Regular testing of the microbiological purity of cosmetic products is vital to ensure the safety of the products, their quality and their compliance with various cosmetic legislations around the world, including the EU cosmetics regulation 1223/2009.

Products can get contaminated either during production or when they are being used. Therefore, cosmetic products have to be tested both when produced and their preservative system has to be “challenged” to monitor whether it can withstand contamination once the product is opened and in use.

Every batch of finished products should be tested to confirm that the products don’t exceed the allowed limits of microorganisms and are free from various pathogens when produced and before being placed on the market.

When products are already on the market and are being used by consumers, their preservative system should ensure that the products remain safe for use despite being continuously exposed to potentially harmful microorganisms in the surrounding environment and through physical contact with human skin.

Total viable count and pathogens test

Before products are placed on the market, each batch should be properly tested during quality assurance procedures to determine whether it meets the predetermined criteria, including the microbiological quality of the product.

The EU requirement (and consequently the requirement in many other countries as well) regarding the necessary testing to determine the microbiological quality of products is described in the SCCS Notes of Guidance for the Testing of Cosmetic Substances and their Safety Evaluation. We offer all of the tests mentioned in that guidance document and the tests are performed in accordance with the relevant international ISO standards.