ISO 9001:2008 is the International Standard for Quality Management Systems in the UK. Cutest are pleased to announce that we have passed our final ISO 9001:2008 certification audit without a single minor or major non-conformity.

This demonstrates that our internal Quality Management System is finely tuned to address customer needs and is followed by all employees towards measurable directives. Additionally, our internal Quality Management System provides assurance to clients that we maintain compliance with all statutory and regulatory requirements. Our imminent certification covers all our business activities within the scope of “safety, efficacy and claim substantiation/proof-of-concept testing for cosmetics, toiletries, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and nutritional supplements”.

Mark Lawrence, Quality Assurance Manager at Cutest stated ‘As the UK’s official National Standards body, the bestower of the ‘Kitemark’ and the only assessor with a Royal Charter, the BSI were the only standards body that Cutest wanted recognition from for our enduring commitment to quality and service

A new panel of dermatological experts advising the ASA, Clearcast and RACC will begin work in 2012. They will provide advice on the adequacy of evidence supporting product claims in adverts both before an advert appears, and afterwards if the claim is challenged.
Previously there had been some dispute between the experts on different panels which has led to some adverts being found to be misleading by the ASA, when they had already been assessed and cleared.

It is hoped that establishing the central panel of experts will:

- Reduce disagreement between experts over acceptable standards of evidence.
- Increase certainty for advertisers.
- Increase consumer confidence in advertising claims in the beauty sector.
- Provide consistency between experts by establishing set protocols to generate correct evidence for certain claims in cosmetic advertising.
- Provide transparency by outlining the criteria and basis on which expertise is sought.

It is expected that the establishment of the new panel will increase uniformity across the industry. It will however not prevent the ASA from investigating complaints it receives about adverts and removing claims that it finds in breach of the Advertising Codes.

The Panel of experts in dermatology consists of the current ASA, Clearcast and RACC experts are:

- Dr Susan Mayou
- Prof. Mark Birch-Machin Ph.D
- Dr Robin Dover
- Dr. Jack Ferguson
- Dr. Chris Gummer

‘Making Cosmetics’ is a new two day event where leaders in the personal care industry can get together and focus on the developments in the processes that take place between the formulator’s bench and the consumer. Making Cosmetics is ideal for anyone in the personal care market looking for services that can help you gain compliancy, enhance productivity, improve product performance and successfully market your products.

Producers are keen to maintain their reputation for safe, effective and innovative products. We can help with the process of developing compliant effective products, and demonstrating this benefit to consumers with claims supported by robust data.

Bridge the gap – maintain your trusted reputation

Emphasis is placed by the ASA on identifying benefits that would be detectable and achievable by the consumer. Our CEO Peter Dykes has written an article on translating changes in skin characteristics into discernible benefits for the consumer. ‘What are meters measuring?’ International Journal of Cosmetic Science.

http://cutest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Use-and-understanding-of-skin-measurement-devices.pdf

If you are focusing on enhancing product performance and innovation in efficacy you need to ensure that you will be able to effectively and (lawfully) communicate the benefits generated by your product to the consumer. Contact us to see how you can bridge the gap between development work and marketing processes with studies tailored for you.

To make a scheduled appointment please contact directly either Dr. Peter Dykes, CEO (peter@cutest.co.uk) or Bethan Williams (bethan@cutest.co.uk)

On the 11th July 2013 the new EU Cosmetic Products Regulation EC No 1223/2009 will fully replace the Cosmetics Directive EC (76/768/EEC). With the deadline to reach compliancy with the new EU Cosmetics Directive EC rapidly approaching the interest in ensuring regulatory bodies are satisfied has never been more prominent.
The role of the ‘responsible person’ is a special area of interest as one appointed member of the team will be personally responsible for ensuring that all claims have solid data to support them. The major responsibility for all issues relating to marketing and safety of a cosmetic now fall upon the ‘responsible person’.

The Product information File (PIF) is kept by the responsible person and must be readily available for the authorities to review if so required. This Product Information File (PIF) must include proof of the effect claimed backed up by ‘credible’ studies. Unsubstantiated product claims will be regarded as an issue of non-compliance with the regulation.

Contact Cutest to discuss how you can begin your cosmetic testing and claim substantiation programme in time for the deadline. You’ve worked hard to build up your company reputation so don’t risk marketing products with weak data, or even worse unsubstantiated claims!

The exhibition was a great success and as always a good place to keep up to date with industry trends. It is exciting to see that the industry is moving forward at a fast pace again and that new and innovative actives are high on everybody’s agenda once more. With the equipment and team we have available we’re ready and able to produce the scientific support required for the product development and marketing processes!

We would like to thank everyone who entered our competition. We were delighted to see the enthusiasm for the Kindle giveaway but unfortunately there can only be one winner…..so congratulations to Jamie Bristow from Acheson & Acheson who is the winner of the new 3G + Wifi Kindle!

 A big thank you again to everyone who visited us at our stand, we hope you enjoyed the show as much as we did, it certainly was a busy couple of days! We enjoyed meeting you and we are glad that you had the chance to discuss your requirements with us. We hope we were able to provide you with some valuable information but if you still have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate all of your interest and we will be back at SCS Formulate in November 2012!

Integral to delivering a superior service is our ability to provide you with the benefits of the latest technological advances. We are pleased to inform you of our new Imaging system which provides exceptional development in the quantification of skin parameters.

Our new (TiVi) System non-invasively generates two-dimensional colour maps representing specific tissue characteristics through utilization of polarization spectroscopy. The technology enables us to authorize claims relating to product safety, skin irritation, contact dermatitis, acne, wrinkles, smoothness, wound healing, skin lightening / darkening, age spots and cellulite.

Your Challenge – Our Solution

A picture paints a thousands words

To make quick, confident decisions regarding project portfolios or to achieve distinction in the marketplace our sponsors need strong results they can depend upon. With our novel Imaging system we can produce the accurate scientific data and robust scientific reports to endorse product efficacy in a range of areas.

Skin Colour Tracker: Colour changes are a key part of the skin’s response to therapy. By quantifying colour differences over time we can demonstrate whether a cosmetic problem has improved following treatment. The skin colour tracker can be used for:

• Wrinkle Visualisation: Key wrinkle characteristics such as depth and asymmetric appearance are calculated and a 3-D depiction of the wrinkle structure is then generated.
• Spot/Acne Visualisation: Changes in individual spots intensity or the size of the overall area affected can be quantified over time. The data can be displayed via a variety of methods enabling individual spots and their development to be recorded.
• Skin Pigment Analyser: Local differences in skin pigmentation are automatically assessed to support claims for skin lightening, age spots and tanning products.
• Surface (Cellulite) Analyser: Photographic and empirical data is generated to display the reduction in skin dimpling. An Improvement Index can be generated to quantify the success of the treatment.
• Skin Erythema and Skin Blanching Visualisation: Topical application of a product can lead to vasodilatation or vasoconstriction as the skin’s response to an allergic reaction, inflammatory process, thermal stimuli or general irritation. Variations in erythema intensity and area can be tracked over time.

At Cutest we strive to continually add value to the CRO service we offer. Cutest’s latest acquisition demonstrates our adaptive approach whereby we continue to match our partners evolving needs.

If you would like to discuss how we can support your product, or for further information regarding additional technological capabilities please contact us.

Cutest are pleased to announce the results of our latest post-study Satisfaction Survey that confirms the high standard of the service we provide, both technically and personally. As part of our drive to identify how we can add value to the service that we offer Cutest collects feedback from our sponsors upon study completion. While the aim was to identify potential areas for improvement the positive results reinforce our belief in, and commitment to, delivering a superior service to our clients.

The Results are in! Key Findings.

• Cutest are delighted with the confidence that our clients have in our service. 100% of sponsor responders said that based on their experience with Cutest they would be happy to provide Cutest with a favourable recommendation to others!
• The most common reason sponsors chose to conduct their study in partnership with Cutest was the ‘Study Design’ that we provided. The joint second most popular reasons were ‘Professionalism/Study Execution and ‘Reliability’, and in joint third place was ‘Speed’ and ‘Communication’.
• 73% of respondents regarded our ‘Customer Service’ as excellent while the remaining 27% considered it to be good.
• All respondents found Cutest’s service to be excellent or good in relation to Study Speed, Report Speed, Customer Service and Project Management.

Customer Satisfaction Graph

Comments

• “Simply excellent. Cutest were willing to be flexible and solve problems using innovative alternatives. Price was a major factor in choosing Cutest, but service and responsiveness will ensure we use you again.”
• “The study was planned well early on which formed the basis of a thorough study that met my objectives. Communication throughout was excellent and flexibility of the team was impressive.”
• “Cutest were very flexible and responsive to numerous last-minute requests. Cutest managed to not only incorporate them all, but on tight timings too!.”

The Future

We are very pleased that the survey results uphold the high standards that we maintain as a company. We appreciate the feedback from our sponsors and look forward to acting upon the comments that we received to ensure we continue to exceed your expectations.

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