Modern lifestyle products such as skin care products, cosmetics, and perfumes contain dangerous compounds that were not detected by previous tests and are currently not regulated. The authors criticize that the overall picture of a sample is not captured and unknown or hidden hazardous compounds are overlooked. 

For their investigations, the researchers developed the inexpensive open-source 2LabsToGo-Eco method. It consists of a high-performance thin-layer chromatographic analytical method and combines a user-friendly bioassay laboratory. The newly method developed by the JLU scientists makes it possible to detect unknown pollutants in these complex products and simultaneously investigate their effects on cells and receptors. This means that a pollutant does not have to be known in advance in order to see its effect. Previously unknown pollutants can be ingredients, but also contaminants, impurities, and degradation products. The researchers used their method to examine 140 skin care products and cosmetics from 20 product segments and over 40 perfumes.

The planar assays on a flat surface or on a chromatographic plate consist of: Mutagenicity (Ames cytotoxicity bioassay), genotoxicity (SOS-umu-C bioassay), cytotoxicity (culture with MTT substrate), neuromodulation/neurotoxicity (acetylcholinesterase inhibition assay), antibacterial (Aliivibrio fisheri and Bacillus subtilis bioassay) and endocrine disruption testing (aromatase inhibition assay, yeast antiestrogen test, estrogen screening bioassay (pYAVAS), yeast antiandrogen test, and androgen screening bioassay (pYAVAS).

The authors acknowledge that it is difficult to prove exactly what effect these pollutants have on humans or nature. It is conceivable that they could influence the skin microbiome and the body, especially if they enter the bloodstream directly through wounds, micro-tears in the skin, which can occur during shaving, for example, or bleeding gums. Washing off could also allow the pollutants to have an impact on nature and the environment.

The 2LabsToGo Eco System is designed to enable manufacturers and regulatory authorities to better test and thus minimize the pollutant load of lifestyle products, cosmetics, food, animal feed, and environmental samples in the future - without animal experiments.

The research was supported by the German Research Foundation (INST 162/471-1 FUGG and INST 162/536-1 FUGG) and the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the German Armed Forces (E/U2AD/KA018/IF565).

Original publications:
Morlock GE. Chemical safety screening of products - better proactive. J Chromatogr A. 2025 Jul 5;1752:465946. doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2025.465946. Epub 2025 Apr 19. PMID: 40253797.

Romero MCO, Jakob K, Schmidt J, Nimmerfroh T, Schwack W, Morlock GE. Consolidating two laboratories into the most sustainable lab of the future: 2LabsToGo-Eco. Anal Chim Acta. 2025 Sep 15;1367:344103. doi: 10.1016/j.aca.2025.344103. Epub 2025 Apr 20. PMID: 40610132.

Further sources:
https://www.uni-giessen.de/de/ueber-uns/pressestelle/pm/pm98-25schadstoffeinlifestyleprodukten
LabsToGo-Eco: https://github.com/OfficeChromatography/2LabsToGo-Eco
https://www.chemeurope.com/en/news/1186577/unmasking-hazardous-compounds-in-cosmetics-skincare-products-and-perfumes.html