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STABILITY AND SAFETY ARE DECISIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR COSMETICS

Cosmetic regulation is very stringent, mainly in the European Union. Consumers and retail place increasingly higher demands on the quality of the raw materials and the products. Yet cosmetic manufacturers face many challenges during production as they have the responsibility to ensure their products do not cause harm to human health when used by consumers under normal and foreseeable conditions.

SGS provides manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of cosmetic products with total solutions, advice and support in all aspects of product quality assurance. Our laboratories offer integrated customer-specific solutions for safety compliance (chemical, microbiological and physical).

Tests for the cosmetics are carried out according to individual specifications or recognized standard methods, some of which were developed by SGS.

Products Covered

  • Toiletries (gels, deodorants, toothpastes, toothbrushes, etc)
  • Hair care (shampoos, hair dyes, hair sprays, etc)
  • Skin care
  • Fragrances and Perfumes
  • Decorative cosmetics (nail products, etc)

A) General Safety Tests (Physical, Chemical and Microbiological)

 

1.  Application Tests

The most common parameters in routine testing include, for example:

  • Comparative product tests on volunteers

  • Hair products: Wet and dry combability of hair, Volume changes in hair, Build-up effects in hair, UV resistance of hair dyes and color protecting products , Washing resistance of hair dyes and color protecting products, Curl retention test, Effectiveness of anti-dandruff products , Various epicutaneous tests, Determination of hair wetness

  • Skin roughness tests

  • Testing anti-inflammatory effects (according to film stripping or SDS treatment)

  • Sniff test to determine the effectiveness of deodorants

  • Stability and storage tests under different climatic conditions and evaluation of the results with the respective analytical, sensorial and microbiological tests

2.  Physicochemical Tests

We carry out physicochemical quality tests, analyses and determine the concentration of active ingredients, auxiliary materials and contaminants for all cosmetic product groups.

SGS also offers Testing on interaction content/container for global and specific migration.

SGS tests include:

Vitamins, Conservatives, Antioxydants, Allergens, Artificial Muscs, Pesticides, Colorants, CMR, Biocides, Etc.

3.  Microbiological Stability Tests

The analytical basis is provided by a high-performance microbiology laboratory, in which all important tests for cosmetics are carried out. In-house hygiene training courses contribute to improved plant hygiene and to production safety for the manufacturer.

SGS performs tests of the microbial purity of:

  • Process water, raw materials and cosmetic products

  • Aerobic/anaerobic total bacterial count

  • Exclusion of pathogenic micro-organisms; Identification of micro-organisms

  • Repetitive stress tests

  • Microbiological effectiveness of preservatives

  • In-use tests

B) Toxicological Tests

 

SGS experts review hazards from the full ingredient list and conduct risk assessment based on the route of exposure.

Ocular (eye) and dermal (skin) irritation tests:

  • Red Blood Test (RBC)

  • HET-CAM Test

  • Human Patch Test

  • Inner Ellbow Wash Test

  • Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL)

  • Skin Redness (CIE-Lab)

Dermal (skin) Tests:

  • Skin Humidity (Corneometer)

  • Skin Roughness (PRIMOS)

  • Wrinkle Depth (PROMOS 3D)

  • Skin Elasiticity (Cutometer)

  • Efficacy versus free Radicals (Anti-Aging) (Squalenhydroperoxide Method)

  • Deodorant Efficiency (Sniff Test)

  • Panel Testing (Screening, five panellists)

  • Panel Testing with Questionnaire (20 panellists)

C) Ecotoxicology and Biodegradability Tests (Environment)

 

Ecotoxicological tests and studies on biodegradability are used to record the quality of raw materials and end products as well as to detect possible effects of materials and applications on different environmental compartments.

  • Ecotoxicology Testing
    SGS studies toxic effects of consumer products (caused by natural or synthetic pollutants) to the constituents of ecosystems, animal, vegetable and microbial.
    Standards: DIN 38412 T8, T27, T34, OECD 201, OECD 202, OECD 203, ISO 9509, T1

  • Biodegradability Testing
    SGS can test degradability behavior through environmental microbes according to the following methods: Ready biodegradability (OECD 301 A-F), inherent biodegradability (OECD 302), simulation test (OECD 303), anaerobic degradation (e.g. EPA test CG 2050, OECD 311), biodegradability in sea water (OECD 306).

D) Eco-label Testing (Cosmetics)

 

For raw materials.

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