| Summary: | The ethical concerns surrounding the use of animals in cosmetics testing have spurred the demand for alternative test models. Digital manufacturing, often denoted as 3D printing, presents a compelling and cost-effective avenue for fabricating such testing models. The current manuscript proposes a digitally manufactured alternative testing platform that comprises three main components: bioprinted skin model, platform fabrication and electronic printing. For the first time, we assessed bioprinted skin models for the intention for use in cosmetic testing. We employed OECD guidelines to test on the skin model’s responsiveness to anti-ageing products and irritant compounds. Our studies showed the efficacy of our bioprinted skin model capable of evaluating cosmetic compounds. An evaluation matrix was used to select the appropriate digital manufacturing technology to fabricate the setup for alternative testing model. Multi-material jetting was selected as the most appropriate additive manufacturing technology to introduce modularity and water-tight designs for the test platform. We have also introduced an electronic component in the test platform fabricated using electronic printing to provide localised heating on the skin model. Overall, this study highlights the potential of digital manufacturing and biomanufacturing to promote ethical and sustainable practices in cosmetic testing. Moreover, the decision matrix showcase in this study will be beneficial for scientists and researchers in application-driven selection on 3D printing technology.
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