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China Surfactant Detergent & Cosmetics ›› 2024, Vol. 54 ›› Issue (3): 353-359.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2097-2806.2024.03.015

• Analytical methods and testing • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Determination of 14 kinds of α-hydroxy acids and hydroxy esters in cosmetics

Liyuan Zhang,Linqi Yan*(),Qiaoyuan Cheng,Lvye Qi,Rong Wang,Liuqian Huang   

  1. NMPA Key Laboratory for Animal Alternative Testing Technology of Cosmetics, Zhejiang Institute for Food and Drug Control, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310052, China
  • Received:2023-03-10 Revised:2024-02-28 Online:2024-03-22 Published:2024-03-25
  • Contact: *Tel.:+86-18058705215, E-mail: yanlinqi@126.com.

Abstract:

The study aimed to establish a method for simultaneous determination of 14 kinds of α-hydroxy acids and their esters in cosmetics by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC),and the results were confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). HPLC was used for gradient elution with 0.05 mol/L diammonium hydrogen phosphate-methanol as the mobile phase. The analytes were separated on a Waters T3-C18 (4.6×250 mm, 5 µm) column and detected at the wavelengths of 214 nm. Quantification analysis was performed by the external standard method. HPLC-MS/MS was used for gradient elution with 0.1% formic acid-acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase, and the analytes were separated on a Waters T3-C18 (2.1×100 mm, 1.8 µm) column. Qualitative analysis was performed by electronic spray ionization under a positive ion and negative ion mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The linearity of the 14 components in the concentration range is good, with the correlation coefficient r≥0.999. The average spiked recoveries of 14 compounds in 4 cosmetic matrices are all in the range of 85%-115%, and the relative standard deviations are all less than 5%. The limits of detections range from 1 μg/g to 150 μg/g. The limits of quantitation range from 3 μg/g to 450 μg/g. Seven batches of samples containing α-hydroxy acid and its ester were confirmed by HPLC-MS/MS and the results are positive. The results indicate that the method is simple, sensitive and accurate, and is suitable for the determination of 14 kinds of α-hydroxy acids and their esters in cosmetics.

Key words: cosmetics, α-hydroxy acids, methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, butyl lactate, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

CLC Number: 

  • TQ658