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The importance of the outermost layer of the skin in cosmetics was the original reason for first producing a reconstructed epidermis, since the main function of its horny layer is as a barrier. Besides keratinocytes (90% of the epidermal cells), melanocytes and Langerhans cells, which have pigmentation and immunity functions respectively, have been included in more advanced models.
Perfected first of all for the purposes of fundamental research, these skin models are just as much a basis for developing in vitro
methods to assess the safety and efficacy of cosmetic ingredients and products. Some of these models are standard and are produced in L'Oréal's cutaneous engineering centre (EPISKIN SNC). The applications of these models have been or will be validated as alternative methods to animal testing.
The different models of the epidermis:
All the models have in common the culture of keratinocytes on a support and the exposure of the culture to air. In the case of reconstructed epidermis, the support may be an inert dermis (DED
) (models/laboratory prototypes) or a biomaterial based on collagen, (the model produced on an industrial scale by EPISKIN SNC). The cells are seeded onto this type of support.
Model on a DED
The EpiSkin model
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