A global consumer products manufacturer produces various surfactant-based cosmetic and home care products which provide cleansing while remaining mild to skin. Demonstrating and substantiating mildness to skin through clinical evaluation is a priority. 

Standard clinical testing protocols such as patch testing and exaggerated arm wash tests are commonly used for assessing irritation potential following direct skin contact of products or materials and for supporting safety evaluations. However, these methods may lack the sensitivity needed to detect and substantiate differences between highly optimized surfactant systems. 

Reconstructed human epidermal models can provide sensitive mechanistic insight through measurements such as cytokine release and other biomarker response. While these in vitro systems provide enough sensitivity, they are generally not considered sufficient on their own for supporting clinical claims, as they do not involve testing in human subjects.