At Melbec, we offer Water Activity Testing to detect the amount of unbound water in a sample. Water that is not bound to the ingredients themselves can be used by unwanted microorganisms which could contribute to product spoilage.
Water Activity is based on a scale from 0.0 to 1.0 with 1.0 being pure unbound water. The more unbound water the greater likelihood of microbial spoilage. Most bacteria, for example, do not grow at a water activity range below 0.91, and most fungi cease to grow at water activities below 0.70. A water activity of 0.6 or below is considered anhydrous and unable to support any microbial growth.
Cosmetic formulations that have a water activity below 0.7 may not need to undergo preservative efficacy testing, as they are unable to support microbial growth associated with product spoilage.
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