Colour Measurement of Creams, Lotions and Cosmetic Textures

Why colour control is so important in the cosmetics industry

Whether cream, lotion, foundation or liquid cosmetics: colour in cosmetics is far more than just a visual feature. It influences brand perception, trust and the overall product experience.

Customers expect a product to look exactly the same every time they buy it, regardless of batch, production site or manufacturing date.

This presents manufacturers with major challenges, as cosmetic products often have very different properties:

• creamy or liquid consistencies
• glossy or matt surfaces
• light-scattering pigments
• inhomogeneous textures
• different viscosities

In addition, there is the visual assessment of colour. Colour perception is always subjective and depends on light, surroundings and individual perception. Especially in sensitive product groups such as cosmetics or personal care, objective and reproducible colour measurement is therefore becoming increasingly important.

The challenge of colour measurement for creams and lotions

Cosmetic products cannot always be measured reliably using conventional standard methods. Depending on their formulation, creams and lotions can exhibit different consistencies, surface structures and gloss characteristics. Pigment distribution and light-scattering ingredients may also influence the perceived colour.

To obtain valid and reproducible measurement results, not only the measurement system itself is important, but also the preparation of the sample. It is essential that samples are prepared as consistently as possible. This includes using a comparable sample quantity, ensuring even distribution and creating a uniform surface wherever possible.

In practice, the Petri dishes can be filled using a balance to ensure that each sample contains the same amount of material. This helps to minimise variations in layer thickness and surface characteristics, making measurement results more comparable.

Reliable quality control therefore requires not only a suitable measurement system, but also a standardised measurement procedure that can be adapted flexibly to different sample types.

The ColorLite solution: flexible colour measurement and software

ColorLite adapter technology: automatic detection of the MA38 measuring head adapter

For the colour measurement of cosmetic creams and lotions, ColorLite uses a flexible system consisting of a mobile spectrophotometer, adaptable measuring head adapters and intelligent evaluation software.

The ColorLite sph900 spectrophotometer is used for this purpose. The device has been developed for precise and reproducible colour measurements on a wide range of materials and can be flexibly adapted to different applications.

This flexibility plays a particularly important role when measuring cosmetic textures. For creams, lotions and other cosmetic textures, ColorLite recommends the MA38 measuring head adapter. It increases the measuring area to 38 mm and uses a diffuse d/0° measurement geometry. This makes it possible to measure inhomogeneous or structured samples particularly reliably and reproducibly.

The sph900 automatically detects connected measuring head adapters and adjusts the device settings accordingly. This allows one system to be used for a wide variety of measurement tasks.

Easy measurement with ColorLite firmware and ColorDaTra Basic or Professional evaluation software

The measurement itself is carried out directly on the device using the ColorLite firmware. The intuitive menu navigation guides users step by step through the measurement process: from calibration and measuring the reference standard to measuring the sample. This provides a clearly structured workflow and allows measurement tasks to be carried out easily and reproducibly.

The sph900 automatically detects connected accessories and adjusts the device settings accordingly. In combination with the MA38 measuring head adapter, this creates a flexible measurement system that is particularly well suited to creams, lotions and other paste-like samples.

The ColorDaTra Basic or Professional software is then used for evaluating and documenting the measurement results. It enables structured quality control, batch comparisons and the digital management of colour data directly on the PC.

In combination with the ColorLite evaluation software, the measured values become part of a structured colour management process. Colour data can be stored, compared and documented. This allows batches, reference values and tolerances to be clearly managed and integrated into the existing quality workflow.

How do I measure the colour of creams?

For reproducible colour measurement of creams, a standardised measurement procedure is essential. Even small differences in sample quantity, surface structure or positioning can influence the measurement results. Samples should therefore always be prepared and measured according to the same procedure.

Recommended procedure:

1. Calibrate the measurement system
   Calibrate the ColorLite sph900 with the MA38 measuring head adapter according to the instructions. Calibration ensures that the measurement values are reliable and comparable.
2. Prepare the samples
   Fill the creams into Petri dishes. It is important that each Petri dish is always filled with the same amount of product. The surface should be distributed as evenly as possible, without air bubbles, major irregularities or visible cavities. The Petri dish also helps to keep the measurement setup clean.
3. Measure the reference sample
   First measure a defined reference sample. This serves as the basis for comparison for subsequent batch or quality controls. We recommend repeating the measurement of the reference sample five times in order to take into account minor variations caused by texture, gloss or pigment distribution.
4. Measure further samples
   Further samples are then measured under the same conditions. These measurements should also be repeated five times so that the results can be reliably compared with the reference sample.
5. Evaluate and document the measurement results
   The measurement values are then evaluated in the ColorDaTra software. Reference and sample measurements can be compared, colour differences calculated and the results exported for a report.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about colour measurement of creams and lotions

Why is visual colour assessment not sufficient?

Colour perception changes depending on lighting, texture and the observer. Spectral colour measurement replaces subjective impressions with objective measurement values.

Why are creams particularly difficult to measure?

Creams often have glossy, structured or slightly inhomogeneous surfaces. Especially with glow lotions, tinted creams or products containing light-reflecting pigments, gloss effects and shimmering textures can further influence visual colour perception. Small measuring areas react very sensitively to these factors and often produce unstable results.

Can other materials also be measured with this measurement setup using the sph900 and MA38 measuring head adapter?

Yes. The system presented here, consisting of the sph900 and MA38 measuring head adapter, is suitable not only for creams and lotions. Other inhomogeneous or structured samples can also be measured, for example flooring elements such as wooden planks, leather, textiles, packaging, paper or certain liquids such as milk.

This makes the measurement setup highly flexible for a wide range of quality control applications.

Conclusion

Modern colour measurement in the cosmetics industry now means far more than colour control alone.

It provides:

• reproducible quality standards
• digital comparability
• less waste
• more stable production processes
• greater confidence for manufacturers and customers

Especially with demanding cosmetic textures, it becomes clear how important flexible and adaptable colour measurement systems have become.

Would you like to measure cosmetic products reliably and reproducibly?

👉 Get in touch with the ColorLite sales team for personalised advice on the right colour measurement solution for your application.