Cosmetic Testing - scientist performing a test

Cosmetic Testing

Harken Research offers testing for active ingredients and fragrances in cosmetic products to ensure product consistency and impurity testing to ensure that products are safe. We also do biological testing including skin permeation assessments and wound healing assays.

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CUSTOM TESTING SERVICES

Active Ingredient testing

Testing for many active ingredients by HPLC, LC-MS/MS, or GC-MS.

PK/PD studies

Impurity Testing

  • Pesticides
  • Heavy metals
  • Residual solvents
  • Unknown impurities
Testing services by Harken Research

Shelf-life studies

Shelf-life studies for cosmetic products can be performed over any timeframe desired from months to years and over a range of temperatures from refrigerated to room temperature and under accelerated conditions. Tests include:

  • Color, odor, appearance
  • pH
  • Phase separation
  • Microbial growth
  • Active ingredient concentration and degradation
Why Choose Us Harken Research

Skin permeation testing

We can determine the rate of permeation of active ingredients using human abdominoplasty surgical discards or artificial membranes, which correlate well with human skin for many compounds.

Analytical method development

Microbial testing

  • Total yeast and mold
  • Total aerobic counts
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Candida albicans
  • Psuedomonas aeruginosa
  • E coli
  • Salmonella
  • Others
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Preservative Efficacy Challenge Test

Chemical testing

More than 60 pesticides

Aluminum, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Cadmium, Calcium, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Iron, Lead, Lithium, Magnesium,
Manganese, Mercury, Nickel, Potassium, Selenium, Silver, Sodium, Strontium, Thallium, Uranium, Vanadium, and Zinc

More than 20 solvents

Identification of unknown impurities or degradation products by LC-MS/MS or GC-MS/MS.

Microbial testing

Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacteria that can cause skin, eye, and ear infections. Cosmetic products should be free of Staphylococcus aureus (no organisms found in a 1 gram sample).

Candida albicans is a fungus that can cause skin, eye, and ear infections. Cosmetic products should be free of candida albicans (no organisms found in a 1 gram sample).

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative bacteria that can cause skin, eye, and ear infections. It can be introduced into cosmetic products during manufacture and can proliferate, especially in products with high water content. Cosmetic products should be free of pseudomonas aeruginosa (no organisms found in a 1 gram sample).

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How testing protects your brand

  • Protects consumer health.
  • Helps to ensure product consistency and keep consumers coming back.
  • Gives major retailers and distributors confidence in your product quality .

Tell us what type of product you have, and we will provide a list of the most critical tests and optional tests to ensure product quality and safety. 

Custom Testing - Consulting - Harken Research

Excellent team of scientists

We get invested in your projects and want to see you succeed, so we put in the extra effort to help you solve problems.

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