DEAS  339: 202 1 
ICS 71.100.70  
 
© EA C 2021                                                                                                                              3rd Edition 202 1  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Hair creams, lotions and gels — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS  339: 202 1 
ii © EAC 202 1 – All rights  reserved  
 Copyright notice  
This EAC document is copyright -protected by EAC. While the reproduction of this document by 
participants in the EAC standards development pro cess is permitted without prior permission from EAC, 
neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form for 
any other purpose without prior written permission from EAC.  
Requests for permission to reproduce th is document for the purpose of selling it should be addressed 
as shown below or to EAC’s member body in the country of the requester:  
© East African Community 2020  — All rights reserved  
East African Community   
P.O. Box 1096 , 
Arusha  
Tanzania  
Tel: + 255 27 2 162100  
Fax: + 255 27 2162190  
E-mail: eac@eachq.org  
       Web: www.eac -quality.net  
Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS  339: 202 1 
© EAC 202 1 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
4.1 Ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  2 
4.2 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.3 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
5.3 Microbiological limits  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  2 
5.4 Heavy metal contaminants  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  2 
Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  3 
7 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  3 
8 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  3 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  4 
 
 
 
 
  DEAS  339: 202 1 
iv © EAC 202 1 – All rights  reserved  
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for ha rmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African 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 t he representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations  in the community .  
East African Standards are developed through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private se ctor and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders 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 develop ment of East African Standards.  
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 hav e the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible 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 339:2013 ), which has been technically 
revised.  DEAS  339: 202 1 
© EAC 202 1 – All rights reserved  v 
 Introduction  
Hair creams, loti ons and gels are products used to enhance glossy appearance on the hair and condition the 
hair. It may contain additives which stimulate the scalp, moisturize, repair, strengthen, boost growth the hair or 
have anti -dandruff properties since hair creams, lo tion and gels have different functionalities based on the 
added additives  
  DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS  339:202 1 
 
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  1 
 Hair creams, lotions and gels — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft East African Standard specifies the requirements , sampling and methods of test for hair creams, 
lotions and gels.  
It also applies to hair conditioners and setting lotions.  
This Draft East African standard does not cover hair sprays, hair sheens or hair oils . 
This Draft East African standard does not cover hair creams, lotions and gels for which therapeutic claims ar e 
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 edition 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 847 -13, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 13: Determination of rancidity  
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 -18, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 18: Determination of th ermal stability  
ISO 18416, Cosmetics —Microbiology —Detection of Candida albicans  
ISO 21149, Cosmetics --Microbiology --Enumeration and detection of aerobic mesophilic bacteria  
ISO 22717, Cosmetics —Microbiology —Detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa  
ISO 22 718, Cosmetics —Microbiology —Detection of Staphylococcus aureus  
ISO 24153, Random sampling and randomization procedures  
3 Terms and definitions   
No terms and definitions are listed in this document.   
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use i n standardization at the following addresses:   
2 © EAC 202 1 – All rights  reserved  
 — ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
4 Requirements  
4.1 Ingredients  
All ingredients used including dyes, pigments and colours shall comply w ith all the parts of EAS 377.  
4.2 General requirements  
4.2.1 The hair cream , lotion  and gel  shall be in the form of an emulsion and of a uniform colour showing no 
signs of separation nor visible impurities.  
4.2.3 The product shall not be harmful to the sca lp or hair when used as intended by the manufacturer.  
4.3 Specific requirements  
The hair cream, lotion or gel shall comply with the chemical requirements as specified in Table 1 when tested 
according to the specified methods of test.  
Table 1 — Chemical req uirements for hair creams, lotions and gels  
S.No.  Characteristic  
 Requirements  Test method  
i) pH Hair cream gel or lotion  5 - 8 EAS 847 -17 
Hair conditioners  (rinse -off and leave -in) 3 - 6 
ii) Thermal stability  To pass test  EAS 847 -18 
iii) Rancidi ty  To pass test  EAS 847 -13 
5.3 Microbiological limits  
Microbiological limits shall comply with the limits specified in Table 2.  
Table 2 — Microbiological limits  for hair creams, lotions and gels  
Micro -organisms  Limits  Test method  
Total viable count for aerobic 
mesophyllic microorganisms CFU/g or 
CFU/ml, max.  100 ISO 21149  
Pseudomonas aeruginosa  Not detected  in 1 ml or 1  g of cosmetic 
product  ISO 22717  
ISO 22718  
ISO 18416  Staphylococcus aureus  
Candida albicans  
Escherichia coli  Not detected in 1 g of cosmetic 
product  ISO 21150  
5.4 Heavy metal contaminants  
The products shall comply with the limits for heavy metal contaminants in accordance with Table 3.   
© EAC 202 1 – All rights reserved  3 
 Table 3 — Limits for heavy metal contaminants  for hair creams, lotions and gels  
S.No.  Characteri stic  Limit mg/kg,max  Test method  
i) Lead  10 EAS 847 -16 
ii) Arsenic  2 
iii) Mercury  2 
NOTE The total amount of heavy metals as lead, mercury and arsenic, in combination, in the finished product should not exceed  10 
mg/kg . 
 
 Packaging  
The product shal l be packaged in suitable well -sealed containers that shall protect the contents and shall not 
cause any contamina tion or react with the product.  
7 Labelling  
In addition, to the labelling requirements given in EAS 346, each package shall be legibly and ind elibly marked 
with the product name as “ Hair cream”, “Hair lotion” or “Hair gel”.  
8 Sampling  
Sampling shall be carried in accordance with ISO 24153 . 
  
4 © EAC 202 1 – All rights  reserved  
 Bibliography  
[1] EAS 339: 2013, Hair creams, lotions and gels — Specification  
[2] IS 7670:1975 Specificati on for hair creams . 
[3] 76/768/EEC The European Economic Community Cosmetics Directive  
 WEAS 339: 2021   
 
© EAC  2021 – All rights reserved