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.