A study on the conformity of microbiologicalcriteria for hand and face creams sold in market

Holding an important place in human life, cosmetics are products that do not have to be sterile in terms of microbiology. However, these products can be contaminated with microorganisms due to various reasons during the production stages. For this essential reason, the microbiological suitability of cosmetic products is very important for consumer health. In this study, hand and facial creams from different brands used for cosmetic purposes were investigated in terms of conformity with microbiological criteria. To this end, 30 brand samples in total, 24 hand creams along with 6 hand and facial creams, were used. Firstly, the total number of microorganisms in the creams was determined by classical counting method and microorganism was added to the selective foods. Afterwards, 16S rRNA sequence analysis of microorganisms was determined and characterized by the new generation sequence technique. According to the results, it has been confirmed that 3 brands out of 30 samples contain more than 1000 microorganisms, which is the permitted value in the cosmetic regulation. The presence of unwelcomed pathogenic microorganisms in cosmetic products such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans have not been observed in any of the samples. However, in 16 hand creams out of 24, and 5 hand and face creams out of 6, microorganisms, pathogenic or non-pathogenic, were reproduced. According to the data obtained in the study, it was determined that the number of microorganisms in some creams exceeded the desired limits. Therefore, it is suggested to manufacture according to good manufacturing practice rules in order to prevent contamination in unused products, to protect consumer's health and to increase product quality and reliability in terms of microbiology. In the meantime, in terms of public health, inspections of abovementioned products and microbial risk analysis should be done without fail. Key words: Cometics, microorganism, microbiological criteria, 16S rRNA.