Protective Efficacy Tests

In general, preservative effectiveness tests are carried out with the aim of determining how effective the preservative content in a cosmetic product formulation is against selected microorganisms. Preservatives are chemical compounds that inhibit the growth of microorganisms or destroy them. Preservatives, together or alone, aim to prevent the development of microorganisms in these products. Preservatives prevent changes in color, viscosity or odor of the product or visible microbial growth. Therefore, possible infections are prevented for the consumer.

Preservatives commonly used today include, but are not limited to: parabens, formaldehyde derivatives, phenolic compounds, acids (eg sorbic acid, benzoic acid), halogenated compounds, alcohols (eg ethyl alcohol), and quaternary ammonium salts.

Here are a few international standards taken into account in testing carried out in advanced laboratories:

• ASTM E640-06 Standard test method for preservatives in water-containing cosmetics. With this test method, the suitability of preservatives for use in cosmetic formulations is determined. This standard describes the minimum requirements for protective performance in model formulations.
• ISO 11930 Cosmetics - Microbiology - Evaluation of antimicrobial protection of a cosmetic product. This standard describes a procedure for interpreting data generated by a protective efficacy test or a microbiological risk assessment, or both, when assessing the overall antimicrobial protection of a cosmetic product.
• AOAC 998.10 Effectiveness of non-ocular area protection of water-miscible cosmetic and toilet formulations. This standard describes a method for testing the preservation of cosmetic and toiletries formulations by introducing microbes into the product and measuring surviving organisms over time.

In short, protective efficacy tests determine the resistance of the test sample to the growth of microorganisms and are an important part of product performance testing. A protection test is a test applied to test how a product will perform during its expected use and how effective an antimicrobial preservative will be. The protection test is a period of time after a product has been opened and It is applied in various industries where it provides data on how it will perform during use.

Our organization also provides protective effectiveness testing services with its trained and expert staff and advanced technological equipment, among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies it provides for businesses in various sectors.