Hidden in Plain Sight: Cosmetic Products as Trace Evidence in Criminal Investigation
Keywords:
Cosmetic trace evidence, Forensic cosmetics, Criminal investigation, Analytical characterization, Trace evidence analysisAbstract
The use of cosmetic products in forensic investigations is increasingly acknowledged and valued because of their ubiquity, chemical complexity, and potential to transfer between people, objects and environments. The present review highlights the forensic aspects of cosmetics, covering their classification, chemical composition, and transfer mechanisms, as per Locard's Exchange Principle. It also identifies and emphasizes the standardized methods used to collect, preserve, and laboratory analyze cosmetic residue to provide evidence for evidential integrity. The review presents the main analytical methods used for cosmetic characterization, such as spectroscopic, chromatographic, microscopic and elemental methods; these methods allow a reliable discrimination of cosmetic formulations. Furthermore, the importance of cosmetic traces as evidence and forensic value in homicide, sexual assault, burglary and other crime scenes are explained with particular focus on the corroborative and crime scene reconstruction aspects. Finally, the current challenges in interpretation of cosmetic evidence and new technologies, including high-resolution mass spectrometry, hyperspectral imaging, chemometrics and artificial intelligence are discussed. These improvements will make cosmetic trace evidence more reliable, sensitive, and acceptable to the courts, and solidify its value in the modern forensic setting.
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