Objective  To explore the feasibility and application of the rabbit corneal epithelial cell line (SIRC) cell short-term exposure test (STE test) for the replacement of eye-stimulation test (Draize test) for cosmetic raw materials and products.

  Methods  We selected 18 representative chemical substances with various degree of eye irritation (ranging from not observed to severe irritation) from the database of Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and sampled 20 commercially available cosmetic products. SIRC STE test and Draize test were carried out on those substances and samples and consistencies between the results of the two tests were analyzed.

  Results  For the samples of cosmetic raw materials, the Kappa coefficient was 0.826, indicating that the classification results of the two methods are almost perfect (0.81 – 1.00). For the samples of cosmetic products, the Kappa coefficient is 0.370, indicating that the results of the two methods are fair (0.21 – 0.4). For samples of cleaning products, the Kappa coefficient is – 0.333, indicating that the consistency of the two methods is slight (< 0.20). For samples of skin care products, the Kappa coefficient is 0.796 (0.61 – 0.8), indicating that the consistency of the two methods is substantial.

  Conclusion  SIRC STE test is suitable for the classification of eye irritation for cosmetic raw materials; for cosmetic products, SIRC STE test has good predictive results for skin care products such as masks, eye creams and conditioners. However SIRC STE test is not suitable for cleaning products and hair dyes due to a high false positive rate.