In Vitro/In Vivo SPF, a Substitution for Ethical Reasons or a Real Evolution of the Pertinence of the Test?

摘要

As a worldwide concern for health authorities and industries, the assessment of the sun protection provided by cosmetics must be harmonized and an international ISO standardization process is in course. Its goal is to propose both in vivo and in in vitro standards. Nevertheless, only the in vitro SPF standard has not been yet published but it can be taken as sure it will be very soon. Initially, the in vitro methods had been mainly required for the reason the in vivo ones are not ethical. For most of the people, the in vivo SPF, which is far from being well designed to estimate real sun protection, is really reliable as there is no other method. Furthermore, it is astonishing that no huge studies have been published or performed during the last three decades to check the poor inter laboratories reproducibility and especially between different parts of the world. Most of the big cosmetic industries know this issue but have no choice. Based on recent published and approved works and results, the authors will summarize the level of reproducibility for both methods and especially the very high reliability of the possible coming in vitro method due to the very recent knowledge about conditions of testing, including robotic spreading. The good consequence is, that considering the real unreliability of in vivo test, an in vitro test with a very high reproducibility already demonstrated and approved by ISO, could be of great benefit for industries, health authorities, consumers associations and consumers themselves for performance and safety far from the expectation of the only substitution for ethical reasons.MD. LutzDHelioScreen, 44 rue Leon Blum, 60100 Creil, FranceMdlutz@helioscreen.frMS. MiksaDHelioScreen, 44 rue Leon Blum, 60100 Creil, France