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About Us
Verify The Safety & Quality Of Your Product
Don't wait until it is too late to start testing your products. Whether you may "just" be making your cosmetics for personal use, or preparing to sell a product line within Australia or globally, following Good Manufacturing Practice is vital to a successful result. It won't necessarily cost you a fortune. We can help you select the right testing package to suit your budget and needs.
With over 20 years of experience in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing, our principal scientist Ms Jacinta Meyers has the required education, expertise & GMP experience to advise you on the best ways to ensure your products are safe for your consumers. She can help with sourcing and testing of your ingredients, and can perform in-process and finished product testing according to your requirements. Her laboratory is equipped with a wide range of scientific equipment. Standard cosmetic testing procedures are used to evaluate the quality of your products. Contract laboratories are also utilized for specialised testing when required.
With 15 years of running her own successful personal care and cosmetics business, Jacinta can also help you create an accurate product and usage labels, verify container compatibility, and determine the shelf life of your product. She can also help you with product development and optimisation, manufacturing tips, and advise you of the next steps to take if your laboratory results indicate that changes need to be made.
Product Development & Manufacturing
Are you unsure how to develop your product further? We are able to provide guidance from the initial stages of product development to right through to pilot and large scale manufacturing. If you're unsure about ingredient compatibility or compliance, these checks can also be done.
We can also assist with raw material supplier audits and perform due diligence before engaging a manufacturer. We can evaluate they are a right fit, and that they understand your business needs. We can also help you communicate with manufacturers and explain the manufacturing terminology to you so that you understand what is happening at all times.
We are also happy to engage with existing manufacturers to help establish and refine manufacturing related systems and processes, and to write technical documentation. By identifying potential risks early, we can help you manage them by suggesting suitable controls which can be implemented to minimise or prevent problems form occurring further down the track.
Are you a manufacturer preparing for an audit or implementing actions related to a recent audit? We have a team of experienced auditors available to conduct GMP audits. With previous experience with the TGA, FDA and other global regulatory authorities, we can also help you respond in a timely manner to non-conformances from recent audits.
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How is the expiry date of my product determined?
Accelerated and real time stability testing is required to determine the expiry date and specifications for your product. Different data is collected and then trended to make accurate predictions about the stability of your product. Cosmetic product specifications are detailed standards like pH, appearance, viscosity and aroma. They serve as important quality control benchmarks for releasing products and for determining shelf life.
Q: Can I ask for preliminary stability testing to determine the expiry date?
No. Preliminary stability testing is different. Choose preliminary stability testing if you want a quick stress test to see if your product is likely to do well during accelerated and real time stability testing. Preliminary stability testing also includes microbiological analysis and a theoretical packaging risk assessment, if your packaging has been finalised.
Q: How long do laboratory studies take?
Preliminary stability studies run for approximately 15 days, accelerated stability studies from 3 to 6 months, and real-time studies run for 1 to 3 years. Freeze-thaw studies and thermal cycling studies take approx. 2 weeks to complete. Simple microbiological analyses take up to 1 week to complete, whereas preservative efficacy testing runs for 28 days, with the test results available approx. 7 days later. The stability tests cover physical and microbiological testing, however these analyses can also be conducted separately.
Q: How long are my results valid?
Your results are valid for as long as you maintain the same formula and packaging. If you make any changes to the formula concentration, fragrance, ingredient/s, packaging or raw material supplier then it is best to re-test to make sure your product is right.
Q: How much product sample will I need to provide?
We will let you know how much product and pre-packaged samples will be required to conduct stability testing. Generally, for accelerated stability testing and PET you will require approximately 1.3kg of bulk finished product + 6 products in the intended finished product packaging.Only 100g of product is required for preliminary testing.
Q: Can you prepare small lab batches for us?
Yes. We have pilot scale facilities to make more of your product if required, without having to pay for time on a large scale manufacturing line. This includes product for stability testing and focus group studies. All product intended for sale is manufactured and filled inside a clean room. Our maximum batch size is 50L
Q: Do you provide updates about my samples whilst stability studies are in progress?
We are happy to provide verbal updates about your samples, however please be patient and book a time to speak with us. Testing is conducted at specific time intervals and it takes time to process and independently verify your results. Your testing protocol details the testing regime. Written reports are generally issued within 2 weeks of completing a study. These will detail all of the methods, test results, a discussion, a conclusion with a summary of the findings, and recommendations. Appointments may be made to have an in-depth discussion to understand more about what these results mean.
Q: What happens if my product doesn't perform well during the testing?
If something doesn't look right during testing you will be informed straight away. We will work through any problems with you, until they are resolved. Yes, it can be disheartening when things don't go as planned, but it is much better to find out early and fix the problem rather than dealing with a heap of customer complaints later on.
Q: How much do you charge?
Prices vary according to the type of tests, formulations to be tested, and number of formulations requiring testing. As a guide:
- 14 Day Preliminary testing is $250 per sample,
- 3 Month Accelerated Stability Testing $600 per sample
- Extended testing from 3 months to expiry is an additional fee.
- Preservative efficacy testing ranges from $800 to $1500 per sample.
- Microbial Analysis is $80 per sample.
Prices for private consultancy, formulation development, ingredient assessment, label compliance, claims compliance, peroxide and acidity testing are available on request. We offer discounts for testing 3 or more products at the same time. A report is generated on conclusion of each sample analysis. All reports are checked and verified prior to issuing.
Q: Can you analyse raw materials?
Yes, we are able to analyse some raw materials in-house. Others will need to be sent to a contract laboratory which has additional equipment and capabilities. We will guide you determine the best testing solutions for your needs and help you understand your testing reports by interpreting the results and explaining them to you using non-technical language.
Q: Do you assist with focus group testing?
Yes, we can fill and label your sample containers and recruit participants for your study. We will work with you to create information for participants and take care of the confidentiality documentation to protect your brand. We will also assist with data capture and analysis to ensure you have meaningful information to use for marketing later down the track. Typically we aim to have a minimum of 20 participants for each study.
Q: Do you have an accredited laboratory?
Currently our laboratory is not accredited however we are currently working towards this, and hope to be fully accredited within the coming year. Our laboratory operates according to Good Laboratory Principles and performs testing according to published standards, guidelines and procedures for cosmetics, and personal care products. We have established protocols, documented test methods, calibrated and validated equipment, and a highly qualified principal scientist who oversees all laboratory activities. All scientific results are checked and verified by independent scientists who are specialists in their fields, so you can have complete confidence that your results are true and valid.
Q: What qualifications & practical experience does your principal scientist have?
- Diploma of Personal Care Formulation
- Graduate Diploma in Safety Science (With OH&S Officer Experience)
- Bachelor of Science (Genetics & Microbiology)
- Aromatherapy Diploma
- Herbalist Diploma
- Certificate in Cosmetic Quality & Stability
- Cert IV Training & Assessment
- 15+ years experience working in various positions in the sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing industry
- 13+ years experience working as a scientist specialising in R&D, manufacturing and process scale-up
- Successful Small Business Owner since 2011 (Aromatherapy, Cosmetics & Personal Care Products)
- Current member of the Australian Society of Cosmetic Chemists
Learn More
Still not sure about how to proceed? Book a free 15 minute appointment or complete our contact form to find out more. Alternatively send us an email to getthefacts@cosmetictestingservices.com
