DEAS 425-2: 2021  
ICS 70.100.71 
 
© EAC 2021                                                                                                                              3rd Edition 2021  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Skin powders — Specification — Part 2: Baby powder  
 
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS 425-2: 2021  
ii © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS 425-2: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.3 Heavy metal limits  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 3 
4.4 Microbiological limits  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  3 
5 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
6 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  3 
7 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  3 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ Error! Bookmark not defined.  
 DEAS 425-2: 2021  
iv © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East Afric an Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and 
issue East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations  in the communit y.  
East African Standards are developed through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to s takeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for development of East African Standard . 
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
 
The committee respon sible for this document is Technical Committee EASC/TC 071, Cosmetics and related 
products . 
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights. EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition ( EAS 425-2:2017 ), which has been technically 
revised.  
EAS 425 consists of the following parts, under the general title Skin Powder  — Specification : 
Part 1: Body and face powder  
Part 2: Baby powder.  DEAS 425-2: 2021  
 
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
  
 Skin powders — Specification — Part 2: Baby powder  
1 Scope   
This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for baby powders.  
This standard does not apply to me dicated powders for which medicinal claims are made . 
2 Normative references  
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes 
requirements of this document.  For dated references, only the editio n cited applies. For undated references, 
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
EAS 346, Labelling of cosmetics — General requirements  
EAS 377 (all parts), Cosmetics and cosmetic products  
EAS 846, Glossary of term s relating to the cosmetic industry  
EAS 847 -2, Cosmetics — Analytical methods — Part 2: Determination of moisture content and volatile matter 
content  
EAS 847 -16, Cosmetics — Analytical methods — Part 16: Determination of lead, mercury and arsenic content  
EAS 847 -17, Cosmetics — Analytical methods — Part 17: Determination of pH  
EAS 847 -23, Cosmetics — Analytical methods —Part 23: Test for absence of grit in powders  
EAS 847 -24, Cosmetics — Analytical methods —Part 24: Determination of matter insoluble in boil ing water  
EAS 847 -25, Cosmetics — Analytical methods —Part 25: Determination of fineness  
EAS 847 -26, Cosmetics — Analytical methods —Part 26: Determination of boric acid  
ISO 16212, Cosmetics — Microbiology — Enumeration of yeast and mould  
ISO 18416, Cosmet ics — Microbiology — Detection of Candida albicans  
ISO 21149, Cosmetics --Microbiology --Enumeration and detection of aerobic mesophilic bacteria  
ISO 21150, Cosmetics — Microbiology — Detection of Escherichia coli  
ISO 22717 Cosmetics — Microbiology — Detec tion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa  
ISO 22718, Cosmetics — Microbiology — Detection of Staphylococcus aureus   DEAS 425 -2: 2021  
2 © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 ISO 24153,  Random sampling and randomisation procedures  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EAS 846 and the following 
apply.  ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following 
addresses:  — ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
baby powder  
finely powdered, free -flowing absorbent innocuous material such as talc, and may contain a mild perfume and 
other ingredients consistent with accepted practice in the cosmetic industry  
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  All ingredients shall comply with EAS 377.  
4.1.2  Baby powder  shall have no undesirable or harmful effect on the skin when used as intended by the 
manufacturer.  
4.1.3  Baby  powder  shall be free from colouring matter.  
4.2 Specific requirements  
Baby  powder  shall comply with the specific requirements given in Table 1 when tested according to the 
methods prescribed therein.  
Table 1 — Specific requirements for baby powder  
S/No.  Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
i Matter insoluble in boiling water, % m/m, min  90.0  EAS 847-24 
ii Finen ess: % m/m, max  Residue on 75 -µ sieve : 5 EAS 847-25 
Residue on 150 -µ sieve : 0.5 
iii Boric acid  Absent  EAS 847-26 
iv pH (10 % solution)  5.5 - 9.5  EAS 847-17 
v Freedom from grit  To pass test  EAS 847-23 
vi Moisture content and volatile matter, % m/ m, max  2.0  EAS 847-2 
vii Asbestos  Absent  Annex A  
                      DEAS 425 -2: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  3 
 4.3 Heavy metal limits  
Baby powder  shall comply with the limits for heavy metal contaminants in accordance with Table 2. 
Table 2 — Limits for heavy metal contaminants for baby powders  
S/No.  Heavy metal  Limita , mg/kg, Max Test method  
i) Lead  10 EAS 847 -16 
ii) Arsenic  2 
iii) Mercury  2 
aThe total amount of heavy metals as lead, mercury and arsenic, in combination in the finished baby powder  
shall not exceed 10 mg/kg.  
4.4 Microbiological limits  
Baby  powder  shall comply with the microbiological limits given in Table 3 when tested in accordance with the 
methods prescribed therein.  
Table 3 — Microbiological limits  for baby powders  
Micro -organisms  Limits , max.  Test method  
Total viable count , CFU/g, m ax. 100  ISO 21149  
Pseudomonas aeruginosa  Not detected  in 1 g of cosmetic product  ISO 22717  
Staphylococcus aureus  Not detected in 1 g of cosmetic product  ISO 22718  
Candida albicans  Not detected in 1 g of cosmetic product  ISO 18416  
Escherichia coli  Not d etected in 1 g of cosmetic product  ISO 21150  
Total  yeast  and mould,  CFU/g , max.  100 ISO 16212  
5 Packaging  
The baby powder  shall be packaged in suitable well -sealed containers that shall protect the contents during 
transportation, handling and storage  and shall not cause any contamination or react with the baby powder . 
6 Labelling  
In additional to the labelling requirements given in EAS 346, the package shall be legibly and indelibly marked 
with the product name as “Baby  powder”.   
7 Sampling  
Sampling shall  be carri ed out in accordance with ISO 24153.  
 
 
 DEAS 425 -2: 2021  
4 © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination of asbestos  
A.1 Materials  
Tremolite and chrysotile.  
A.2 Instrument and reagents  
The X -ray di ﬀraction analyses is performed with a Rigaku D/max 2550 di ﬀractometer using a  graphite 
diﬀracted -beam monochromator and Cu K a radiation at 40 kV and 150 mA. The instrument is con figured with 
a 0.3 mm receiving slit. On the continuous scan , the scanning speed is set at 8 degrees per minute, while 
when using the step -scan mode the sc an counting time is set as 150 seconds. All other reagents are of 
analytical grade .  
A.3 Preparation of the 0.5% tre molite and chrysotile standards  
In order to determine trace -level tremolite and chrysotile in talc, the asbestos is separated from the impu rities.  
A.3.1 The tremolite an d chrysotile reference standard  
The tremolite and chr ysotile raw material samples ar e analyzed b y PXRD and the patterns a re recorded 
between 3 ° and 80 °. After  the full -range scan, check for contaminants such as  mixed calcite and calcium 
carbonate  etc. The limitations of using PXRD as an analytical method include interferences from other 
crystalline phases and p referred orientations, which can  be overcome by proper sample treatment.    In order to 
eliminate the i nterference of these impurities and prepare the asbestos in a powder form which can be used in 
homogeneous mixing w ith talc, the raw materials are  processed.  
A.3.1.1  Acid treatment  
3mol L-1 of hydrochloric acid is  used in the treatmen t. Tremolite and chry sotile are  treated with acid and then 
washed with water to remove soluble impuri ties and excess acid.  The 3 mol acid is selected considering its  
eﬀective of removing impurities and maintaining the inten sity of talc.  
A.3.1.2  Ashing processing   
The powder form of tremolite is obtained after  one hour ashing at the temperature of 650 ° C and the chrysotile 
powder form is produced after 1.5 hour ashing at the temperature of 700 °C. 
A.3.2 The preparation of talc standard.  
Chlorite is a common associated mineral  in talc. The di ﬀraction peak of chlorite overlaps with that of talc. 
Because  asbestos is stable at 600 °C while chlorite will be decomposed at this high temperature, talc is ashed 
for one hour at 600  °C to eliminate the interference of chlorite.                       DEAS 425 -2: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  5 
 A.3.3 The preparation of the 0.5% tr emolite and chrysotile standard  
Due to the low content of tremolite and chrysotile asbestos in talc, each standard i s prepared separately by 
accurately weighing 5 mg of tremolite and chrysotile and mixing this well with 995 mg o f talc, respectively.  
A.3.4 The preparation of talc samples   
The talc samples are ground and sieved to reach homogeneity. To avoid the distortion of the PXRD pattern 
caused by the uniformity of the samples, all of the talc sample particle sizes are  controlled under 10 mm. 
Three testing batches, about 50 mg each, are taken from each type of sample.  
A.4 Results and Interpretation  
A.4.1 Characteristics di ﬀraction peak  
To avoi d interference, the char acteristic di ﬀraction peak of tremolite i s chosen at  2
degree 10.3 °, and the 
peaks of chrysotile at 2
 degree 12.2 ° and 24.4 ° are selected . The scan range i s 10 to 11 ° for tremolite, and 11 
to 13 ° plus 24 to 26 ° for chrysotile.  
A.4.2 The limit of detection (LOD)  
Through the continuous reduction of asbestos in the talc, when the signal to noise ratio (SNR) value is 3:1, the 
content is defined as the LOD. The PXRD results of trace level asbestos in talc show that the LODs of 
tremolite and chrysotile are all valued a s 0.1%.  
A.4.3 The standard curve  
A series content of 0.3%, 0. 4%, 0.5%, 0.6%, 0.7%, 0.8% trem olite and chrysotile standards are prepared with 
purified talc for PXRD analysis, respectively. The results should show that at the characteristics of 2
  = 10.3 ° 
for tremolite and 2
  = 12.2 ° for chrysotile, the relationship between the content of asbestos and the intensity of 
the asbestos a re linear. The equation obtained from the intensity versus the content of  tremolite is Y =245.71 X + 
537.52 ( R2 =0.9931) and th e linear equation of chrysotile is Y = 129.43 X + 449.31 ( R2 =0.9987).  Standard curve results 
are shown on Table 1.  
Table A1 — The PXRD peak intensities of the tremolite and chrysotile asbestos standards  
tremolite  chrysotile  
Concentration (%) 2
 (°) Heights (CPS)  Concentration (%) 2
 (°) Heights (CPS)  
0.3 10.334  616 0.3 12.360 488 
0.4 10.348 631 0.4 12.342 502 
0.5 10.335 658 0.5 12.377  514 
0.6 10.357  684 0.6 12.324 526 
0.7 10.303  714 0.7 12.356  539 
0.8 1.0362  733 0.8 12.382  554 
 
A.5 Sample analysis  
Tremolite and chrysotile asbestos samples analysis is carried out by the following steps.  DEAS 425 -2: 2021  
6 © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 A.5.1  A full range scan is used with the continuous scanning mode. The full PXRD patterns of the samples 
are recorded between 3 ° and 60 ° at the scan speed of 8 ° per minute.  
A.5.2 A partial range scan is performed in the contin uous scanning mode and the partial PXRD patterns of 
the samples are recorded between 9 ° and 13 °,11° to 13 ° and 22 ° to 26 ° with a step size of 0.002°, respectively. 
If the characteristic di ﬀraction peaks of tremo lite or chrysotile asbestos are present and the SNR is above 10, 
then asbestos is analysed . 
A.5.3 A partial range scan is carried out in the step -scan mode and the partial PXRD patterns of the 
samples are recorded between 10 ° and 11 °, 11.4 ° to 12.6 °,23.7 ° to 24.6 ° with a step size of 0.02 ° per step and 
a count time of 150 seconds. If the characteristic di ﬀraction peaks of tremolite or chrysotile asbestos are 
present and the SNR is above 3, then asbestos is analysed.                       DEAS 425 -2: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  7 
 Bibliography  
[1] KS 1570 -2: 2007, Skin powders — Specification — Part 2: Baby powder   
[2] EAS 425 -2: 2017 , Skin powders — Specification — Part 2: Baby powder  
[3] US 488:2003 , Skin powders — Specification — Part 2: Baby powders