Cosmetic Testing
Guides
Safety testing is not just a regulatory requirement—it's a moral obligation to your consumers. Understand the science behind the mandatory tests for EU, UK, and US compliance.
Stability Testing
Stability testing ensures that a cosmetic product maintains its physical, chemical, and microbiological quality throughout its shelf life. It predicts how the product will behave over time under various conditions.
Accelerated Stability
Storing the product at elevated temperatures (e.g., 40°C, 45°C) to simulate aging. 12 weeks at 40°C is often equivalent to 1 year at room temperature.
Real-Time Stability
Monitoring the product under normal storage conditions for the duration of its shelf life.
Challenge Testing (PET)
Preservative Efficacy Testing (PET), or "Challenge Testing," is mandatory for all water-containing products. It proves that your preservative system is strong enough to kill bacteria and fungi if the product gets contaminated.
The lab deliberately introduces 5 strains of pathogens (bacteria, yeast, mold) into the product. They then measure the log reduction of these microbes at 7, 14, and 28 days.
Microbiological Quality
Every batch of finished product should be tested to ensure it is free from harmful contamination before it leaves the factory. This is a key part of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
- Total Aerobic Mesophilic Count (TAMC)
- Total Yeast and Mold Count (TYMC)
- Absence of specific pathogens (e.g., E. coli, S. aureus)
Compatibility Testing
This test checks if there is any interaction between the formula and its final packaging. It ensures the packaging doesn't degrade, leak, or leach chemicals into the product.
- • Discoloration of the plastic
- • Deformation or collapsing of the bottle
- • Pump mechanism failure
- • Migration of substances from plastic to product
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