Quality Control of Vitamins A and E and Coenzyme Q10 in Commercial Anti-Ageing Cosmetic Products

Abstract

Vitamins A and E and coenzyme Q10 are common ingredients in anti-ageing cosmetic products. Within this study, we evaluated the quality of commercial cosmetics with vitamin A (35 products), vitamin E (49 products), and coenzyme Q10 (27 products) by using validated HPLC–UV methods. Vitamin A was determined as retinol, retinyl palmitate, retinyl propionate, β carotene, and hydroxypinacolone retinoate in concentrations ranging from 950 ng/g to 19 mg/g. Total vitamin A contents, expressed with retinol equivalents, ranged from 160 ng/g to 19 mg/g, and were above the maximum concentration recommended by the SCCS in six of the 35 tested cosmetics. The content-related quality control of 10 cosmetics with specified vitamin A content revealed significant deviations (between 0% and 400%) of the label claim. Vitamin E was determined as both tocopherol and tocopheryl acetate in concentrations between 8.5 µg/g and 16 mg/g. Coenzyme Q10 was determined as ubiquinone in 24 tested cosmetics, which labelled it, in concentrations between 4.2 µg/g and 100 µg/g. Labelling irregularities were observed in all three active compound groups, resulting in a significant share (42%) of improperly labelled cosmetic products. The results of this study reveal the need for stricter cosmetics regulation and highlight the importance of their quality control, especially by evaluating the contents of the active compounds, in their efficacy and safety assurance.