Soap is a hygiene product that is widely used by the public to clean the body, hands, or other objects. However, before being marketed widely, soap must go through a series of feasibility tests to ensure that the product is safe, effective, and meets quality standards. This article discusses how soap feasibility tests are carried out, from safety aspects to product effectiveness and stability.
Purpose of Soap Feasibility Testing
Soap feasibility testing aims to:
• Ensure that the product is safe for human use.
• Assess effectiveness in cleaning dirt or killing germs.
• Ensure formula stability during storage.
• Meet national/international regulatory and standard requirements such as BPOM (Indonesia), SNI, or other cosmetic standards.
Aspects Tested
1. Physical and Chemical Tests
Some physical and chemical parameters that are usually tested include:
• Soap pH: Bath soap usually has a pH between 5.5–7 so as not to damage the skin’s balance.
• Water content: For solid soap, too high a water content can cause the soap to melt quickly.
• Total free fatty acids: The free fatty acid content indicates the purity of the soap.
• Active ingredient (surfactant) content: Determines the cleaning power of the soap.
• Color and odor stability: Stability test during a certain storage time.
2. Microbiology Test
Soap must be free from harmful microorganisms. Testing is done to ensure there is no contamination from:
• Pathogenic bacteria (eg E. coli, Salmonella).
• Fungi or yeast.
• Total plate count (total number of microbes in the sample).
3. Effectiveness Test
• Washing power test: Measures the soap’s ability to remove dirt or oil from the surface.
• Antibacterial test (if claimed as antiseptic): Uses methods such as zone of inhibition against certain bacteria.
4. Safety Test (Irritation and Sensitization)
• Skin irritation test: Conducted on test animals or humans (patch test) to see the skin’s reaction to the soap.
• Eye test (if necessary): For facial or baby soap products, a non-irritating test is carried out on the eyes.
5. Stability and Shelf Life Test
• Conducted to ensure that the soap remains stable (color, odor, hardness, pH) during the specified shelf life.
• Simulations are conducted at extreme temperatures (eg 40°C for 3 months) to speed up testing.
Testing Procedure
1. Preparation of test samples in the laboratory with the desired formula.
2. Initial testing: Includes physical and chemical analysis.
3. Further testing: Includes microbiological, safety, and effectiveness tests.
4. Data analysis and interpretation of results.
5. Conclusion of eligibility based on reference standards (SNI, BPOM, ISO, etc.).
Soap eligibility testing is very important to ensure that safe, effective, and quality products reach consumers. This test includes physical-chemical, microbiological, effectiveness, and safety aspects for the skin. Soap manufacturers need to follow applicable procedures and standards so that their products pass registration and are trusted by the market.
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