Not just how much. Which one. Everything in the Screening Panel plus a named result for the two organisms the cosmetics industry watches most closely. Results in one week.
A count tells you something is growing. It doesn't tell you what — and for some products that difference matters a great deal.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the organism the cosmetics industry watches most closely: it thrives in water-containing formulas, survives preservative systems unusually well, and is the contaminant most associated with eye-area products — the reason mascara expires in months, not years. Staphylococcus aureus arrives by a different route: it's a normal skin organism introduced from fingers and applicators, so finding it says something about how a product has been handled. For anything used near the eye, a product that caused a reaction, or a maker troubleshooting a formulation, the name is the answer — the count is only the question.
This panel runs three analyses and needs more material than a simple count. Fill the supplied (larger) jar to the line for creams, lotions, foundations and serums; for lipstick, gloss, mascara and single eyeshadow pans, send the whole product — those items usually weigh less in total than three analyses require. Put on gloves, keep the jar sterile (don't touch the rim or inside of the lid), seal, and label with the product name and how long it's been open.
Do not refrigerate or freeze the sample — the FDA method directs that cosmetic samples aren't chilled before analysis, because temperature changes what grows. Post it the same day at room temperature.
The enumeration half works exactly as the Screening Panel does: a weighed portion is suspended in a neutralizing diluent, diluted, plated and incubated, and colony-forming units are counted for bacteria and, separately, for yeast and mold.
The identification half is a different kind of test. Under USP <62>, a separate portion is placed into an enrichment broth that favours the target organism, then streaked onto selective media and confirmed. The answer is present or absent, not a number — because the enrichment step that makes it sensitive enough to find a small number of organisms is the same step that removes the ability to count them.
Independently operated, with no ties to filter, cleanup or remediation companies. Every sample is analyzed by an accredited partner laboratory under a named, published method, with a documented chain of custody — and your data is yours.
Order today, collect the sample at home, and mail it back in the prepaid mailer.
For informational & screening purposes. This is a laboratory analysis of the sample submitted — not a medical diagnosis, building survey, or legal determination.