Interpretation of predictive data on safety-in-use of toiletry products

Synopsis Toiletries are the subgroup of cosmetics mainly used for cleansing and personal hygiene of the skin, the hair or the dentition. Some of these preparations may be considered also to have medicinal characteristics and are liable to be placed in a 'borderline'category which may have regulatory implications. Predictive safety testing is designed to ensure as far as possible that new toiletries may be used without harm to health. Attention to the severity of adverse effects rather than their numerical incidence is necessary when assessing risks associated with toiletry use. Benefits derived from using toiletries are primarily concerned with personal hygiene and grooming, to give increased self-assurance and social acceptance. The relationship between benefit and risk is not easily described in mathematical terms, mainly because benefits from using toiletries are hard to quantify. However, other ways of studying risk in relation to benefit may be considered.