ISCA Cosmetic Testing
Water Activity Testing
Water Activity Testing
Water activity (aᵥ) testing measures the level of unbound (free) water in a cosmetic product – the portion of water that microorganisms can use to grow. Understanding this is essential for predicting spoilage risk and determining appropriate preservation strategies.
At ISCA Cosmetic Testing, analysis is performed in accordance with ISO 19621:2017, ensuring accurate, industry-recognised results.
Water activity is measured on a scale from 0.0 to 1.0, where:
- 1.0 represents pure, unbound water
- Lower values indicate reduced microbial growth potential
Formulations with a water activity ≤ 0.60 are considered microbiologically stable and do not support microbial growth, meaning preservative efficacy (challenge) testing may not be required.
E.g. Batch number, formulation number etc. This is to allow us to uniquely identify your sample in our laboratory.
This should correspond to the label on your sample.
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Prices listed are for 1 test programme on 1 sample.
For more information about sending your samples, please see our FAQ below.
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Sending Samples
FAQ
Quantity to send
We will need a minimum of 250 ml of your sample for Viscosity or pH testing.
Where to send
Please send 250 g of each sample to our laboratory address,
ISCA Cosmetic Testing
Unit 28 Nine mile point ind. est.
Crosskeys,
Newport, UK
NP11 7HZ
Packaging
Samples should be sent in their final retail packaging where possible.
Sample labelling
Please label your samples clearly (including unique ID numbers) and ensure that you keep a record yourself of what samples you have sent us to avoid any confusion. What you label your sample is what will be recorded on your final report.