About Product Testing

Cosmetic product testing is an integral part of the safety assessment report and according to the European Cosmetic Directive no product should be placed on the market without it completed. It is your responsibility to make sure products you place on the market are safe for the consumers but fear not, I am here to walk you through this. Depending on the nature of the product, different testing applies. For example oil based product don't require preservation testing as they belong to a low microbiological risk group. On the other hand all products should be tested for stability and packaging compatibility to make sure they don't degrade over time and don't interact with the packaging. Below you will find a list of testing, that applies to cosmetic products:

​

​

FORMULATION STABILITY

There are different ways to determine product stability, all of which need to be based on scientific methodology and prove the point of product staying physically and chemically stable over time.  Temperature stress is usually applied to observe organoleptic changes as well as shifts in properties such as pH and viscosity. PH is particularly important as major drifts may impact preservative system efficacy.

​

​

FORMULATION/PACK COMPATIBILITY
Formulation stability is carried out in an inert material packaging (such as glass jars) to observe interactions between the ingredients. But eventually you will place that formulation in a beautiful packaging with a label on it and we need to make sure it won't interact with the bulk. Some types of plastics such as PE (Polyethylene) is not suitable for oil based product as it will start softening it down over time.

​

​

PRESERVATION TEST

Microbial spoilage of cosmetic formulations have always been of special concern, because it can lead to product degradation or even a threat to consumer safety. Preservatives are added in order to protect them from microbial contamination. Preservative system efficacy is determined through a challenge test (so called preservation test).

​

​

DERMATHOLOGICAL TEST 

Dermal safety studies using human trial participants can help to confirm that there are no harmful effects when applying a cosmetic product. The testing is performed by an independent certified laboratory under the supervision of a dermatologist who, at the end of the test, provides their expert opinion.

​

​

CLAIMS TESTING

The Responsible Person (You) putting the products on the market is responsible for the claims made, including their wording and their claims substantiation. Cosmetic product claims must comply with regulations which lays down six criteria for the justification of claims used in relation to cosmetic products:

• legal compliance

• truthfulness

• evidential support

• honesty

• fairness

• informed decision-making

I am well familiar with that process and will advice on testing requirements depending on the type of claims you would like to make.