What is a skincare routine? It’s the combination of different products, from facial cleansers to sun protection, including various serums, creams and so on. It covers skincare, but also make-up, hair care… But how should we assess this array of products?

Ever-more-complex beauty routines

Consumers use several cosmetic products every day. According to various studies, an adult uses around 6 to 16 products a day, with variations depending on gender, habits and the populations studied.
These routines are heavily influenced by social media and influencers, trends originating particularly from Asia, and recommendations from brands and professionals.
However, this trend also affects children known as ‘Sephora Kids’ – that is, very young children who adopt skincare routines that sometimes involve numerous products: on average, six products per routine, with some cases reaching as many as 14.
The European Cosmetics Regulation stipulates that the safety of a product placed on the market must be assessed, but it seems more sensible to take into account the normal and reasonably foreseeable use of the product. In other words, to monitor what consumers actually do!

A routine can alter exposure and tolerance

For the toxicologist, it is therefore no longer sufficient …