In the manufacture of cosmetic products there are three essential aspects that must be addressed, the first, the elaboration of products pleasant to the touch and to the smell. The second is that they are efficient, that is, that these products improve the condition of the skin or hair and do not cause unfavorable effects. The third, that the shelf life declared on the packaging is met.
Cosmetic products sometimes lose their characteristic organoleptic attributes, while on the shelves of retail outlets, and are only perceived once the consumer has acquired or used them. This situation could be caused by an inefficient monitoring of the pH level during the production of the product. It is necessary that the cosmetic product meets its quality specifications when it is made, complies with existing regulations and also shows good stability.
There are now many hair and skin products that are made from natural products. The quality control of these raw materials must be rigorous.
The measurement of the pH in the cosmetic industry is essential to guarantee a good quality of the product, to ensure the correspondence of the pH of the product with the pH of the skin and to provide stability of the product, which translates into durability in the stores of sale.
What is the pH level and why should it be measured?
It can be defined as a scale that serves to delimit the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a substance. The pH values show the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution.
In the cosmetic industry this valuation is essential, because a product with a high degree of acidity or alkalinity, can cause health problems in the user. For example, a face cream or shampoo. In the case of skin products, it is important to maintain the natural pH of the skin, as this protects the user against harmful microorganisms and promotes the skin’s own enzymes. For this reason, in the manufacture of cosmetics, the control of pH values is carried out rigorously and continuously, in all phases of the process and in the final product.
Moreover, pH measurement facilitates the implementation of the required adjustments for several aspects. For example, to protect the integrity and stability of an ingredient, to increase the solubility or bioavailability of a material, for a formulation to work. Assessing and adjusting the pH can also allow a conservation strategy to work, a product’s tone or color intensity to change, or viscosity to increase or decrease.
How can we measure the pH?
The pH level assessment in cosmetic products can be performed with the ion meter, also known as ISE, for the acronym “selective ion electrode”. It is a device that allows to determine the activity of ions in an aqueous solution, measuring the electrical potential.
Ion-selective electrodes are modern analytical tools that facilitate the assessment of the ionic activity of samples, quickly and directly. They form a versatile, affordable and advantageous measurement system, compared to other techniques, for example, it is relatively economical and easy to perform. In addition, it has a wide hydrogen ion concentration measurement range.
Kalstein pH ion meters
At Kalstein we offer a wide variety of YR series pH ion meters. You can choose the one that best suits your needs. Kalstein pH ion meters, which offer the possibility of selecting concentration units, e.g. ppm, mg/L and MOL/L, simplify the measurement process by performing direct ion concentration reading. In addition, they are designed with a backlit LCD screen and offer a set-up menu that allows the number of calibration points, stability criteria, temperature, unit, date and time, among others, to be set. For more information on ion meters, visit HERE