Products & thematic areas

Personal Care

Personal care refers to products used for body care and personal hygiene. These products improve health and boost wellness. The personal care product group includes, for example, skin care products, cosmetics and sanitary paper, and in particular plug-in or battery-powered products for bathroom use.

WHICH PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS ARE TESTED AT THE IPI INSTITUTES?

WE SPECIALISE IN MULTIPLE PRODUCT GROUPS

Testing personal care products is one of our core competencies. We test products belonging predominantly, but not exclusively, to three product groups:

Hair care & Hair removal

sanitary paper

dental care & dental hygiene

TECHNICAL MEASUREMENTS & COMPREHENSIVE CONSUMER TESTS

TESTING OF HAIR CARE & HAIR REMOVAL DEVICES

Is the plate on the hair straightener too hot? Does your skin feel irritated after shaving? Is the professional hair dryer effective and easy for hairdressers to use in their everyday work? How long does it take to charge?

These are all important questions, both for the companies that make personal care products as well as for consumer organisations. Prominent representatives from both industries place their trust in the ipi Institute to have personal care devices tested.

How are razors tested?

Testing razors is one of the ipi institutes’ core competencies. We test electric shavers and wet shave razors for men and women. To do this, we have meticulously developed an extensive testing programme.

Consumer testing

The “split face test”, as we call it, was developed specifically for a comparative razor test. In this test, the subject applies the test items to only one side of the face so that a direct comparison can be made. They will then subjectively evaluate the razor performance.

Objective measurements on test subjects

With the aid of a microderm camera and software, it is possible to determine the number of hairs and/or length of hair on women’s legs and men’s faces, and that way measure the efficiency of the test device or the thoroughness of the shave. In addition, we use special probes to evaluate different indicators to assess “skin protection” objectively.

Endurance testing

We perform fully automated and standardised testing of the durability of mechanical parts and shaving heads. The endurance test stand is tailor-made and built in the ipi workshop. The holder and controller are flexibly mounted to enable a wide variety of test items to run in parallel.

A test person shaves with an electric shaver in front of a mobile sink with mirror.

A person in a white lab coat and blue disposable gloves places a Microderm camera on the cheek of a test person with a beard. In the background is a laptop. On its screen a highly magnified image of the skin with beard hair can be seen.

A shaver is tested for product durability in an automated endurance test rig. During this process a rotating roller presses on the shaving head.

Consumer tests

Endurance testing

How are hair dryers tested?

In our hair dryer tests, we determine parameters such as the drying rate and measure the temperature of both the hot air outflow and the handle. We check claims for their veracity as well as whether they deliver the promised effect. We look at how an expensive brand model measures up against a hair dryer from a discount retailer in a comparative product test.

what other personal care products for hair care & hair removal do we test?

Two lab employees testing a curling iron by curling individual strands of hair.

Hair clippers and trimmers
Curling irons and straighteners
Epilators and wax strips
Hairbrushes and combs
And many more

ACCREDITED STANDARD TESTS & CONSUMER TESTS

TESTING OF SANITARY PAPER

Sanitary paper accounts for the second-largest segment of personal care products that we test at the ipi institutes. These products include, for example, toilet paper, pocket tissues, kitchen rolls and sanitary towels. Nevertheless, the highest volume of testing involves baby nappies and incontinence products.

Given that security (from leaks) and comfort play an equally important role, it is precisely for this product group that we recommend both laboratory testing and consumer testing in our dual testing approach. This is because some aspects can only be realistically evaluated in daily use – involving home use tests.

the dual testing approach

We conduct the consumer test throughout Germany with a minimum of 100 test subjects, consistent with EDANA recommendations. In coordination with the client, a questionnaire is provided asking about test product satisfaction in terms of leakage, fit and taking off and putting on the items. Other topics covered also include the appearance of the materials, design and disposal.

consumer tests

A toddler and his mother, who were test persons in a consumer test at the ipi institutes, are sitting on the floor between many baby diapers. A camera is pointed at them. — The opinion of even the youngest consumers is important to us – such as a toddler’s response when testing a nappy.

how are baby nappies tested?

At the ipi institutes, we test everything from the classic disposable nappies to cloth nappies, swim nappies and eco-friendly nappies. Our technical tests include testing the rate and capacity of absorption, rewetting, leakage behaviour and the breathability of the outer material consistent with EDANA requirements.

Although we can’t directly ask young users about how comfortable they feel wearing the nappies, we carry out regular consumer tests and ask parents about their experience with the product.

A template is placed on a spread baby diaper for a technical measurement. Next to it are weights. — Preparation for measurements on a baby nappy

how are incontinence products tested?

We test incontinence products using both consumer tests as well as technical measurements in the laboratory. The consumer tests are conducted among people who actually use the products, whether incontinence sufferers or caregivers. When carrying out technical testing on incontinence products, we focus in particular on the absorption rate, absorption capacity, rewetting and leakage behaviour. These aspects are examined in standardised tests for which we are accredited. To test nappies, pants or pads, we apply testing method No. 12/2015 MDS-Hi in accordance with ISO 11948-1:1996 and the ABL measuring method based on DIN 13222:2022 [German Institute for Standardisation] using a test torso.

DAkkS-Akkreditierungssymbol mit Registrierungsnummer der ipi Institute für Produktforschung: D-PL-20074-01-00

accreditation

what other kind of sanitary paper does the ipi Institute test?

We test sanitary towels – just as we do nappies – using our in-house methods based on Testing Method No. 12/2015 MDS-Hi.
When testing toilet paper, pocket tissues, kitchen rolls and similar products, we focus primarily on tear and puncture resistance.

DECADES OF EXPERIENCE & DEVELOPMENT

TESTING OF DENTAL CARE & DENTAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS

At the ipi institutes, we test electric toothbrushes, ultrasonic toothbrushes, manual toothbrushes, refills, interdental brushes, dental floss and many other dental care and dental hygiene products. We use our expertise from decades of experience and continued development of our toothbrush test for consumer organisations. Here too, you benefit from the dual testing approach, which combines technical measurements with consumer tests.

the dual testing approach

Wie werden Zahnbürsten getestet?

In the laboratory, we measure electric toothbrushes for their battery life and the roundness of the individual bristle ends. However, the most important property of a toothbrush is cleaning efficiency. To check this, we use a contrast agent in our test subjects to stain any plaque deposits they may have. We examine the teeth before and after brushing to ascertain cleaning efficiency.

We are currently working on developing a toothbrush test stand for fully automated brushing of teeth based on a standardised procedure. This means that in future we will be able to determine the efficiency of electric toothbrushes under 100% controlled laboratory conditions.