Topicals testing
Creams, balms, salves and lotions carry two risks a tincture does not: the active may not be evenly distributed through the base, and the water phase can support growth. We measure both, alongside the label claim.
- Price
- Quoted
- Family
- Product
- Agilent 1290 or 6490
- Agilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC
- Incubated plates
- Inoculated and incubated
- Agilent 7850 ICP-MS
- Calibrated pH meter
- Calibrated aw meter
Purchased new through authorised channels, performance-qualified by certified engineers, and the instrument ID prints on every certificate. View the bench.
What the panel measures
| Test | Method | Instrument | Reports as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active potency | MethodHPLC-UV or LC-MS/MS by active | InstrumentAgilent 1290 or 6490 | Reports asmg/g and mg per container |
| Content uniformity | MethodReplicate assay from top, middle and base | InstrumentAgilent 1290 Infinity II UHPLC | Reports asRelative standard deviation, % |
| Microbial | MethodUSP <61>/<62> | InstrumentIncubated plates | Reports asCFU/g, TAMC, TYMC, specified pathogens |
| Preservative efficacy | MethodUSP <51> challenge, 28 days | InstrumentInoculated and incubated | Reports asLog reduction at 7, 14 and 28 days |
| Heavy metals | MethodICP-MS | InstrumentAgilent 7850 ICP-MS | Reports asppb: Pb, As, Cd, Hg |
| pH | MethodElectrode, at 25 °C | InstrumentCalibrated pH meter | Reports aspH units |
| Water activity | MethodCapacitance hygrometer | InstrumentCalibrated aw meter | Reports asaw to 0.01 |
Sample requirements and shipping
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Cream or lotion | Requirement2 retail units, unopened |
| Balm or salve | Requirement2 retail units, unopened |
| Preservative efficacy | Requirement5 units, since the challenge is destructive and runs 28 days |
| Condition | RequirementRoom temperature, in the packaging you sell. Note the active and the claim at submission. |
Order first, then ship. A prepaid label is emailed when payment lands, and the carrier scan on that label opens your chain of custody. We accept no walk-in drop-off, and we hold no DEA registration, so no Schedule I to V material.
Why the method matters
An emulsion that separates puts the active where the oil went. Assaying a single scoop from the middle of a jar can read on-claim while the top and bottom are not, so content uniformity is assayed from three depths of the same container.
Preservative efficacy is a 28-day challenge, not a snapshot. USP <51> inoculates the product with five organisms and measures log reduction over time, which is the only evidence that a preservative system works in that particular base.
What comes back
A public certificate
Every result, the method, the instrument ID, the LOD and LOQ and the signature, verifiable by accession number with no login.
The filmed route
Your package opened on camera, a photograph of each container, and the footage retained for three years. Released to you on request.
A retained sample
Kept about 90 days, so a disputed result can be reviewed and, where warranted, rerun or sent to another laboratory.
Submit a sample
Order in the builder, pay, and a prepaid label is emailed to you. The certificate publishes to the database the moment it is signed.