HEALTH, BEAUTY, PERSONAL CARE, AND COSMETIC PRODUCT TESTING METHODS

Cosmetics and personal care products are tested to assure that the products are safe and ready to be released to the consumer market. Products are tested by the following methods:

AEROBIC PLATE COUNT (APC)

Standard Aerobic plate count test (SPC)/ Aerobic bacterial count test (APC)/ Total aerobic Microbial count (TAMC) test determines the total number of aerobic bacteria per ml or gram of the personal care or cosmetic product. This test gives the total count of bacteria present and does not give you information about pathogenic or non pathogenic bacteria.
It is a 48 to 72 hour test. This is a routine test, ordered on each lot manufactured of health, beauty, cosmetic, and personal care products.

YEAST AND MOLD COUNT

This test determines the total number of yeast and fungus per ml or gram of the personal care or cosmetic product. It is carried out for five days.

ENRICHMENT METHOD FOR SPECIFIC PATHOGEN SCREENING

This testing is carried out to assure that harmful bacteria are not present – not even in very low amounts. Therefore, the product is enriched by growing it in enrichment broth for seven days so pathogenic bacteria, if present in very low number, will be able to multiply and be detected.

TOTAL GRAM NEGATIVE TEST

includes Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E.coli, Salmonella, Serratia, Enterobacter, Klebsiella pneumoniae and others

Staphylococcus aureus Test

MICROBIAL IDENTIFICATION

Once organisms are isolated from a product and a manufacturer wants to know which organisms are present, they order a Microbial Identification Test of their products. Isolates are identified starting with observing their morphology. Isolates are Gram stained and observed under the microscope. This gives an initial clue about whether they are gram negative or gram positive. Isolates are then identified

ANTIMICROBIAL PRESERVATIVE EFFECTIVENESS TEST (CHALLENGE TEST)

The antimicrobial efficacy test evaluates the effectiveness of an antimicrobial preservative in a health, beauty, personal care, or cosmetic product. The test is carried out in such a way that the product is challenged with known strains of microorganisms. Personal care and cosmetic testing samples are tested at different intervals to determine the survival of the organisms. The test demonstrates the efficacy of the product to stop the growth of pathogenic organisms like Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger. The microorganism survival is monitored for 28 days.