The International Collaboration on Cosmetics Safety (ICCS) has published ICCS Best Practice Guidance (BPG): Read-Across, the second document in its guidance portfolio. While read-across is a widely used approach for filling data gaps without new animal testing, its real-world application often falls short of regulatory expectations, which demand clear scientific hypotheses, systematic analogue selection, and transparent uncertainty evaluations. Developed over six months of intense collaboration among ICCS members and refined through a regulatory workshop with the NIFDC in October 2025, this new framework offers a practical, 10-step workflow to bridge that gap. By streamlining everything from analogue identification to Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) integration, this highly praised resource advances the global transition to animal-free safety assessments for cosmetics and personal care products, with illustrative case studies currently in development.
Cosmetics Alliance is a primary contributor to ICCS. CA’s Vice President Beta Montemayor is the Co-Chair of ICCS’ Priority Team – Best Practices Guide. This a key tool that is advancing capacity and building confidence in the practical application of NAMs and NGRA to support cosmetic safety assessments. CA will also be presenting this BPG at the upcoming ICCR-20 Special Workshop. CA will also be organizing a technical workshop to discuss this BPG in detail with Health Canada and Environment & Climate Change Canada later this year which CA’s members will be invited to.
