Made mainly of oils, water, and peptides, cosmetics are an idea
l medium for the growth of bacteria, yeast, mold, and fungus. To prevent the growth of microbes, preservatives are added to many cosmetics and personal care products, including those made of natural ingredients, to maintain the product’s integrity, inhibit bacteria and fungus growth, and prevent the product from spoiling.
Cosmetic preservatives are added to ensure the longevity and safety of the product as well as the safety of the user. Contamination by microorganisms can cause skin irritations, infections, or sensitivities. A few common preservatives include:
- Benzyl alcohol – fights gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and inhibits the growth of yeast and mold
- Tetrasodium EDTA – improves the efficacy of other preservatives
- Parabens – inhibit fungal growth
- Formaldehyde releasers – fight bacteria
- Phenoxyethanol – gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast, mold, inhibitor
- Germall Plus – fights yeast and mold
- Organic acids – effective in fighting fungi and bacteria
Contract Laboratory often receives test requests for testing cosmetic, beauty, and other personal care products. The following are recent test requests we have received:
- Cosmetics company needed for reverse engineering and formulation of skincare products.
- Cosmetics company needs an analytical chemistry laboratory for the Deformulation Testing of Lip Balm to know the percentage of each ingredient in the product.
- A Toxicology Laboratory needed for cosmetics packaging testing to The Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse (TPCH) TPCH testing on cosmetic products
- Laboratory is needed for the study to determine the efficient method for determining the amount of residual alcohol left over after sanitizing metal mixing equipment.
- Cosmetics laboratory needed for product development of dye used in eye makeup
- China or Hong Kong laboratory is needed for lip gloss testing to meet FDA requirements before importing to the USA.
- Media company needs cosmetics analytical chemistry laboratories for gold testing for the percent of Gold in face cream
- View more
Need cosmetics testing? Submit a Laboratory Test Request by calling us at 1-855-377-6821 or online HERE.
