The cosmetic industry is growing each year, with more and more customers buying and using various products across the globe. As a result, it is more important than ever for cosmetic companies to have clear guidelines concerning the safety, consistency, and reliability of their products, and to ensure that they conform to regulatory standards.
As a quality assurance professional working in a cosmetics company, monitoring and ensuring that products are safe and work as intended is vital. Continue reading to learn more about the standards and best practices to be used in cosmetic manufacturing.
Cosmetic Products Should be Manufactured Under Sanitary Conditions
It is in the best interest of a cosmetics company to produce products that are safe and sanitary for customers to use, and a large part of that is by making sure that they are free of harmful substances. Professionals in quality assurance and quality control can help mitigate the risk of contamination by making sure that all cosmetic products are manufactured in a clean environment, following the strict guidelines of good manufacturing practices.
For instance, a quality assurance professional could check to ensure that all of the surfaces within a cosmetic manufacturing facility are capable of being cleaned easily. They may also work to determine whether any pipes or ducts are in danger of leaking water onto manufacturing equipment and contaminating future products.
Graduates of quality assurance courses should also monitor whether equipment is being cleaned and sterilized regularly, and be mindful of whether other employees are practicing good cleanliness, such as washing their hands, as well as wearing protective gloves and hair nets.
Graduates of Quality Assurance Courses Should Inspect Their Raw Materials
Part of assuring the quality and efficacy of a cosmetic product is checking the raw materials used in their manufacture. Quality assurance professionals should evaluate whether raw materials are properly packaged and stored correctly. Ideally, raw materials should be kept off the floor and stored away from sources of heat and moisture which could contaminate them. Proper storage and packaging can also reduce the chances of raw materials mixing together, or being tainted by other chemicals.
Professionals working in the quality control area may conduct routine sampling of materials used for cosmetics manufacturing to make sure that they follow governmental regulatory standards. They might also look for the presence of micro-organisms, as well as dirt and bacteria, and dispose of any contaminated materials accordingly.
Quality Control Professionals Should Check Products for Harmful Microorganisms
As cosmetic products are applied to the body, the possibility of coming into contact with harmful micro-organisms can sometimes be high for consumers. These can be passed on through a product’s packaging, formula, or the overall manufacturing process.
Quality assurance diploma graduates can prevent this unfortunate outcome by following industry guidelines such as those set out by the International Standards Organization (ISO). The ISO recommend a number of different steps for QA professionals to ensure the quality of cosmetics, including a preservation efficacy test.
This test will allow you to verify whether a product’s preservatives, sometimes called antimicrobial agents, are stopping micro-organisms from forming within a product. If the results of the preservation efficacy test show a high risk of microbial growth, further evaluation may become necessary.
Pharmaceutical careers in quality assurance and control can be rewarding.
Contact the Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology to learn more!