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.