With the world’s leading cosmetics companies competing to develop 3D bioprinting technology to enable the speedy recreation of human skin for cosmetic testing, the industry is set to reach a value of US$1 billion by 2025, according to CNN Money.

As reported by Global Cosmetics News, both Proctor & Gamble and L’Oréal have invested heavily in the technology to develop artificial skin for product testing.

Arnold Bos, an independent technology consultant at Lux Research, told CNN Money that the commercial application of bioprinting is still five years away, but will transform the product testing market, creating a viable alternative to animal testing.

The technology is even thought to be capable of reproducing different skin types with the use of a syringe. “In the syringe format, it would be possible to create different skin types. You could crate sensitive skin or men’s skin,” Bos added.