WEST YORK, United Kingdom—Evocutis launched LabSkin™, in vitro skin models to support antimicrobial and skin microbe balancing (prebiotic) product claims. LabSkin is an animal-replacement technology which emulates living skin and is a high-value research and product testing tool for the cosmetic and healthcare industries.
“Currently, in the development of new cosmetics, 80 to 90% fail when moving from laboratory testing into human clinical trials. This is primarily because skin testing models are unable to provide reliable data to support the product’s claims. The ability of LabSkin to emulate real human skin provides a new and highly valuable research tool for cosmetic developers to reduce developmental product failure rates and provide statistical data to back up product claims and benefits," says Dr. Stephen Jones, CEO of Evocutis.
LabSkin is a unique product with a dry, skin-like surface that supports the natural growth of skin microorganisms. It is a highly consistent surface substrate which provides much more meaningful results than can be achieved using standard laboratory methods. Not only can it be used to study skin surface antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and C. difficile, it also allows study of microbe-balancing strategies using nutrients targeted at the skin’s “good bacteria".
Dr. Richard Bojar, chief scientific officer of Evocutis, adds: “This paves the way for controlling pathogenic microorganisms using the natural microflora through niche-competition. Recent research indicates that our natural microflora is an integral part of our skin and makes a significant contribution to skin health. LabSkin provides a unique living skin surface which is validated for microbial applications and can simultaneously provide information on irritation, penetration, barrier function and skin structure. This makes it a valuable tool for the development of innovative products."