One of the primary goals of the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology is to create an international community working together to create a corpus of knowledge for the specialty. It is for this reason that the journal invites papers from all reaches of the globe, even though English may not be the primary spoken language. Excellent research needs to be published, and the journal can offer services to those who need language assistance. Articles from a wide variety of researchers can identify trends and problems in cosmetic dermatology. I would like to discuss a few of the trends and controversies that have arisen in the European Union (EU) and their impact on global skin care and cosmetic products. One of the most important issues in the EU is the upcoming ban on animal testing. While such a ban will not take place in the United States, it is certain to be an issue of discussion. Furthermore, if one major world entity puts in place legislation, it will certainly affect most large manufacturers with global presence. Numerous large ingredient suppliers are racing to beat the deadline by animal testing as many of their raw materials as possible. The dilemma is that no standardized replacement for animal testing has been determined, creating uncertainty as to new requirements. At present, 147 new testing methodologies have been put forth. In many instances, passing legislation is the easy part of implementing change. This may certainly prove to be the case with the animal testing ban. Another controversial trend within the cosmetics industry is the development of green products. Not cosmetics colored green, but environmentally friendly products and packaging. Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin's Press, 2007), examines some of the pressing issues regarding plastic packaging, which is ubiquitous in the cosmetics industry. In his book, he discusses the work of marine biologist Richard Thompson who collected sand samples along the beaches of England in the 1980s. Thompson noticed a dramatic increase in small, brightly colored plastic cylinders among the handfuls of sand he collected over the years. The cylinders, known as nurdles, are the raw materials of plastic production and are virtually indestructible. Further work by Alistair Hardy, another marine biologist, demonstrated an increase in nurdles in samples obtained 10 m below the ocean surface. The work of these two scientists confirms that humans are filling up the oceans of the world with plastic packaging debris. While plastic packaging does appear to degrade with time, since plastic bottles are eventually broken down into small plastic fragment, it may lead us to believe that plastic waste is not much of a problem. However, the opposite is true. The degraded plastic is broken down into fragments that are indestructible, but can be ingested by marine life and animals. Weisman relates that 95% of fulmar bird carcasses washed ashore on North Sea coastlines had an average of 44 pieces of plastic in their stomachs. Thus, the degraded plastic particles may be more environmentally hazardous than the original plastic item. However, packaging is only part of the green revolution now occurring in the cosmetics industry. Formulations are also being reevaluated for their environmental impact. A common ingredient in facial exfoliant scrubs is polyethylene beads. While these beads produce gentle exfoliation, they are washed down the drain after the face is cleansed. These beads also represent tiny plastic spheres that do not degrade and could be an environmental hazard. This problem is not seen with ground jojoba seeds and walnut shells that biodegrade, which represent a green alternative. As a world community of cosmetic dermatologists, we must keep abreast of these issues and controversies. The EU ban on animal testing and the global awareness of the hazards of plastics are only two of the issues that will affect cosmetic dermatology. I invite you to share your perspective on trends and controversies in our specialty with our journal readers as letters to the editor. It is only by analyzing the opinions of others that we can illuminate all of the issues and truly function as a global community of physicians.