Validation of a high performance liquid chromatography method for sunscreen determination in cosmetics

Area of Science:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Pharmaceutical Sciences

Background:

• Sunscreen formulations commonly contain UV filters like benzophenone-3, octyl methoxycinnamate, and octyl salicylate.
• Accurate quantification of these active ingredients is crucial for ensuring product efficacy and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method.
• To enable simultaneous and quantitative determination of key UV filters in sunscreen emulsions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a LiChrospher((R)) 100 RP-18 column for separation.
• Employed a mobile phase of methanol/water (85/15, v/v) with a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min.
• UV detection was performed at 310 nm.

Main Results:

• Achieved high correlation coefficients (0.9995-0.9999) for all analytes.
• Demonstrated excellent recovery rates (98.84%-99.46%) for benzophenone-3, octyl methoxycinnamate, and octyl salicylate.
• Reported low relative standard deviations (0.50%-0.70%) for commercial sunscreen samples.

Conclusions:

• The developed HPLC method is precise, accurate, and suitable for routine analysis.
• This validated method provides reliable quantification of essential sunscreen UV filters.
• The findings support quality control and formulation development in the cosmetics industry.