Leading cosmetic testing and regulatory company MSL has developed VeganSure; a world-first testing solution for cosmetics and personal care products that replaces all animal-derived ingredients with plant-derived or synthetic alternatives.

Under EU regulations, every cosmetic or personal care product on the EU market must have a Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR). This involves undergoing a Preservative Efficacy or Challenge Test to ensure their preservative system can withstand microbial contamination during use. Traditionally these tests have been carried out on dehydrated culture media created from animal by-products.

VeganSure has replaced all animal-derived ingredients with vegan alternatives such as papaya-derived enzymes, soya bean and sugars from potatoes, cornmeal and plant peptones so that brands can carry out the main cosmetic tests required in the EU on their products without compromising their vegan ethics.

Alex Fotheringham, operations director – cosmetics at MSL, says: “There are roughly 3.5 million vegans in the UK, and the demand for animal-free and cruelty-free beauty and cosmetic products is quickly growing. Over the past two years we have seen an explosion in the number of cosmetic products claiming to be vegan. To help support these claims, we have developed a novel and ethical testing solution that not only assures the safety of products and meets the requirements of the EU Cosmetic Regulation, but also offers a truly vegan alternative.”