Challenge Test in Cosmetic Products
Protective Efficacy Test in Cosmetic Products (Challenge Test)
Cosmetic products must remain microbiologically stable for the specified shelf life without opening the packaging. Preservatives are added to cosmetic products to ensure microbiological stability. Challenge testing is performed to evaluate the performance of preservatives used in a cosmetic product against microbial growth. Cosmetic products are subjected to an artificial contamination process in a laboratory environment.
What is a Protective Event (Challenge)
The
Preservative Efficacy (Challenge) test is an analysis to assess the effectiveness of preservatives, particularly those found in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food products. This test is used to determine how resistant products are to microbial contamination. It is based on intentionally adding a certain amount of microorganisms to the product and observing how long the preservative neutralizes these microorganisms.
Why is a Protective Activity (Challenge) Test Performed?
Preservative efficacy testing is a process to ensure the safety and determine the shelf life of products. Here are the main reasons for this test:
- Consumer Safety: Products are resistant to microbial spoilage, protecting consumer health.
- Determining Shelf Life: The preservative efficacy test helps determine shelf life by showing how long the product will be protected against microbial growth.
- Regulatory Compliance: There are legal regulations on the effectiveness of preservatives in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food industries. These tests check whether products comply with legal requirements.
- Improving Product Quality: Products that are resistant to microbial growth provide the consumer with quality and reliable products.
What are the Microorganism Strains Used in the Challenge Test?
- Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027)
- Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538)
- Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739)
- Candida albicans (ATCC 10231)
- Aspergillus brasiliensis (ATCC 16404)
Preservative efficacy testing is mandatory for products to reach the consumer safely and remain durable for a long time. During this test, microorganisms are intentionally added to the products and it is observed how long the preservatives neutralize these microorganisms. Products that are resistant to microbial growth protect consumer health while at the same time raising the quality standards of products. The types of microorganisms used and the duration of the test may vary depending on the characteristics of the product. Within the scope of the test procedures, the antimicrobial protection of cosmetic products can be evaluated by counting microorganisms on days 7, 14 and 28.
ISO 11930 standard The evaluation of the antimicrobial protection of the cosmetic product is carried out in our laboratory within the scope of TÜRKAK Accreditation.
