Assessing residual fragrances on skin after body washing: Optimization of an analytical method using solid‐phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry

Abstract Objective The aim of this study is to develop and optimize a method for evaluating the persistence of residual fragrance after body washing, addressing a significant requirement in the development of personal care products. The main objective is to establish a reliable, sensitive and reproducible analytical technique to assess fragrance longevity on skin post‐use of body wash products. Methods Headspace solid‐phase microextraction (HS‐SPME) coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) is used to analyse residual fragrances. We investigate the extraction efficiencies of various SPME fibres and compare different methods for sampling skin‐emitted fragrances, including tape stripping and sealed glass funnels. A controlled body‐washing procedure is implemented to standardize the cleansing process. Results Our findings indicate that the relative standard deviation for measuring five distinct fragrances is within the range of 3%–14%, highlighting the precision of the method. A notable variance exists in the extraction efficiency of fragrances using different types of SPME fibres, with some exhibiting over a threefold difference. Furthermore, the glass funnel method for fragrance collection demonstrates an 11.7 times greater sensitivity to galaxolide than that of the tape‐stripping method. Residual fragrances with base notes as the main components can be detected on the skin up to 24 h after body washing. Conclusion The optimized method for residual fragrance evaluation developed in this study offers a robust tool for analysing fragrance components persisting on the skin for up to 24 h post‐wash. This advancement facilitates a deeper understanding of fragrance longevity in personal care products, enabling comparative analyses between different products.