Real-time qPCR to evaluate bacterial contamination of cosmetic cream and the efficiency of protective ingredients.

Aims: The absence of objectionable micro-organisms in cosmetics and the efficiency of preservatives are still mainly assessed by time-consuming cultivation-based methods. We explored the applicability of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and reported on the behaviour of different bacteria in artificially contaminated creams.

Methods And Results: Real-time qPCR on DNA from Burkholderia cepacia, Pluribacter gergoviae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Sphingomonas paucimobilis identified specific primer pairs that amplify accurately and efficiently two strains/isolates of each species.

In vitro study to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of various multifunctional cosmetic ingredients and chlorphenesin on bacterial species at risk in the cosmetic industry.

Aims: We evaluated the activity of the preservative chlorphenesin and of four antimicrobial cosmetic multifunctional ingredients against various strains of gram-negative and gram-positive human opportunistic pathogens.

Methods And Results: Growth kinetics, modelling growth parameters and statistical analyses enabled comparing bacterial behaviour in the presence and in the absence of the compound. Whatever compound tested (i.

Rapid assessment and prediction of the efficiency of two preservatives against S. aureus in cosmetic products using High Content Screening-Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy.

Most cosmetic products are susceptible to microbiological spoilage due to contaminations that could happen during fabrication or by consumer's repetitive manipulation. The composition of cosmetic products must guarantee efficient bacterial inactivation all along with the product shelf life, which is usually assessed by challenge-tests. A challenge-test consists in inoculating specific bacteria, i.

Development of a standardized method to evaluate the protective efficiency of cosmetic packaging against microbial contamination.

Doubts surrounding the potential adverse effects of antimicrobial preservatives have modified the demand of consumers, who increasingly insist on the production of low-level and even preservative-free cosmetics. Protection of the product against microbial contamination is therefore focused on the packaging. This has prompted the emergence of a highly diverse array of so-called "protective", "overprotective", and "barrier" packaging.