NON-ANIMAL METHODS FOR TOXICITY TESTING: SKIN IRRITATION/CORROSION.

Skin toxicity refers to the local toxic effects resulting from a topical exposure of the skin to a substance. Skin toxicities include skin irritation and skin corrosion. The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) defines skin irritation as “the production of reversible damage to the skin following the application of a test substance for up to 4 hours” and defines skin corrosion as “the production of irreversible damage to the skin; namely, visible necrosis through the epidermis and into the dermis, following the application of a test substance for up to 4 hours [in at least one of three test animals]” (UNECE, 2004).