Our stability room runs at 40 degrees and 90 percent humidity for twelve weeks. Every new formula lives there before it goes anywhere near a shelf.
We check texture, colour, smell and separation every week. A foundation that thickens or a lipstick that sweats goes back to the bench.
Then come the wear tests. Volunteers wear the product through a normal day, including the commute, and we photograph them at the start, at noon and at six.
Samples from the stability room
“If it survives March in Lagos, it will survive anywhere.”
Senior formulation chemist (example quote)
We also test what happens in a hot car. Lipsticks spend an afternoon on a dashboard in the Ajah car park, and must stand up again once cooled.
This is slower than buying in a formula from abroad. It is also why Skin Veil holds through traffic, rain and a wedding reception.
If you have a product that fails you in the heat, tell us. Field reports help the lab more than anything else.
Questions about this note?
Ask the lab in the chat or on WhatsApp.