In Australia the ACCC regulates Australian Consumer Law which states when a consumer purchases a product they have the right that it will be of an acceptable quality and safe to use. There is no guidance or regulation offered how to achieve this in the case of cosmetics therefore the cosmetic industry has to rely on best practice guidelines.

 

Stability testing is one way to prove your product is of an acceptable quality however is not a legal requirement but still considered best practice in Australia and recommended. Various aspects of stability are tested to ensure the quality and safety of the product. These can include: emulsion stability, physical stability which includes appearance, form, aroma and colour, chemical stability and microbial stability.

 

As a brand owner it is your responsibility to be able to provide evidence your products are of acceptable quality and safe to use if requested by ACCC. Therefore if you create your own customised private label products we recommend you have your products tested. We can perform the tests for you or you can outsource them elsewhere.

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Regulators have not issued any guidelines for stability testing for cosmetics in Australia so we have adapted the stability testing standard for therapeutic sunscreens in the Australian Regulatory Guidelines for Sunscreens (ARGS) determined by the TGA along with industry best practice to develop our stability program. 

 

The stability testing program put together by Private Label Cosmeceuticals (PLC) includes:

 

1. Mechanical Test - This is a rapid test method, requiring specialised equipment, that mechanically stresses the product to see if it is stable under mechanical stressful conditions. It provides results within a day and is used as a preliminary test to indicate if the emulsion is stable and worth continuing further testing.

 

2.Freeze/Thaw Test – 5 cycles – 10 day Test

This test places the product under extreme storage conditions to see if the emulsion is stable. It involves freezing the product for 24hrs then thawing at room temperature for 24hrs repeating this cycle five times.

Test pH, viscosity test, visual test for appearance, form and aroma and emulsion stability.

If stable indicates 2 year expiry.

 

3. Accelerated Stability Test @ 35C for 6 months

The product is incubated at 35C. If stable at 35C for 6 months this would indicate the product is stable at room temperature (25C) for 2 years.

Test pH, viscosity and visual test at times = 0, 2, 4 and 6 months.

If stable indicates 2 year expiry.

 

4. Accelerated Stability Test @45C for 3 months

Test pH, viscosity and visual test at times = 0, 1, 2 and 3 months.

If stable indicates 2 year expiry.

 

Total Number of Tests:

pH tests x 8

Viscosity tests x 8

Visual test for appearance, form and aroma x 9

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Cost

$1200 + GST. This includes the cost of a 500g sample of product to test.

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This is accelerated testing is predictive and not guaranteed. Some changes only happen with real time testing and others that may happen under accelerated conditions do not occur in real world situations. Some only happen in specific climates and under certain uses. What it does prove is that your formula's stability is in the right ballpark, that your packaging choice doesn’t cause obvious problems, and that your preservative system is effective. For most launches, that’s enough to ship with confidence.

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Preservative Efficacy Testing

 

PET testing (Preservative Efficacy Testing) of cosmetic products, also known as a challenge test or antimicrobial effectiveness testing (AET), is a standardized laboratory microbiological test that evaluates how effectively a product’s preservative system controls or kills microorganisms that could contaminate it during manufacturing, storage, or normal consumer use.

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Although not a legal requirement in Australia it is considered best practice. In certain markets like the EU, USA and UAE PET testing is a legal requirement so if your looking to sell in these markets it is a must.

 

The full process (including sample processing, 28-day incubation, analysis, and reporting) typically takes about 5–6 weeks. We out source to a NATA certified lab to do all our PET testing to avoid contaminating our lab with bacteria/fungal strains.

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Cost $1150 + GST performed by accredited laboratory. The lab requires a 200g sample to test at an additional cost.

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