In the manufacture of cosmetic products, there are three essential aspects that must be taken into account, the first being the manufacture of products that are pleasant to the touch and smell. Second, that they are effective, that is, they improve the condition of the skin or hair and do not cause adverse effects. The third is that the shelf life declared on the package be respected.

In some cases, cosmetic products lose their characteristic organoleptic attributes even though they are on the shelves of retail stores, and are only collected once the consumer has purchased or used them. This can be caused by ineffective monitoring of the pH level during product manufacture. It is necessary that the cosmetic product meets its quality specifications at the time of preparation, complies with existing regulations and displays good stability.

There are currently many hair and skin products that are made from natural products. The quality control of these raw materials must be rigorous.

Measurement of the pH in the cosmetics industry is essential to ensure good product quality, match the pH of the product with the pH of the skin and provide product stability, resulting in durability in retail stores.

What is the pH level and why should it be measured?

It can be defined as a scale used to delineate the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a substance. The pH values indicate the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution.

In the cosmetics industry, this assessment is essential, as a product with a high degree of acidity or alkalinity can cause health problems for the user. For example, a face cream or a shampoo. In the case of skin products, it is important to maintain the natural pH of the skin as this protects the user from harmful micro-organisms and promotes skin-specific enzymes. For this reason, in the manufacture of cosmetic products, the pH values are checked rigorously and continuously, at all stages of the process and in the final product.

In addition, the pH measurement facilitates the implementation of the required adjustments for various aspects. For example, protecting the integrity and stability of an ingredient, increasing the solubility or bioavailability of a material, for a formulation to work. Assessing and adjusting the pH can also allow us to act in a conservation strategy, change the color hue or intensity of a product, or increase or decrease the viscosity.

How do we measure pH?

The assessment of the pH level in cosmetic products can be carried out with the ion meter, also known as ISE, for ‘ion selective electrode’. It is a device for determining the activity of ions in an aqueous solution by measuring the electrical potential.

Selective ion electrodes are modern analytical tools that facilitate rapid and direct evaluation of the ion activity of samples. They are a versatile, affordable and cost-effective measurement system compared to other techniques, for example, they are relatively economical and easy to make. In addition, it has a wide range of hydrogen ion concentration measurements.

Ion counters of pH Kalstein

At Kalstein, we offer a wide variety of YR series pH gages. You can choose the one that best suits your needs. Ion measurements of Kalstein pH, offering the possibility to select concentration units, e.g. ppm, mg/L and MOL/L, simplify the measurement process, as they perform direct ion concentration reading. In addition, they are designed with a backlit LCD display and offer a configuration menu, which allows you to set the number of calibration points, stability criteria, temperature, unit, date and time, among others. For more information on ion measurements, see the link HERE