefront of product development, starting from the very inception of R&D projects, through formulation, regulatory affairs, and ultimately, scientific communication regarding the safety and performance of active ingredients or finished products. A multitude of factors drive the evolution of the testing field, including technological advancements, consumer trends, regulation, and environmental considerations. Today, we will concentrate on the most trends recently observed at the latest and scientific events and shows, as well as insights gathered from discussions with consultants, testing platform users or evaluation managers from around the world.

Keynote lectures at the IFSCC congress stood out for their innovative focus on emotional transformation, sensory inclusion, holistic beauty, and age reversal, sparking a reevaluation of beauty science and its intricate connection with nature.

In the testing conference domain, a significant portion of the 53 conferences centered on evaluating actives of finished products—29 of them focused on clinical testing, while 22 addressed preclinical testing. Aging and regeneration dominated discussions with 15 claims, followed by 7 on acne, sebum, lipids, and sweat, and 6 on well-being, emotions, or perceptions. Skincare took precedence with 39 conferences, in contrast to haircare’s 8.

In the realm of posters, 120 were dedicated to evaluating actives of finished products—78 emphasizing clinical testing and 38 focusing on preclinical testing. Dominant topics included skin models (12), artificial intelligence (11), and ethnicities (15). Skincare evaluation remained a significant focus, with 48 posters dedicated to this area, while haircare testing had 8. This scientific event collectively propelled advancements in beauty science and ethical testing practices, heralding an era of innovative and inclusive approaches in the beauty industry. It has drawn the main directions for future testing and at the same time brought to light the weak signs of topics of interest for new cosmetics and actives development.

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