Analytical Testing of Cosmetics

Cosmetic products should not contain prohibited harmful substances that may pose a health risk. In order to ensure the quality and safety of cosmetic products, the components in cosmetic products should be monitored with tests and analyzes.

The active substances and harmful substances in cosmetics are as follows:

Antioxidants
Antioxidants cause radical propagation reactions in cosmetics. inhibits reactions with oxygen or reduction of active oxygen species. The purpose of antioxidants is to protect the product, not the skin, from oxidative damage caused by UV radiation or singlet oxygen production. An important class are tocopherols used for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Acids
The pH value of the skin is between pH 4.0 and 6.5. If this is changed, the acid mantle of the skin is broken. If the pH value is not in the normal range, it can be maintained or restored by adding certain acids to cosmetics. For regulation, for example, lactic acids, aloe vera, allantoin, hyaluronic acid, panthenol or urea are used.

Herbal ingredients
Herbal ingredients were among the first cosmetic products and their use has always attracted attention. Today, many consumers prefer products produced with natural ingredients. Essential oils from plants are also often added as preservatives.

Colorants
Color is used in cosmetics for a variety of reasons: Adding color to a product makes it more attractive and increases consumer acceptance; tinting helps hide discoloration from the use of a particular ingredient or from age. There is a difference between organic colorants, inorganic colorants and pearlescent pigments.

Emulsifiers
Emulsifiers have the ability to chemically stably bind components such as water and oil as the two phases of an emulsion. Unfortunately, emulsifiers also continue to emulsify on the skin, causing damage. Here they bind and dissolve the lipids in the protective layer of the skin. Later, when they come into contact with water, they are washed off the skin. This makes the protective layer porous. In addition, emulsifiers are fatty acids, usually produced from industrially processed and then refined palm oil.

Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is one of the preservatives that can be found in products rinsed after brief contact with the skin. However, if they remain on the skin, they can cause adverse reactions.

Fragrants
Scents are used in cosmetics to cover up unpleasant odors or add something special. These chemicals activate our senses. They can be produced synthetically or used in the form of essential oils if they come from nature. But there are people who react with irritation to even the slightest trace.

Inorganic salts
Potassium, amine and sodium salts have the desired consistency and rinsing properties to make fatty acids more soluble in water, for example in shaving creams and sprays. used to produce a foam.

Lipids
Lipids are used as plasticizers, lubricants, adhesives, hardeners or binders for the manufacture of compressed powders. They are also used as a polishing agent.

Metals
For example, aluminum is used to block channels that lead to the skin surface by protein denaturation. In this way, it acts as an antiperspirant. However, some metals used in cosmetics, such as nickel, cobalt, chromium, and palladium, can accumulate on the skin and cause allergic contact dermatitis. Other metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and aluminum can enter the bloodstream through the skin and be transported to various organs where they accumulate and produce toxic effects.

Microbiological contamination
Cosmetics generally do not have to be aseptic due to the presence of the skin's protective layer and various defense mechanisms. In such cases (in which cases - it does not make sense), the risk of infection from the use of microbiologically contaminated cosmetics increases significantly. Microbiological contamination of cosmetic products can occur in three stages: during production or filling, or when the product is used by the consumer. In the first case, it is the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure that the cosmetic product is properly protected microbially, also to extend the shelf life of the product. It is responsible for ensuring consumer safety and keeping the product quality at the level stipulated in the specification.

Mineral oil
Mineral oils have been used in skin and lip care cosmetic products for decades due to their skin tolerance, high protection and cleaning performance and wide viscosity options. A distinction is made between mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons.

Mineral waxes
Waxes act as a barrier against water loss. They are often used to provide texture and stiffness in adhesive products.

Pesticides
Pesticides such as fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and others are applied at various times during the growing season or during subsequent storage of a wide variety of crops. However, many active ingredients degrade at different rates, so they can be incorporated into a product via contaminated plant raw materials. Plant protection products may be harmful to health, depending on the type and composition of varicose veins.

Peroxides
Peroxides have an antibacterial effect and act as bleaching agents. However, in very high doses they are very harmful to health. If significant amounts of hydrogen peroxide are applied topically, it can penetrate the epidermis or mucous membranes and cause rapid spontaneous or enzyme-catalyzed degradation to water and oxygen in the underlying tissue. This can cause small gas bubbles to form and whiten the exposed tissue. The formation of larger amounts of gaseous oxygen can lead to the separation of cell layers and rupture of tissues and organs. Locally generated oxygen is carried by the blood. However, the increase in oxygen content in the blood leads to a hyperbaric reaction.

Preservatives
Various microorganisms can live and multiply on unprotected cosmetic products. Preservatives are routinely added to all preparations capable of promoting microbial growth. Choosing a preservative for a particular product is difficult. For example, formaldehyde is one of the preservatives that must be rinsed off shortly after contact with the skin, as otherwise it can cause undesirable reactions.

Plasticizers
Microplastics, such as phthalates, are found in peels as abrasive bodies. Ultimately, they end up in the environment via wastewater, where they can cause problems.

Solvent residues
Solvents can be added to cosmetics to help dissolve ingredients used in cosmetic preparations. Water is the most common solvent and is the continuous phase in most suspensions and water/oil emulsions. Solvents used in cosmetics include acetone, denatured alcohol, butoxyethanol (ethylene glycol monobutyl ether), diethylene glycol, dimethyl isosorbide, ethyl acetate, heptane, isopropyl alcohol, mineral alcohol, polyethylene glycol, propylene glycol, toluene and tricaprine (glyceryl tri-n-decanoate). ). The choice of solvent for use in cosmetics is a complex task due to topical and inhalation toxicity as well as odor.

Retinol
Retinol is a fat-soluble vitamin and is used in cosmetics to reduce skin wrinkles. Excessive intake can lead to acute or chronic symptoms of hypervitaminosis.

Surfactants
Substances, often classified as surfactants or tensides, are essential in a variety of cosmetics. Prolonged contact with anionic surfactants may cause some skin swelling. Although this is a temporary phenomenon, the skin in this swollen state allows topically applied substances to penetrate. Nonionic surfactants as a group are generally considered mild, even under exaggerated conditions. More hydrophobic nonionic surfactants, water-dispersible (water-insoluble) may improve transdermal transmission. As a group, amphoteric surfactants have a favorable safety profile. Finally, cationic surfactants are generally considered more irritating than anionic surfactants, but there is insufficient evidence to draw generalized conclusions.

UV filters
UVA and UVB can cause acute sunburn and in the long run also wrinkling, actinic keratosis or carcinomas. The use of UV light absorbing agents to protect the skin and body from UV radiation damage and trauma is globally accepted. These colorless organic substances are released to a higher energy level when they absorb UV light. It is also possible to deflect UV radiation by physically blocking the radiation with an opaque makeup product. Titanium dioxide with small particle size can reflect UV light without causing unwanted brightening effect on the skin.

Whitening agent
Whitening agents are often used to cover pigmentation and for other aesthetic reasons. However, substances often have a toxic effect.