Weekly Cosmetic Research Analysis
This week’s cosmetic-related literature emphasized exposure science, diagnostic innovation, and product surveillance. Human exposure experiments and modeling showed that common personal care products can markedly increase dermal uptake and predicted serum levels of environmental SVOCs. Imaging and analytic advances — multispectral optoacoustic tomography for precise BCC mapping and non‑target HRMS workflows for detecting undeclared surfactants — promise to change diagnostic workflows and regulat
Summary
This week’s cosmetic-related literature emphasized exposure science, diagnostic innovation, and product surveillance. Human exposure experiments and modeling showed that common personal care products can markedly increase dermal uptake and predicted serum levels of environmental SVOCs. Imaging and analytic advances — multispectral optoacoustic tomography for precise BCC mapping and non‑target HRMS workflows for detecting undeclared surfactants — promise to change diagnostic workflows and regulatory surveillance, respectively. Findings also highlighted formulation and ingredient-level drivers of occupational and consumer exposures, with direct implications for clinicians, regulators, and product formulators.
Selected Articles
1. Exposure experiments and machine learning revealed that personal care products can significantly increase transdermal exposure of SVOCs from the environment.
Volunteer exposure experiments showed that applying common personal care products (lotion, baby oil, sunscreen, BB cream) increased dermal adsorption of multiple SVOC classes by ~1.6–2.0×, with tocopherol-containing formulations further enhancing uptake. Machine‑learning models predicted significant increases in serum concentrations of certain PAHs and TCEP following product use, indicating ingredient-dependent systemic exposure amplification.
Impact: First human experimental evidence linking routine PCP application to marked increases in dermal uptake and modeled systemic exposure of environmental SVOCs — this reframes exposure assessment to include co-exposure with cosmetic formulations.
Clinical Implications: Clinicians should counsel vulnerable populations (pregnant people, children, occupationally exposed workers) about ingredient-specific risks and recommend lower‑absorption formulations where appropriate; regulators may need to require co‑exposure testing in safety assessments.
Key Findings
- Application of lotion, baby oil, sunscreen, and BB cream increased dermal SVOC adsorption by approximately 1.63–2.03×.
- Tocopherol-containing ingredients increased dermal SVOC adsorption by ~2.59×.
- Machine-learning predictions indicated increases in serum concentrations of 2–3 ring PAHs and TCEP after product use.
2. A proof-of-concept study for precise mapping of pigmented basal cell carcinoma in asian skin using multispectral optoacoustic tomography imaging with level set segmentation.
In 30 subjects with pigmented BCC, multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT) combined with automated level‑set segmentation provided non‑invasive 3D maps whose width and depth measurements correlated strongly with histology (r=0.84 and r=0.81). The workflow offers high isotropic resolution (~80 µm) and may enable improved preoperative planning to preserve healthy tissue and cosmetic outcomes.
Impact: Introduces a validated, high‑resolution imaging and segmentation pipeline that can materially change surgical planning for BCC, reducing tissue sacrifice and improving cosmetic outcomes.
Clinical Implications: Adoption of MSOT with automated segmentation could reduce Mohs stages or re‑excisions, shorten operative time, and better preserve cosmesis—warranting larger diagnostic accuracy and implementation studies.
Key Findings
- Automated level‑set segmentation on MSOT enabled precise delineation of pigmented BCC and measurement of width, depth, and volume.
- MSOT-derived width and depth correlated with histology (r=0.84 and r=0.81).
- High isotropic resolution (~80 μm) allowed contrast-rich 3D mapping suitable for surgical planning.
3. Nontarget screen and identify sulfate and sulfonate surfactants in personal care products using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS based on fragmentation characteristics and sulfur isotopologue pattern.
A non‑target UHPLC‑Q‑Orbitrap HRMS workflow using diagnostic fragments and sulfur isotopologue patterns (plus an in‑lab R script) identified 20 sulfate and 12 sulfonate surfactants in personal care products, including eight sulfonates not previously reported in PCPs. Critically, 22 sulfate/sulfonate compounds were detected in products labeled as free of these surfactants, exposing labeling discrepancies.
Impact: Provides an advanced, practical analytical framework to detect undeclared surfactants in consumer products and expand the known chemical inventory — directly useful for regulators, toxicologists, and dermatology safety guidance.
Clinical Implications: Enables identification of hidden irritants/allergens that may underlie unexplained dermatitis and informs regulatory enforcement and reformulation priorities to improve consumer safety.
Key Findings
- Developed a sulfur‑isotopologue and fragment‑driven non‑target UHPLC‑Q‑Orbitrap‑HRMS pipeline with an R script for identification.
- Identified 20 sulfate and 12 sulfonate surfactants (C12–C26, EO 0–7) with confidence level ≥3, including 8 sulfonates first reported in PCPs.
- Detected 22 sulfate/sulfonate compounds in products labeled as free of these surfactants.