Sensory Analysis Applied to Cosmetic Products

This chapter aims to inform the reader about the different sensory analysis methods used in the cosmetic industry and to instruct the reader on the premises and technical rigor in handling and analyzing data. It provides examples that will be useful for demonstrating and understanding the technical content and will facilitate the readers use of sensory analysis in developing and evaluating sensory attributes of cosmetic products in which they might be interested. The chapter addresses the theoretical concepts and practical examples of sensory analysis of cosmetic products with particular focus on the following key question: How does the skin react to different cosmetic products? It also aims to guide the reader in selecting the most adequate methodology(s) with regard to the stages and/or objectives of the cosmetic product development project. The chapter provides an overview of the tests most widely used in cosmetic product sensory analysis to screen for differences between two samples, and three or more samples.