My Blue CosmET’IC

Interview with Dr Jean François Ghiglione - Observatoire Océanologique Banyuls, CNRS; Dr. Sascha Pawlowski – BASF SE; Claudie Willemin – Scientific Committee of My Blue CosmET’IC

On March 11 – 13, 2021 you will have the congress My Blue CosmET’IC with the topic: BEAUTE & LA MER. 

What are the key aspects of this scientific congress?

How can the sea contribute to innovative cosmetics and how can cosmetics contribute to the safety of the sea?

JF

JF Ghiglione: Sharing scientific knowledge with companies can help both ways. This is the case in particular for plastic pollution. For example, new biodegradable polymers come from the exploitation of certain marine bacteria (PHAs for example) and thus can contribute to innovative cosmetics. Inversely, cosmetics together with international directives opened the question of finding substitutes to the banned single-used and packaging plastics (such as microbeads classically used in cosmetics), and then boost the scientific community to innovate on new biodegradable and non-toxic materials.

Plastic in the oceans is a serious problem worldwide. What are approaches in biodegradation to the improvement of the situation?

JF Ghiglione: Biodegradation participates in the fragmentation of plastics into micro- and nanoplastics, together with physical and chemical transformation (abrasion, UV). The final product of biodegradation is CO2 and biomass, which means that microorganisms completely remineralize plastics.

What are the agents of microbial biodegradation?

JF Ghiglione: Polymer biodegradation is mainly done by bacteria. They use extracellular enzymes that depolymerize the polymer into oligomers and monomers. The monomers enter the cells to be biodegraded by intracellular enzymes. By this process, certain bacteria can use plastics as a food. 

What do these findings mean for the tons of plastic waste in the seas?

JF Ghiglione: Biodegradation by marine microorganisms cannot be a matter of hope. Unfortunately, this process is very long, from years to decades. Bacteria living in the sea cannot cope with the increasing amount of plastics entering the Oceans. Moreover, the biodegradation participates in the fragmentation of the plastic into micro- and nano-particles, which have deleterious effects at all levels of the food chain.

Another big issue are UV filters. What are the latest findings on the impact of sunscreens on coral reefs? 

Bild Sascha Pawlowski

Sascha Pawlowski: Global coral bleaching and coral reef decline is a serious issue, with elevated water temperatures due to climate change being the most relevant factor. On a more local scale, water pollution, pesticides as well as fishing and leisure activities significantly contribute to these findings.  The impact of UV filters and sunscreens on coral health, however, has not yet been fully explored. It requires further scientific elaboration and clarification in order to draw the right conclusions for a sustainable coral health protection and appropriate regulatory measures.

How can the safety assessment of UV-filters be improved?

Sascha Pawlowski: With respect to coral health, standardized and validated testing methods according to internationally accepted principals (i.e., ISO, OECD) on corals will certainly help to improve the hazard assessment of the UV filters, as it can be concluded that the results are robust and reliable. This process will take several years and thus the methods will not likely become available at short notice. However, already existing data can be used for an environmental impact assessment of UV-filters used in sunscreen products. For that purpose, BASF has developed the EcoSun Pass. Its methodology supports the holistic assessment of UV filters based on internationally recognized criteria and is the first scientifically sound and transparent system of its kind. It considers eight different parameters, i.e. acute and chronic aquatic toxicity, endocrine suspicion, and biodegradation. The tool is based on the latest scientific findings, which improves regulatory acceptance.

As well as considering environmental factors for individual UV filters, the EcoSun Pass provides a comprehensive environmental evaluation of the entire filter system within a sunscreen product: the higher the EcoSun Pass value for a formulation, the more environmentally friendly it is. Thus, we can advise formulators as early as in the developmental stage which UV filter combinations are best suited for their application – in the interests of both the consumer and the environment. 

The EcoSun Pass tool is not limited to BASF products, but is applicable to all UV filters on the market including organic and inorganic candidates. The criteria are scientifically sound, transparent, and applied to each candidate on an equal level. This means that potential improvements of the UV filter composition may or may not involve BASF ingredients depending on the outcome of the EcoSun Pass evaluation.

Willemin

Claudie Willemin: Effects of UV filters on marine life is an important matter to look at.

But for the safety assessment it is crucial to consider the risk.  And this risk is based on 2 criteria: determination of the concentrations which induce effects on organisms and the measurement or calculation of the concentrations in the environment, which these organisms are exposed to. On this second criteria, we have to emphasize the initiatives done by Cosmetics Europe to develop representative exposure models, in order to conduct a systematic risk assessment for all UV filters, in aquatic systems – fresh and marine. A presentation of V Poulsen from CE Chair of Environmental Sciences working group will develop their works.  

What do the standardized toxicity tests on corals contribute to the safety of cosmetics?

Claudie Willemin: While many studies have been carried out to design safety tests on corals, some of them will be presented during the congress. But until now no standardized toxicity test exists.

Several published papers related effects of some UV filters on coral, but many reported effects at much higher concentrations than those measured in marine environment.

And we would like to mention the report published December 2020 - by Davoren Environmental for Accord Australasia Limited * where one of their conclusions is: 

“For a comprehensive risk characterization, there is a pressing need for field/in situ studies 2020 on coral species that reflect realistic environmental conditions and exposures to quantify the actual risk of these substances to relevant receiving environments.” 

 But also, “Conversely, there is irrefutable evidence that the application of sunscreen is one of a number of key measures to reduce exposure to the damaging effects of UV radiation from the sun and the risk of skin cancer.”

“ UV Filters in Sunscreen – A Review of Regulations, Environmental Monitoring and Ecotoxicological Studies and Preliminary Environmental Risk Characterisation of Four UV Filters.

Is it possible to develop eco-sustainable sunscreens?

Claudie Willemin: For a few months now, we have had news tools which help us to develop more environmentally friendly formulations. Thanks to the creativity and responsibility of suppliers of UV filters, the formulator cannot only optimize the efficacy and UV protection profile according to the country regulation but also integrate the environmental criteria. By testing their ingredients and/or formulas on specific ecotoxicological tests, many cosmetics companies already design eco-sustainable sunscreen formulations.

We would like to mention SUNSCREEN OPTIMIZER™ from DSM, a web-application which generated also an Eco-classification and EcoSun Pass from BASF as mentioned by Sascha Pawlowski.

During My Blue CosmET’IC, SUNSCREEN OPTIMIZER™ will be presented by Dr. Gernot Kunze from DSM.

Sascha Pawlowski: It’s all a matter of using and balancing the right ingredients. In the end, it comes down to four important criteria: consumer safety, efficacy, environmental compatibility and required concentration. Selecting UV combinations of the most efficient filters with the best environmental hazard profiles at the lowest possible concentrations allows manufacturers to develop optimized, ecologically sustainable sunscreens. Therefore, the EcoSun Pass is a suitable tool to select the ideal UV filter candidates and allows for the exclusion of UV filters having negative impact on the environment including both freshwater and marine organisms. Besides talking about standardization of coral toxicity tests, we will give some insights into the tool during our My Blue CosmET’ICpresentation entitled “Development of standardized toxicity tests on corals for marine safety assessment of UV filters and other cosmetic ingredients”.

Last question: How can interested delegates participate in the congress in times of the pandemic and the restrictions resulting from it?

Claudie Willemin: 

  • We design My Blue CosmET’IC as a unique event “Beauty & Sea” for Innovation in Cosmetic. 
  • Dedicated to ingredients, formula and packaging for Cosmetics, it is designed by a scientific committee of experts focused on the needs of the Cosmetic industry:  to protect the ocean according the regulatory requirements. 
  • It is in line with the decision of UNO to make this decade (2021-2030) the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. 
  • By bringing together relevant scientists of the cosmetic industry and marine field, coming from the international industries and academia such as those coming from Laboratoire Arago, the center of marine biodiversity and biotechnologies of CNRS & Sorbonne University.
  • By recreating an immersive and interactive atmosphere of Laboratoire Arago including virtual visits of the labs and stands.
  • By broadcasting live for 3 consecutive days.

View video:

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