Determination of suspected fragrance allergens in cosmetics by matrix solid-phase dispersion gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis

An effective low cost sample preparation methodology for the determination of regulated fragrance allergens in leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics has been developed applying, for the first time, matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) to this kind of analytes and samples. The selection of the most suitable extraction conditions was made using statistical tools such as ANOVA, as well as a factorial multifactor experimental design. These studies were carried out using real cosmetic samples. In the final conditions, 0.5 of sample, previously mixed with 1g of anhydrous Na(2)SO(4), were blended with 2g of dispersive sorbent (Florisil), and the MSPD column was eluted with 5 mL of hexane/acetone (1:1). The extract was then analyzed by GC-MS without any further clean-up or concentration step. Accuracy, precision, linearity and detection limits (LODs) were evaluated to assess the performance of the proposed method. Quantitative recoveries (>75%) were obtained and RSD values were lower than 10% in all cases. The quantification limits were well below those set by the international cosmetic regulations, making this multi-component analytical method suitable for routine control. In addition, the MSPD method can be implemented in any laboratory at low cost since it does not require special equipment. Finally, a wide variety of cosmetic products were analyzed. All the samples contained several of the target cosmetic ingredients, with and average number of seven. The total fragrance allergen content was in general quite high, even in baby care products, with values close to or up to 1%, for several samples, although the actual European Cosmetic Regulation was fulfilled.     

Determination of additives in cosmetics by supercritical fluid extraction on-line headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

A new hyphenated technique couples supercritical fluid extraction in situ derivatization and on-line headspace solid-phase microextraction to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SFE in situ derivatization on-line HS-SPME-GC-MS) for the determination of paraben preservatives and polyphenolic antioxidants in cosmetics. The preservatives and antioxidants were extracted from the cosmetic matrices with supercritical carbon dioxide at a pressure of 13,840 kPa. The supercritical fluid extraction was performed at 55 °C for 10 min of static extraction then 15 min of dynamic extraction. The extractant subsequently was derivatized in situ with the silylation reagent N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide with 0.1% trimethylchlorosilane. The product was then adsorbed on a polyacrylate solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber in the headspace. Sea sand was used as a dispersive material in the SFE step. The analytical linear ranges for the preservatives and antioxidants were found to be from 10 to 1000 ng g⁻¹ with RSD values below 7.8%. The detection limits ranged from 0.5 to 8.3 ng g⁻¹. These results are better than those obtained by using only SPME or SFE for trace preservatives and antioxidants analysis in cosmetic matrices. The new method was successfully utilized to determine the amounts of preservatives and antioxidants in real cosmetics without the need for tedious pretreatments.     

Multi-Target Strategy to Uncover Unexpected Compounds in Rinse-Off and Leave-On Cosmetics

The wide range and complexity of cosmetic formulations currently available on the market poses a challenge from an analytical point of view. In addition, during cosmetics manufacture, impurities coming from raw materials or formed by reaction of different organic compounds present in the formulation may be present. Their identification is mandatory to assure product quality and consumer health. In this work, micro-matrix solid-phase dispersion (μMSPD) is proposed as a multi-target sample preparation strategy to analyze a wide number of unexpected families of compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, plasticizers, nitrosamines, alkylphenols (APs), and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEOs). Analytical determination was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for the determination of 51 target compounds in a single run, whereas liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed for the analysis of six APs and APEOs. Both methodologies were successfully validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, and precision in leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics. Limits of detection (LODs) were calculated in the low ng g⁻¹, showing their suitability to determine trace levels of impurities and banned compounds with different chemical natures, providing useful tools to cosmetic control laboratories and companies.     

Screening method for determining the presence of N-nitrosodiethanolamine in cosmetics by open-tubular capillary electrochromatography

The presence of the carcinogenic N-nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA; CAS No. 1116-54-7) in cosmetic samples was determined using an etched, C18 modified capillary in the open-tubular capillary electrochromatography technique. A very simple extraction procedure leads to a sample matrix free from interferences. The calibration curve was created using UV detection at 214 nm. The detector response was linear in the range of 5-120 ppm total amount injected. Minimum detection limits (1 ppm NDELA injected on capillary) are suitable for screening a large number of cosmetic samples. Diethanolamine and triethanolamine precursors of nitrosamines are not detected at the wavelength used. Cosmetic samples were analyzed unspiked and after addition of 60 ppm of NDELA. In spiked samples recoveries varied from 94% (hand and body lotion) to 55% (lipstick sample). NDELA was found in unspiked samples of old (5-15 years old) cosmetics at concentrations of 14.0 ppm and 35.0 ppm.     

Development of a solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography with microelectron-capture detection method for the determination of 5-bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane in rinse-off cosmetics

5-Bromo-5-nitro-1,3-dioxane (bronidox) is a bromine-containing preservative often used in rinse-off cosmetics but also subjected to several restrictions according to the European Cosmetic Products Regulation. Thus, as a part of a quality control procedure, analytical methods for the determination of this compound in different types of cosmetics are required. In the present work, a solvent-free and simple methodology based on solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography with microelectron capture detection (GC-μECD) has been developed and validated for the determination of bronidox in cosmetic samples such as shampoos, body cleansers or facial exfoliants. As far as we know, this is the first application of SPME to this preservative. Negative matrix effects due to the complexity of the studied samples were reduced by dilution with ultrapure water. The influence of several factors on the SPME procedure such as fiber coating, extraction temperature, salt addition (NaCl) and sampling mode has been assessed by performing a 2⁴-factorial design. After optimization, the recommended procedure was established as follows: direct solid-phase microextraction (DSPME), using a PDMS/DVB coating, of 10 mL of diluted cosmetic with 20% NaCl, at room temperature, under stirring for 30 min. Using these suggested extraction conditions, linear calibration could be achieved, with limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) well below the maximum authorized concentration (0.1%) established by the European legislation. Relative standard deviations (RSD) lower than 10% were obtained for both within a day and among days precision. The method was applied to diverse types of formulations spiked with bronidox at different concentration levels (0.008–0.10%); these samples were quantified by external calibration and satisfactory recoveries (≥70%) were obtained in all cases. Finally, the SPME–GC-μECD methodology was applied to the analysis of several cosmetics labeled or not as containing bronidox. The presence of this preservative in some of these samples was confirmed by GC–MS.     

Determination of preservatives in cosmetic products. I. Thin-layer chromatographic procedure for the identification of preservatives in cosmetic products

A thin-layer chromatographic procedure is presented for the separation and identification of preservatives that are listed in the current EEC Council Directive on cosmetic products or have been permitted in the past. The method consists of an extraction of acidified cosmetics with methanol, separation of the extracts by thin-layer chromatography on aluminium oxide and silica gel-coated plates using one developing solvent, and visualization of the preservatives on the plates using short-wavelength UV light and six detection reagents. The retention behaviour and the detectability of 88 preservatives were investigated, of which 74 were characterized by this method. The preservatives in fourteen commercial cosmetic products were tentatively identified by the procedure described. In general this method will permit the routine detection of preservatives in cosmetics in an approximate concentration of 0.1% (w/w).     

Simultaneous analysis of antioxidants and preservatives in cosmetics by supercritical fluid extraction combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

This study evaluated supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to determine trace preservatives and antioxidants including methylparaben (MP), ethylparaben (EP), propylparaben (PP), butylparaben (BP), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), alpha-tocopherol (alpha-t) and alpha-tocopherol acetate (alpha-ta) in cosmetic products. A supercritical fluid extraction procedure was used to isolate four paraben preservatives and four antioxidants from the cosmetic matrix before quantitative analysis. The optimum extraction condition was performed with static extraction for 5 min, then dynamic extraction for 20 min by using carbon dioxide supercritical fluid at 14,000 kPa and 65 degrees C. Methanol was used as collection solvent and the sea sand was chosen as a filling material. The analytes were separated on a C18 reversed-phase column using methanol-water as mobile phase and quantified by measuring its mass spectrometry. The linearity range is from 10 to 20,000 ng/g with RSD values below 18%. Detection limits are achieved at the level of 4.7-142 ng/g. It was successfully applied to the determination of paraben preservatives and antioxidants in cosmetics without tedious pretreatment.     

超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定化妆品中新型糖皮质激素氯倍他索乙酸酯

采用超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法建立了化妆品中氯倍他索乙酸酯的检测方法,适用于膏霜乳类、凝胶类、泥类、贴膜类和液体(水)类5种常见化妆品基质。对影响被测物质的前处理方法、提取溶剂、提取时间等因素和色谱、质谱条件等进行了考察。最终建立方法为样品经乙腈涡旋分散、超声提取、过滤后用超高效液相色谱-串联质谱仪测定,采用Waters CORTECS C₁₈色谱柱(150 mm×2.1 mm, 2.7 μm),以水和乙腈作为流动相分离,在电喷雾正离子模式(ESI⁺)下,以多反应监测(MRM)方式采集,采用基质匹配标准曲线进行定量分析。5种基质类型下,被测物质在0.9~37 μg/L的范围内线性拟合良好,线性相关系数(R²)均超过0.99。方法的检出限为0.03 μg/g,定量限为0.09 μg/g。在定量限、2倍定量限和10倍定量限3个水平下的加标回收率试验中,被测物质在5种基质中的回收率范围为83.2%~103.2%,相对标准偏差(RSD, n=6)范围为1.4%~5.6%。采用该方法对不同基质类型的化妆品样品进行筛查,共发现5批阳性样品,其中氯倍他索乙酸酯的含量范围为1.1~48.1 μg/g。该方法操作简单,灵敏可靠,适用于不同基质类型化妆品的高通量定性定量筛查分析,为监测化妆品中的非法添加提供了技术支持及理论依据。     

高效液相色谱法同时测定防晒类化妆品中15种紫外线吸收剂

建立了一种反相高效液相色谱同时测定防晒类化妆品中15种紫外线吸收剂的分析方法。化妆水、乳液、膏霜和蜡质样品中首先加入四氢呋喃(含2 g/L氢氧化铵),涡旋、振荡、混匀(若蜡质样品仍分散不完全,可超声振荡加热至50 ℃),再加入80%(v/v)甲醇水溶液振荡混匀、超声提取、离心、过滤后,采用XTerra MS C₁₈柱分离,经水(含0.1%(v/v)甲酸)和甲醇(含0.1%(v/v)甲酸)梯度洗脱,以二极管阵列检测器检测,检测波长为280 nm和311 nm,外标法定量。实验中对不同基质类型样品的前处理条件(样品分散溶剂、萃取溶剂和萃取时间等)进行了重点优化。结果表明,15种紫外线吸收剂在各自的线性范围内呈良好的线性关系(r²≥0.9991),方法的定量限为1.2~5.1 μg/g,在低、中、高3个添加水平下的回收率为84.2%~100.7%,相对标准偏差(RSD)为0.9%~9.5%。该分析方法分离效果好、灵敏度高、定量准确,可用于防晒类化妆品的实际检测。     

柱前衍生-萃取阻断反应-高效液相色谱法测定化妆品中游离甲醛

建立了柱前衍生化-萃取阻断反应-高效液相色谱(HPLC)测定化妆品中甲醛的方法。化妆品中甲醛检测的难点是: 甲醛缓释剂类防腐剂在衍生过程中释放甲醛,影响游离甲醛的准确测定。以2,4-二硝基苯肼(DNPH)乙腈溶液-磷酸盐缓冲液(pH 2)(1:1, v/v)为提取溶液,于室温下快速衍生2 min后,立即加入二氯甲烷萃取,阻断衍生反应,经乙腈稀释后进行HPLC测定。以Agilent C18柱(250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm)为分离柱,乙腈-水(60:40, v/v)为流动相,流速为1.0 mL/min,于355 nm波长下检测。在洗发水、乳液、膏霜、洗手液、牙膏、指甲油、粉饼中分别添加50、100、500、1000 μg/g 4个浓度水平的甲醛,其回收率为81%～106%,相对标准偏差(n=6)＜5.0%。方法的定量限(以信噪比(S/N)＞10计)为50 μg/g。该方法快速、简便、重现性好,且可以有效避免甲醛缓释剂类防腐剂分解释放甲醛,适用于化妆品中游离甲醛的测定。     

Determination of Benzophenones in Water and Cosmetics Samples: A Comparison of Solid-Phase Extraction and Microextraction by Packed Sorbent Methods

Benzophenones (BPs) are extensively used in a wide variety of cosmetic products and other materials (e.g., textiles or plastics) to avoid damaging effects of UV radiation. In the present work, we compared two extraction methods for the determination of BPs, namely, 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP-1), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3) and 2,2-dihydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-8), in water and cosmetics samples. The following extraction methods were used for the research: solid-phase extraction (SPE) and microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS), whereas analysis was performed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. A comparison between the methods indicates that the MEPS technique(s) can be reliably used for analysis of BPs (sunscreen residue) in water samples and cosmetic samples with satisfactory results. This microextraction technique is cheap, easy, quick to implement, and consumes small amounts of solvents. On the other hand, the main advantage of the SPE method are low detection limits for the determination of BPs in water samples, i.e., from 0.034 to 0.067 µg L⁻¹, while, for the MEPS method, LODs were at the level of 1.8–3.2 µg L⁻¹. For both methods, the recoveries of BPs were 96–107% and 44–70% for water and cosmetics samples, respectively. The presented methods are suitable for use in cosmetics quality control and environmental pollution assessment.     

Determination of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetic products by high-performance liquid chromatography

A rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic procedure has been developed for the assay of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetic products. After solid-phase extraction, using Bond Elut CN and Bond Elut C18 cartridges, samples were analysed directly on a LiChrospher CH-8 reversed-phase column with spectrophotometric detection at 200 nm and acetonitrile - water as eluent. Recovery of 1,4-dioxane from different cosmetic matrices was between 81.5 and 90.1% in the 30-90 microgram g(-1) range. The minimum quantifiable amount was 6.5 microgram g(-1). The method is simple, reproducible and specific and is suitable for routine analyses of commercial cosmetics.     

Direct identification of prohibited substances in cosmetics and foodstuffs using ambient ionization on a miniature mass spectrometry system

Significantly simplified work flows were developed for rapid analysis of various types of cosmetic and foodstuff samples by employing a miniature mass spectrometry system and ambient ionization methods. A desktop Mini 12 ion trap mass spectrometer was coupled with paper spray ionization, extraction spray ionization and slug-flow microextraction for direct analysis of Sudan Reds, parabens, antibiotics, steroids, bisphenol and plasticizer from raw samples with complex matrices. Limits of detection as low as 5 μg/kg were obtained for target analytes. On-line derivatization was also implemented for analysis of steroid in cosmetics. The developed methods provide potential analytical possibility for outside-the-lab screening of cosmetics and foodstuff products for the presence of illegal substances.     

反相高效液相色谱法快速检测大豆素火腿中5种防腐剂

建立一种快速检测大豆素火腿中的苯甲酸、山梨酸、脱氢乙酸、羟苯甲酯、羟苯乙酯5种防腐剂含量的反相高效液相色谱法。大豆素火腿样品用水-甲醇(2∶1)超声振荡提取,提取液沉淀蛋白后,用0.45μm滤膜过滤,以Angilent Zorbax SB-C18色谱柱分离,梯度洗脱,用二极管阵列检测器检测。5种防腐剂得到良好的分离,质量浓度在0.1~5.0μg/mL范围内与色谱峰面积线性相关,相关系数(r2)均大于0.995,加标回收率为80.8%~115.2%,方法检出限为0.03~0.17μg/mL,定量限为0.10~0.54μg/mL,重复性相对标准偏差为1.35%~3.78%(n=6)。该方法样品处理简单,准确度高,重复性好,检出限低,适用于大豆素火腿中防腐剂含量的监测。     

气相色谱-串联质谱法检测化妆品中25种防腐剂

建立了气相色谱-串联质谱（GC-MS/MS）同时测定化妆品中苯甲酸及其酯类、对羟基苯甲酸酯类、苯氧异丙醇、氯苯甘醚、脱氢乙酸、2，6-二叔丁基-4-甲基苯酚、甲基氯异噻唑啉酮和甲基异噻唑啉酮等25种防腐剂的方法。化妆品样品经含0.1 mg/mL L（+）-抗坏血酸甲醇溶液超声提取，以2-辛醇、苯酚、七氯为内标，加入无水硫酸钠脱水，离心过滤后，用GC-MS/MS分析，内标法定量。方法的检出限为0.08~0.99 μg/kg。实验选取了水、乳液、膏霜型3种类型的化妆品基质，在4个加标水平下验证方法的准确度，25种防腐剂的加标回收率为82.3%~119.4%，RSD为0.2~14.3%（n=6）。该方法定性、定量准确，可有效用于化妆品中25种防腐剂的检测。     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of free formaldehyde in cosmetics

An improved, sensitive method for the determination of formaldehyde in cosmetics and other commercial products is reported. The procedure is based on dilution of the sample with tetrahydrofuran-water (9:1), followed by precolumn derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and direct reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The formaldehyde derivative is stabilized in the reaction medium by addition of phosphate buffer and neutralization and detected in less than 10 min by the standard additions methods. The method also appears to be suitable for the direct evaluation of the formaldehyde donors used in cosmetics as preservatives.     

气相色谱-质谱联用测定化妆品中硫酸二甲酯与硫酸二乙酯

建立了同时测定化妆品中硫酸二甲酯和硫酸二乙酯的气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)联用法。样品经溶剂提取后采用GC-MS测定,外标法定量。水基类、乳液类、膏霜类、啫喱类和粉类化妆品的方法检出限均为1.5 mg/kg,定量下限均为5.0 mg/kg;蜡基类化妆品的检出限为3.0 mg/kg,定量下限为10.0 mg/kg;油状化妆品的方法检出限为5.0 mg/kg,定量下限为16.0 mg/kg。目标物在0.25~20.0 mg/L范围内线性良好,相关系数均大于0.99,硫酸二甲酯的平均回收率为83.8%~104.7%,相对标准偏差为2.7%~8.2%;硫酸二乙酯的平均回收率为84.7%~104.8%,相对标准偏差为3.5%~8.7%。方法前处理简单,灵敏度高,可满足水基类、乳液类、膏霜类、啫喱类、粉类和油状化妆品中硫酸二甲酯和硫酸二乙酯的检测要求。     

Simultaneous determination of eleven preservatives in cosmetics by micellar electrokinetic chromatography

A new method for the simultaneous quantitation of 11 preservatives-imidazolidinyl urea, benzyl alcohol, dehydroacetic acid, sorbic acid, phenoxyethanol, benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and four parabens (methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl)-in cosmetics by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography was established and validated. The separation was performed using an uncoated fused-silica capillary (50 pm id x 60.2 cm, effective length 50 cm) with a running buffer consisting of 15 mmol/L sodium tetraborate, 60 mmol/L boric acid, and 100 mmol/L sodium dodecyl sulfate. A 1:10 dilution of the running buffer was used as the sample buffer to extract the cosmetic samples. The key factors, such as the concentration and pH of the running and sample buffers, which influence quantitative analysis of the above 11 preservatives in cosmetic samples, were investigated in detail. The linear ranges of the calibration curves for imidazolidinyl urea and the other 10 preservatives were 50-1000 and 10-200 mg/L, respectively. The correlation coefficients of the standard curves were all higher than 0.999. The recoveries at the concentrations studied ranged from 93.0 to 102.7%. RSDs were all less than 5%. The new method with simple sample pretreatment met the needs for routine analysis of the 11 preservatives in cosmetics.     

Development of a solid phase dispersion-pressurized liquid extraction method for the analysis of suspected fragrance allergens in leave-on cosmetics

A new method based on solid phase dispersion-pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been developed for the determination of 26 suspected fragrance allergens (all the regulated in the EU Cosmetics Directive amenable by GC, as well as pinene and methyleugenol) in cosmetic samples. The effects of the temperature, extraction time and solvent, and dispersing sorbent, affecting the whole proposed procedure, have been evaluated using a multifactor strategy. The optima conditions after the analysis of main and second order effects entailed the extraction at 120°C for 15 min, using hexane/acetone as solvent, and florisil as dispersing sorbent. The method performance has been studied, showing good linearity (R≥0.996) as well as good precision (RSD≤10%). Detection limits (S/N=3) ranged from 0.000001 to 0.0002% (w/w), values far below the established restrictions as regard labelling in the European Cosmetics Regulation. Reliability was demonstrated through the quantitative recoveries of all the studied compounds. The absence of matrix effects allowed quantification of the compounds by calibration with standard solutions. The analysis of 10 samples (several moisturizing and anti-wrinkle creams and lotions, hand creams, and sunscreen and after-sun creams), covering very different matrices, showed the presence of suspected allergens in all the analyzed samples; in fact, half of the samples contained an elevated number of them. Although the ubiquity of these compounds was demonstrated, labelling was in all cases in consonance with the European Cosmetics Regulation.     

Hollow fibre liquid-phase microextraction of parabens from environmental waters

Parabens (alkyl-p-hydroxybenzoates) are antimicrobial preservatives widely used in cosmetics, toiletries, pharmaceuticals, and food. Nowadays, they are considered emerging pollutants and their determination is becoming increasingly important since they are continuously released into the environment. In this work, a hollow fibre liquid-phase microextraction method has been developed for the extraction of parabens from environmental waters. The parameters affecting the extraction of parabens (organic solvent used as liquid membrane; pH of both sample and acceptor solution; salting-out effect; extraction time and stirring speed) were carefully optimized in order to reach high recoveries for all tested analytes. Under optimum conditions, parabens were extracted from river, reservoir and sea water samples with recoveries ranging from 16.7 to 68.6% depending upon the analyte and the sample analyzed, leading to detection limits lower than 0.2?ng?mL^?1 using a simple HPLC-UV instrument.