The Safety Assessment Process

Step 1: Suppliers

Safety starts with our suppliers. That’s why we work with suppliers that meet our exacting safety standards. Our screening process enables us to know with certainty the purity of every raw material.

When we receive a shipment from a new supplier or new materials, we create a detailed study and test multiple samples to ensure safety benchmarks are met. In some instances, we screen supplier ingredients down to 1 part per million, which is more stringent than the regulations in many of the countries where our products are sold. This screening process is ongoing. If a sample ever fails a screening, we audit the supplier and resolve the issue.

Step 2: Ingredients

After selecting the right suppliers, our next step is to have a look at their ingredients. Our screening criteria include a review of the composition and impurities, sourcing and manufacturing, registrations and regulatory status, and safety and environmental data. Ingredients that meet the screening criteria will then undergo qualification and extensive quality testing.

Step 3: Formulas

Formulation starts with an understanding of health and human biology, including the way the skin and hair works. With over 100 years of research and development in the healthcare sector, we’ve created quite a bit of know-how on how ingredients should be used in personal care products. With this information, our scientists bring out the best in each ingredient, find the optimal combination of ingredients, and avoid unwanted interactions between them. Formula development can take up to 3 years, and in some cases even longer.

Step 4: Simulations

Simulating use is our next step. We want to make sure our products hold up to how you use them. That’s why we combine testing in the lab and in the real world. First, we test our products in the lab under a variety of simulated use scenarios to ensure performance, stability, and microbial safety. Promising formulas will then undergo real life simulations with volunteers to evaluate the safety and use of our products. To make sure our formulas are safe for use, our scientific experts look for any irritation to the skin or eyes. A single product may be tested with more than 200 people. If our volunteers have a negative reaction to a formula, we stop testing, and start working on a new formula.

Step 5: Ongoing evaluation

Our Safety & Care Commitment is a dialogue. We continue to monitor and update our safety systems based on new information, the latest research, and any feedback from doctors, nurses, patients, consumers, and families that use our products. Together, we work hard to ensure that our products continue to meet the high bar we set for safety.