Discover
Concise reporting on new research, regulation, materials, technologies and industry developments.
Selected developments
Image: The Fashion Globe (AI-generated illustration)
Can biological-age tests actually be trusted?
Biological-age tests promise insights into how quickly we age. Research reveals substantial differences between measurements, raising questions about how much an individual score can really tell us.
Illustrative photo · cottonbro studio (opens in new tab) / Pexels (opens in new tab)
Why water-repellent fabric may still struggle with oil
A laboratory comparison found that some alternatives to fluorinated fabric treatments matched water repellency but fell short against oil. Whether those finishes would withstand years of washing and wear was not tested.
Illustrative photo · Anna Keibalo (opens in new tab) / Pexels (opens in new tab)
Can a peptide serum help skin recover after cosmetic procedures?
Two small, manufacturer-funded trials compared a serum-containing regimen with a moisturiser-based regimen on opposite sides of the same face. Some recovery measures favoured the serum, but neither trial found a significant advantage on its main redness assessment.
Beyond Fashion's Sustainability Claims
EU tightens rules on ‘eco-friendly’ clothing claims
New restrictions cover broad environmental promises, sustainability labels and product claims based on carbon offsetting. Clothing already in shops has no blanket exemption, though authorities may allow for genuine transitional difficulties.
Recycling polyester: why adding new plastic helped in one study
Tests on sportswear factory scraps exposed a practical compromise: new polyester restored a property lost during recycling, but reduced the recycled share. Whether the resulting material could make suitable yarn or fabric remains untested.
Textile recycling faces commercial finance barriers, assessment finds
Only three assessed cases in Accelerating Circularity’s framework have no factors rated as blocking commercial lending. Most routes face risks over textile supplies, performance, costs and buyers.
Beauty Claims Under Scrutiny
3 developments
US allows another UV filter in sunscreens
The FDA decision permits bemotrizinol under defined product requirements, with an initial 18-month period of exclusive marketing rights for DSM Nutritional Products LLC and qualifying licensees, assignees or successors.
Can sunscreen SPF be tested without exposing volunteers to UV?
The European Commission reports encouraging results from a 74-product testing campaign it funded. But how closely laboratory SPF measurements match tests on volunteers remains unclear.
Braun to drop two-year hair-free claims in Italy
Procter & Gamble has agreed to change its advertising after an Italian investigation. A research review supports hair reduction with home IPL, but does not establish two years of hair-free skin.
What Health Research Really Shows
3 developments
Alzheimer’s pill lowers blood marker but misses trial’s main goal
Valiltramiprosate did not establish an overall benefit on the trial’s main test of memory and thinking. Blood results from people with milder symptoms offer a narrower finding to investigate.
Does menopause speed up brain shrinkage?
Repeated scans of 120 women found volume loss in deeper brain regions, but no statistically significant reduction in total or cortical grey matter. The comparison with women who remained before or after menopause did not establish faster loss during the transition.
Trial finds lower urinary bisphenols in people given food with less plastic contact
A seven-day trial compared specially sourced food and replacement household products with participants’ usual habits. Some chemical measurements in urine were lower in the intervention groups, but the study did not establish a health benefit.