Cosmetic Testing
To ensure the safety of cosmetic products for consumers and to exclude risks, numerous laboratory analyses must be carried out. These include microbiological, chemical and sensory Cosmetic testing.
Cosmetics are products that are applied externally to the human body – i.e. to the skin, hair, teeth, oral mucous membranes and nails. They serve the purpose of protecting, cleansing, perfuming, externally modifying or maintaining the condition of the human body, as well as improving body odour. These include, for example, creams to maintain or improve skin health, deodorants to combat perspiration odour, toothpaste to clean and protect teeth, etc.
Who are
the target groups
of our cosmetic analyses?
Cosmetics must be analysed before they enter the market in order to exclude any risk to human health. Manufacturers, contract manufacturers and contract fillers have a particular obligation here. But Cosmetic testing is also necessary for packers and packaging companies, as well as in research and development.
Legal regulations for cosmetics
There are numerous legal regulations for cosmetic products to ensure that they can be placed on the market safely and to exclude risks for the consumer.
- Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 on cosmetic products basically regulates which obligations apply to cosmetics.
- Regulation (EU) No. 655/2013, the Claims Regulation, regulates under which conditions advertising claims on cosmetic products can be used.
- This is supplemented by the “Technical document on cosmetic claims” in which common criteria for the use of advertising claims are defined.
- Associations and institutions such as BfR, BVL and IKW evaluate cosmetic products and their ingredients and make recommendations.
- Recommendations and regulations are also published in official publications.
- Furthermore, there are country-specific ordinances, such as the German Cosmetics Ordinance, which regulates, for example, the duty of notification for German cosmetics companies.
In order for a cosmetic product to be offered on the market without risks, it must undergo various tests for safety and stability. These Cosmetic testing include:
- A so-called preservation load test, which is evidence of microbiological stability and is carried out as standard according to DIN EN ISO 11930.
- The chemical-physical stability test, because a cosmetic product must be stable over its entire life cycle.
Test types
for cosmetic testing
The ingredients of cosmetics must be tested microbiologically, chemically, physiology-chemical and sensorial so that safe products can be put on the market and skin health is not endangered.
What is the INCI database and how is it included in the analyses?
The ingredients of cosmetic products are labeled according to an international agreement, the so-called INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients).
The CosIng database is an interpretation aid and translates the glossary with the INCI data. This simplifies the search for cosmetic ingredients and also provides further information on their use.
What is
Organic & Vegan Cosmetics?
The market for vegan and organic and natural cosmetics is growing and enjoying increasing popularity among consumers. However, there are currently no specific regulatory requirements for these products and the terms “organic” and “natural” are not clearly defined by law for cosmetic products.
With ISO 16218, there has been an international standard for natural cosmetics for a few years, in which, for example, cosmetic ingredients are divided into categories. However, this ISO regulation is viewed critically, as the requirements are not very high and in some cases fall short of the requirements of various associations.
Microplastics
in cosmetic products
Currently, cosmetic products containing microplastics are frequently the subject of discussion among consumer portals and environmental associations. Consumers are therefore increasingly paying attention to using products without microplastics.
For this reason, many companies have voluntarily signed a disclaimer on the use of microplastics in their products.
Label checks
of cosmetic products
The totality of all information on the packaging or label of a cosmetic product is subject to EU cosmetics legislation. For example, the components of the INCI are listed as ingredients in a specified order. In addition, the 26 allergenic fragrances that may be used in cosmetic products are subject to mandatory labeling. Further regulations must be observed when specifying the best-before date.
Overview of laboratories for cosmetic testing
of the Tentamus Group
The following laboratories from the Tentamus Group offer cosmetic testing: