Lab Testing for Cosmetics

Testing Cosmetic Products:

Cosmetic products, such as makeup, skincare, and hair care products, play a role in most everyone’s daily lives, but with so many products on the market, it can be difficult to discern which products are safe and effective. The good news is that almost every cosmetic product in the US market has passed some kind of testing to ensure it is safe for use, and several products go through extensive testing to ensure the safety of the product. This is where lab testing enters the chat. By subjecting cosmetic products to scientific analysis, lab testing can help ensure that they are safe, effective, and sable for long periods of time.

While almost every formula has been tested for stability, there are many other tests that can be performed on cosmetic products to ensure they are safe and effective. It is always a good idea to test your products for safety, specifically for the area of skin they are applied to.

Although testing can be costly, cosmetic testing can save you a lot of time and money in the future, by assuring your products are safe, and will not harm the user.

Basic Types of Cosmetic Testing:

For more information regarding costs and the specifics of each type of testing, visit our “Cosmetic Testing Info” page, but the basic cosmetic tests include:

• Preservative Efficacy Testing (PET)

  PET testing is a must for all water based testing. This cosmetic test ensures that water based formulas do not harbor the growth of bacteria.

• Stability Testing

  This cosmetic test ensures that products do not separate once they leave your facility. While all cosmetic formulations should be stability tested, this test is especially important for formulations involving emulsion.

• Ocular Testing

  For any product that is marketed to be applied in or around the eye, ocular testing is extremely important. this test ensures that your formula is non-hazerdous when coming in contact with the eye. Investing in this form of cosmetic testing is a must for formulations that are applied around the eye and can save your company a major lawsuit and your clients their vision.

• Skin Patch Testing

  While not a mandatory cosmetic test, skin patch testing is a type of testing where your product is applied to the skin of a random sample of individuals to ensure that it does not cause irritation. While encouraged for all cosmetic formulation, skin patch testing is highly recommended for formulations that claim to be good for sensitive skin types.

  You can even take it one step further and request a sample of individuals with sensitive skin to test the product and report any irritation. To be certified, however this type of testing must be performed by a licensed agency.

• Heavy Metal Testing

  Heavy metal cosmetic testing is most commonly performed on hemp beauty products as well as lipsticks. This is because these types of formulation have a higher chance of retaining heavy metal in their formulas. Heavy metal cosmetic testing tests to determine the amount of residual heavy metal in a finished formulation (Products should always contain >1% heavy metal.)

• Hemp Testing

  As you may have guessed the name, hemp testing is only performed on cosmetic products containing help or other cannabis derived ingredients. With the high standards and regulations surrounding the cannabis beauty industry, hemp testing is a must for any product containing hemp. In fact, almost all marketplaces that allow the sale of hemp derived products require a testing certification to ensure the product meets regulation.

• More…

  There are endless tests that can be performed on cosmetic products, but the ones mentioned above are just the basics. If you can think of a test, it probably exists. If you are looking for a specific cosmetic test, fill out our “Contact Us” form and we can help identify a testing facility for you.

Find Cosmetic Testing:

If you're interested in finding lab testing for cosmetic products, there are a few options available to you.

• Manufacturer's website

  If you are private labeling a cosmetic product, chances are that the manufacturer has already performed the appropriate testing on the formulation. It is, however always a good idea to ask the manufacturer about what tests have already been performed and what tests they recommend performing on each batch of product. If you are custom formulating a product, your manufacturer can most likely obtain the appropriate testing as well.

• Third-party testing

  There are a number of independent organizations that offer lab testing services for cosmetic products. Some of the most well-known include the Good Housekeeping Institute, Consumer Reports, and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). These organizations typically test a wide range of products and publish the results of their testing on their websites.

• Cosmetic Labs

  Cosmetic labs, like Genie Supply, can also perform cosmetic testing. This is especially true if you manufacture or formulate with the lab. Because the lab knows the exact process of formulation and all of the ingredients in the product, they can best help to advise on which test should be performed and them perform the test in-house. This can also help to shorten the production timeline by reducing shipping and result times.

• Clinical trials

  Many cosmetics companies and testing facilities conduct clinical trials to test the safety and effectiveness of their products. Clinical trials such as the skin patch test mentioned above can help be conducted through cosmetic labs and testing facilites. These trials typically involve recruiting volunteers to use the product over a period of time and then measuring the results. If a company is conducting a clinical trial for a cosmetic product.

  When it comes to clinical trials sample size does matter, so keep this in mind when discussing the testing methods with your cosmetic testing provider.

Cosmetic Testing at Genie Supply

At Genie Supply, we offer a variety of cosmetic testing for beauty products. It can be difficult to navigate exactly what testing each formulation and product needs.The good news is that we are here to help. Start by checking out our “Cosmetic Testing Info” page to see the prices of the most common types of cosmetic testing. If you don’t see the type of testing you are looking for, CONTACT US! We will most likely be able to help you nevigate what cosmetic testing your product needs, and provide the testing in a smooth and easy process.