Microbial Contamination in Cosmetics
Safeguard your brand and protect consumers with our comprehensive cosmetic testing services. Our expert team provides meticulous microbial analysis to prevent spoilage and harmful pathogens. Trust our state-of-the-art laboratory and experienced team for reliable results and compliance with industry regulations. Avoid legal repercussions and maintain a positive brand reputation by prioritizing cosmetic safety.
There are a variety of potential contamination points:
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Contaminated raw ingredients or water​
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Poor manufacturing processing conditions​
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Lack of effective preservative conditions and favorable environmental growth conditions​
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Ineffective packaging conditions ​
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Poor shipping or storage conditions​
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Consumer use, natural microbes from your skin getting into the product through repetitive handling and finger dipping
How Do Microorganisms Get Into Our Cosmetics?
More Information
Cosmetic do not have to be sterile, but they do have to be free of harmful pathogens and the number of aerobic microorganisms (bacteria and fungus) per gram must be low, as they can chemical alter the product in ways that can be harmful to the user. Here at Twin Arbor Labs we can screen your product for the FDA recommended microbial contaminates to ensure your product is safe for consumer use. Please see the list below for our microbial cosmetic test services.
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Spoilage microorganism screen:
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Total aerobic bacterial plate count (APC)
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Total yeast and mold plate count (TYM)
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Anaerobic plate count (ANPC) - only for talcs and powders
Pathogen screen:
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Enterobacteriaceae
- ​​Screens for Gram-negative bacteria including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Salmonella, Shigella and Yersinia pestis)
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Psuedomonas aregunoisa​
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Staphylococcus aureus
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Candida albicans
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USP 51: Preservative efficacy challenge test (28 days):​
To ensure the stability and effectiveness of cosmetic preservatives in inhibiting microbial contamination, the product is challenged with 5 organisms including bacteria, yeast, and mold. The product is then tested at day (0, 7, 14, and 28) to evaluate the log reduction of these microorganism. If the product fails to meet USP 51 standards, then a reformulation may be required to ensure consumer safety.
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