306 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS substance'. This view was supported by the work of Davies and Harper (5) who also recommended the inclusion of a group of animals in the rabbit eye irritation test to investigate the effects of irrigation. We would endorse these views and recommend that any eye irritation test should be extended to include an additional group of animals to investigate the effects of prompt removal of the test material from the eye. Whilst emphasizing that delay should be as short as practicable, it should also be flexible, and tailored to suit the test compound under investigation. The results obtained in these investigations, although variable, showed that when a 10•o solution of sodium lauryl sulphate was instilled into the eye, irrigation must be initiated within 10 s to effect any reduction in the incidence of corneal damage. CONCLUSION In this paper we have attempted to show that the rabbit eye is very sensitive to the introduction of a potential irritant, and any remedial action to remove the irritant from the eye must be prompt. Corneal damage can be produced within 10 s after instillation of a 10•o aqueous solution of sodium lauryl sulphate, and any remedial irrigation must be initiated within this time. (Received: 21 July 1975) REFERENCES (1) Code of Federal Regulations, Test for eye irritants. Title 16, Section 1500.42 (1973). (2) Appraisal of the safety of chemicals in foods, drugs and cosmetics. The Association of Food and Drug Officials of the United States. p. 49. Eye mucosa (1959). (3) Federal Register 37 83 8534, 28 April (1972). (4) Principles and procedures for evaluating the toxicity of household substances. Eye irritants. Natn. Acad. $cL--Natn. Res. Council Publ. 1138 11 (1964). (5) Davies, R. E. and Harper, K. H. The potential irritancy to the rabbit eye mucosa of commercially available cream shampoos. J. Soc. Cosmet. Chern. 18 671 (1967)

J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem. 27, 307-318 (1976) ¸ 1976 Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Great Britain Biological and chemical oestrogenic substances in assay of cosmetics D. H. LIEM,* L. G. HUIS IN 'T VELD,? G. J. RUNDERVOORT,* J. ROOSELAAR,* and J. TEN HAVE-• Synopsis--A screening method of testing for OESTROGENIC ACTIVITY was developed using direct application of cosmetic products to the shaven skin of castrated female mice vaginal smears were taken subsequently. Levels down to 0.00025 •o OESTRADIOL-17•3 can be detected. Of forty-five samples examined three were shown to contain oestrogenic substances. A quantitative test, based on extraction and subcutaneous administration of the extract to test animals, was developed for further examination of samples found positve in the screening test. The forty-five samples were also analysed CHEMICALLY for the presence of the following oestrogenic osubstances: oestradiol-17[3, OESTRONE OESTRIOL, and DIETHYLSTILBES- TROL (DES). INTRODUCTION Since Zondek's discovery (1) of percutaneous absorption of oestrogenic hormones by human skin and its beneficial effects on wrinkles and skin texture, the cosmetic industry has been interested in the use of hormonal substances in its products. Several papers (2-5) and patents (6, 7) have appeared since then. Other cosmetic effects than anti-wrinkle action have been claimed, such as the develop- ment of the female breast (by oestrogens and gestagens (8)) and the depression of abnormal growth of facial and body hair in the female. * Government Food Control Station, Enschede, The Netherlands. ? National Institute of Public Health, Bilthoven, The Netherlands. 3O7