Microbiology Services
Sagescript Institute offers microbiology testing of cosmetics and toiletries. Tests available are the two most important assays:
Aerobic plate count (APC) - enumeration of bacteria present in a sample
Fungal/yeast count (F/YC) - enumeration of fungi (mold) or yeast present in a sample
New Lower Pricing: Sagescript wants to thank all our customers who have supported us in the past!
|
No of
Samples |
APC |
Fungal/Yeast |
Both
Together |
|
1-2 |
$18 |
$18 |
$30 |
|
3-4 |
$17 |
$17 |
$27 |
|
5+ |
$15 |
$15 |
$25 |
For larger orders please contact us for pricing.
Testing your cosmetics in this way is one step in assuring you that you have a safe product to sell. A 1-2 ounce sample of your product is all that is needed. The procedure will follow the guidelines of the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for microbiological methods for cosmetics. Testing takes approximately a week. Additional services will be added as need arises (challenge testing, MIC). Pricing is $18.00 for a single test, or $30.00 for APC and fungal/yeast count together. Discounts can be given with volume.
This link describes a hospital case where patients were infected because of a nurse using a contaminated hand lotion:
These tests can also be applied to other products such as foods and herbs.
Please contact me for more information if you are interested.
Mail
Here is what the FDA guidelines say about bacteria in cosmetic products:
"Cosmetic products are not expected to be aseptic; however, they must be completely free of high-virulence microbial pathogens, and the total number of aerobic microorganisms per gram must be low. Since there are no widely acceptable standards for numbers, temporary guidelines are used instead. For eye-area products, counts should not be greater than 500 colony forming units (CFU)/g; for non-eye-area products, counts should not be greater than 1000 CFU/g. The presence of pathogens would be particularly important in evaluating as unacceptable a cosmetic with a marginally acceptable count, e.g., 400 CFU/g for an eye-area product. Pathogens or opportunistic pathogens whose incidence would be of particular concern, especially in eye-area cosmetic products, include S. aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, P. aeruginosa and other species, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Some microbes normally regarded as nonpathogenic may be opportunistically pathogenic, e.g., in wounds."
The EU recommendations are similar.
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"What is essential is invisible to the eye..."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, in The Little Prince
