According to the regulative, cosmetic products must have declared ingredients on the packaging. Many ingredients are allowed to be contained only to defined maximum concentrations such as UV filters or preservatives. Moreover, when developing new cosmetic products it is necessary to develop and validate suitable analytical methods for quality control, particularly for the active components.
STABILITY TESTING
The purpose of stability testing of cosmetic products is to ensure that a new or modified product meets the intended physical, chemical and microbiological quality standards as well as functionality and aesthetics when stored under appropriate conditions. Because the development cycle of cosmetic products is relatively short, each manufacturer should design their own stability protocol that is economically cost effective and efficiently covers the required testing.
There is no standard approach for stability testing of cosmetics because of the complexity and wide variety of these products. Manufacturers need the flexibility to modify testing protocols and establish a solid scientific basis for evaluating the stability of their own products. Therefore, specific tests have to be developed in order to address new or unusual technologies, or to account for the products with extended shelf lives.
