Product safety testing glossary
Acute: Having a rapid onset and following a short but severe course.
Acute toxicity: The short-term effects of a one-time exposure to a chemical substance.
Alternative: A method that either eliminates the need for a whole animal (replacement alternative), substantially decreases the number of whole animals used for a particular procedure (reduction alternative), or improves the design and/or efficiency of a test, thereby lessening the distress or discomfort experienced by laboratory animals (refinement alternative).
Biochemistry: The study of the chemical reactions that occur in living things.
Biohazard: A biological agent, such as an infectious microorganism, or a condition that constitutes a threat to humans or animals.
Biotechnology: The use of biological processes to manufacture products.
Carcinogen: A product or chemical that can either cause or promote cancer.
Cell cultures: Groups of cells with similar functions (usually from animals or humans) that live and multiply in laboratory dishes.
Chemistry: The interaction of molecules and recombination of their atoms to form various substances.
Chronic: Lasting for a long period of time or marked by frequent recurrence.
Chronic toxicity: The effects of repeated, long-term exposure to a substance.
Culture: Growth of living cells or microorganisms in a controlled artificial environment.
Cytotoxic: The ability of a substance to destroy cells.
Detoxification: Metabolic breakdown of a drug or chemical; usually occurs in the liver or kidneys.
Draize Test: An acute test study to assess they toxicity of products placed in contact with animal tissue to evaluate local tissue irritation.
Fragrance: Any natural or synthetic substance or substances used solely to impart an odor to a cosmetic product.
Fragrance-free*: Products so labeled may still contain small amounts of fragrances to mask the fatty odor of soap or other unpleasant odors.
GLP (Good Laboratory Practices): A set of regulations that applies to animal and non-animal research and safety studies funded or reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Histology: The microscopic study of tissues.
Histopathology: The procedure of fixing, thin-slicing, and staining a tissue sample to perform microscopic examination of the tissue.
Hypoallergenic*: Cosmetics that are less likely to cause allergic reactions.
Inert: Forming few or no chemical compounds; having no pharmacologic or therapeutic action.
In vitro: In an artificial environment outside of a living organism.
In vivo: Within a living organism.
Lanolin: A natural extract of sheep wool used as a moisturizer, which is a common cause of allergic reactions but is rarely used in pure form.
Metabolism: Intracellular chemical reactions that break down biochemical compounds into simpler substances.
Microtiter plates: Plastic dishes used for culturing cells that are divided into multiple compartments, so that a large number of conditions may be tested and analyzed by automated procedures.
Mutagen: A substance or chemical that causes changes in genetic material that induces mutations.
Natural*: Ingredients extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being produced synthetically.
Necropsy: Examination and dissection of a dead animal, usually performed at the end of an experiment.
Non-comedogenic*: Products so labeled do not contain common pore-clogging ingredients that could lead to acne.
Noxious: Harmful to living things; injurious to health.
Parabens (methyl-, propyl-, and butyl-): The most widely used preservatives in the United States, commonly used in shampoos, foundations, facial masks, hair-grooming aids, nail creams, and permanent wave products.
Phototoxicity: The ability of sunlight to activate or enhance a substance's toxicity to the skin.
Pharmacokinetics: The action of drugs within the body.
Propylene glycol: The most common moisture-carrying vehicle in cosmetics other than water.
Risk assessment: The process through which toxic effects of exposure to a chemical substance are calculated, and a decision regarding the potential uses of the substances are made.
Synthetic: Man-made, chemical substances.
Teratogenicity: The ability of a chemical substance to cause malformations in a human or animal fetus.
Therapeutic index (TI): The ratio of amount of drug required to produce toxic signs or death to the amount required to produce the desired beneficial effect. Also called margin of safety.
Tissue cultures: The growing of groups of cells with similar functions in a specially prepared nutrient medium.
Tissue slices: An in vitro technique in which tissue is cut into thin and uniform slices so that the structure of the organ is preserved, with all cell types present. In most cases, tissue slices are viable for a few hours or, at most, a few days.
Toxicity testing: In vivo and in vitro experiments designed to reveal the toxic potential of a chemical or chemicals in order to determine the potential uses (or danger of use) of the substance.
Toxicology: The science of poisons and their harmful or noxious effects on living organisms.
Toxic: Poisonous.
Toxin: A noxious or poisonous substance.
Vivisection: Originally the surgical cutting of a living animal in scientific research, often used today as a synonym for any type of animal research or testing.
* There are no official, government definitions for these terms.