DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS 2296 -1 
First  Edition  
2021-mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS 2296 -1: 202 1 
© UNBS 202 1  
  
Skin applied mosquito repellents — Specification —Part 1:  
Lotions, creams, gels and ointments  
 DUS 2296 -1: 2021 
ii © UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions  of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct application  
© UNBS 2021  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo copying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 4 333 2 50/1/2/3  
Fax: +256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  DUS 2296 -1:202 1 
© UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 Active ingredients  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 2 
4.1 Natural repellents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 2 
4.2 Synthetic repellents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............................  3 
5 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
5.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
5.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
5.3 Heavy metal requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  4 
5.4 Microbiological requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  4 
5.4 Biological efficacy  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ . 4 
6 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
7 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  5 
8 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
Annex  A (normative)  Determination of DEET content  ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
A.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  6 
A.2 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
A.3 Preparation of calibration curve  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  6 
A.4 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
A.5 Calculation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  7 
Annex  B (normative)  Determination of residue  ................................ ................................ ..............................  8 
B.1 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  8 
Annex C (normativ e)  Determination of total fatty substance content  ................................ .........................  9 
C.1 Outline of the method  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  9 
C.2 Reagents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  9 
C.3 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  9 
C.4 Calculation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  9 
Annex D  (normative)  Determination of total pyrethrins  ................................ ................................ .............  11 
D.1  General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  11 
D.2  Reagents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  11 
D.3  Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  11 
D.4  Operating conditions  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  11 
D.5  Preparation of the standard  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..............  11 
D.6  Sample preparation  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................  12 
D.7  Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  12 
D.8  Calculation of the % total pyrethrins (active ingredient) ................................ ................................ . 12 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  13 
 DUS 2296 -1: 2021 
iv © UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade , Industry and 
Cooperatives established under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda , as amended .  UNBS is mandated t o co-
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT  Agreement  of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of key stakeholders 
including govern ment, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before re commending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS /TC 301, Chemistry  
DUS 2296  consists of the following parts, under the  general title Skin applied mosquito repellents — 
Specification:  
 Part 1: Lotions, creams, gels and ointments  
 Part 2: Sprays and roll -ons  
 Part 3: Wipes  
 Part 4: Bathing soaps  
 Part 5: Bracelets, wristbands and patches   
 Part 6: Jelly  
 
 DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS 2296 -1: 202 1 
 
© UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  1 
 Skin applied mosquit o repellents — Specification — Part 1: 
Lotions, creams, gels and ointments  
1 Scope   
This Draft Uganda  Standard specifies  the requirements, sampling and test methods for skin applied mosquito 
repellents in form of lotions, creams, gels and ointments  
2 Normative references   
The following referenced documents 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 lates t edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
US ISO 18416:2015, Cosmetics — microbiology — detection of candida albicans  
US ISO 22717:2015, Cosmetics — microbiology — detection of pseudomonas aeruginosa  
US ISO 22718:2015, Cosmet ics — microbiology — detection of staphylococcus aureus  
US EAS 346, Labelling of cosmetic products — General requirements  
US EAS 377 (all parts), Cosmetics and cosmetic products  
US EAS 846, Glossary of terms relating to the cosmetic industry  
US EAS 847 -16, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 16: Determination of heavy metal content  
US EAS 847 -17, Cosmetics —Analytical methods —Part 17: Physio -chemical test 
US ISO 24153, Random sampling and randomization procedures  
US ISO 21149, Cosmetics ― Microbiology ― Enumeration and detection of aerobic mesophilic bacteria  
WDUS 2373 -1, Mosquito repellents ― Performance test guidelines ― Part 1: Skin applied repellents  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, th e terms and definitions given in US 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  
3.1  
mosquito  
blood-sucking dipterous insect of the family Culicidae. Aedes, Anopheles, Culex, Mansonia, and Stegomyia 
are genera containing most species involved in the transmission of protozoan and other disease -producing 
parasites.   
2 © UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  
   
3.2  
mosquito repellent  
substance ap plied to skin which deters mosquito from approaching  or settling .  
3.3  
natural repellents  
repellents that contain , plant -based compounds  
3.4  
synthetic repellents  
conventional repellents containing  chemical compounds  manufactured to imitate the natural co mpounds.  
3.5  
DEET  
N,N-Diethyl -meta -toluamide or diethyltoluamide  
3.6  
IR3535  
ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate  
3.7  
picaridin  
1-(1-methylpropoxycarbonyl) -2-(2-hydroxyethyl) piperidine or 2 -(2-hydroxyethyl) -1-piperidinecarboxylic acid 1 -
methylpropyl ester  
4 Active ingredients  
4.1 Natural repellents  
4.1.1  Active ingredients used in natural repellents shall be plant based compounds which are able to deter 
mosquitoes from approaching or settling. Such shall be essential oils or any other plant extract approved  as 
mosquito repellents.  
4.1.2 The manufacturer shall provide adequate data on the repellence of such ingredients.  
4.1.3 The manufacturer shall have adequate data justifying the proportion of ingredient(s) used in the 
product, for which claims are made.  
4.1.4 The essential oils used and other plant extracts in natural repellents shall be, but not limited to:  
a) cedarwood oil;  
b) tea tree oil;  
c) geranium oil;  
d) rosemary oil;  
e) lemongrass oil;  
f) citronella oil;  
g) eucalyptus oil;  
h) cinnamon oil; and  DUS  2296 -1: 202 1 
© UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  3 
 i) neem oil  
4.1.5 The proportio n of single or blended active ingredient (s) in natural repellent shall be set by the 
manufacturer in accordance with specific standard and records shall be availed.  
4.1.6  Pyrethrum extracts such as pyrethrins shall be considered in natural repellents. The  limits of 
pyrethrins in natural repell ents shall not be less than 0.5 % w/w, when tested in accordance with annex D. 
4.2 Synthetic repellents  
4.2.1 Synthetic repellents shall contain synthetic chemical compounds which are able to deter  mosquitoes 
from appr oaching or settling on the surface.  
4.2.2  If a synthetic active ingredient is blended with other active ingredient (s), either natural or synthetic, 
the proportion shall be set by the manufacturer based on scientific research and records shall be availed . 
4.2.3 Synthetic repellents and their active ingredients shall be approved and registered by competent 
authority before being released to the market.  
5 Requirements  
5.1 General  requirements  
5.1.1 The product shall constitute a mosquito repellent that is fo rmulated as lotion, cream, gel or ointment 
and shall be essentially a product which has active ingredient (s) added to a certain level.  
5.1.2 It shall be primarily composed of water, surfactants, fatty alcohol, fragrance, oil and other emollients. 
All ingr edients shall meet the requirements of US EAS 377.  
5.1.3 When applied to the skin, the product shall have the benefit of repelling mosquitoes and shall not 
cause harmful effect to the skin . 
5.2 Specific requirements  
5.2.1  Active ingredients and their conte nt in synthetic repellents shall meet the requirements prescribed in 
table 1.  
Table 1— Active ingredients content for synthetic repellents  in form of lotions, creams, gels and 
ointments .  
S/N  Characteristic  Requirements  Test methods  
i DEET , % w/w.  4 – 50 Annex A  
ii Picaridin , % w/w.  5 – 20 CIPAC 740  
iii IR3535 , % w/w.  7.5 – 20.07 CIPAC 667  
 
5.2.2  The product shall comply with the specific requirement s given in table 2 when tested in accord ance  
to the methods described therein.   
4 © UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  
  
Table 2— Specific requir ements  for skin applied mosquito repellent s in form of lotions, creams, gel 
and ointments  
S/N  Characteristic  Requirements  Test methods  
i Thermal stability  To pass test  US EAS 847 -18 
ii pH  3.5 – 8.5  US EAS 847 -17 
iii Total fatty substance content, %  m/m, min  5 Annex C  
iv Total residues, % m/m, max  40 Annex B  
 
5.3 Heavy metal requirements  
The product shall comply  with the heavy metal requirements given  in Table 3 when tested in accordance  with 
the test methods  specified therein . 
Table 3— Heavy metal  requirements for skin applied mosquito repellent in form of lotions, creams, gel 
and ointments  
S/N Heavy metals.  Limit, mg/kg, max  Test method  
i Lead,  10  
US EAS 847 -16 ii Arsenic ,  2 
iii Mercur y,  2 
 
5.3.1 The total amount of heavy metals as lead , mercury and arsenic, in combination in the finished product 
shall not exceed 10 mg/kg  
5.4 Microbiolog ical requirements  
The product shall comply with the microbiology limits specifi ed in table 4 when tested in accordance to the 
methods described therein  
Table 4— Microbiology limits for skin applied mosquito repellent in form of lotions, creams, gel and 
ointments  
S/N Characteristic . Requirements  Test methods  
i Total viable count, cfu/g, max  1000 US ISO 21149  
ii Staphylococcus aureus (per g)  Not detected  US ISO 22718  
iii Pseudomonas aeruginosa (per g)  Not detected  US ISO 22717  
iv Candida albicans (per g)  Not detected  US ISO 18416  
 
 
5.5 Biological efficacy  
When tested in accordance with DUS 2373 -1, the product shall repel 100 % of the mosquitoes from 
approaching or climbing on that surface, within protection time indicated by the manufacturer.  DUS  2296 -1: 202 1 
© UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  5 
 6 Packaging  
The product shall be packaged in suitable well -sealed containers that shall protect the contents and shall not 
cause any contamination or react with th e product.  
7 Labelling  
7.1 In addition to the labelling requirements given in US EAS 346, the package shall be legibly and 
indelibly marked with the following information:  
a) name of the product;  as “skin  applied mosquito repellent”  
b) form of product as “l otion ”, “cream ”, “gel” or “ ointment ” 
c)  instructions for use;  
d) active ingredient (s) content  
e) protection time.  
f) age group and/or health condition for which use is prohibited  
g) storage conditions  
h) precaution/warning  
. 
8 Sampling  
Random samples of the product shall be dr awn for test in accordance with US ISO 24153 from the market, 
factory or anywhere else.  
   
6 © UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination of DEET content  
A.1 General  
The sample is dissolved in carbon disulfide and the difference in absorbance at 14.18 μm and at 14.48 μ m is 
determined. The quantity of meta -isomer is obtained from this value by means of a calibration curve prepared 
by the use of a reference standard  
A.2 Apparatus  
A.2.1  Double -beam infrared spectrophotometer. Perkin -Elmer model 21 or equivalent  
A.2.2  Two e quivalent infrared absorption cells, with sodium chloride windows and a path length of 
approximately 0.4 mm.  
A.3 Preparation of calibration curve  
A.3.1  Weigh (to the nearest 0.1 mg) into four volumetric flasks sufficient amounts of the reference DEET 
stand ard of known purity to give concentrations of approximately 20, 40, 60 and 80 g/L when dissolved in 
carbon disulfide . 
A.3.2  Fill the reference cell with carbon disulfide and the sample cell with each of the standard solutions in 
turn, and record the spectr a. The spectrum may be scanned rapidly, except for the region 12 – 15 μm, where 
a normal speed should be used. Carry out a blank measurement with carbon disulfide to correct for any 
inequality in the paired cells and to determine whether a cell correction is required . 
A.3.3  Measure the absorbance at 14.18 μm and at 14.48 μm and calculate the difference between these 
values, ΔA, for each of the solutions. Plot the values of ΔA against the concentration (g/L) of the meta -isomer.  
A.3.4  If a cell correction is required, the value of ΔA is determined from the formula:  
ΔA = [A14.18 – A14.48]ref. - [A14.48]blank  
Where ref. = determination with reference standard  
blank = determination on CS2 blank  
A.4 Procedure  
Weigh (to the nearest 0.1 mg)  about 0.5 g of the sample , transfer quantitatively to a 10 mL volumetric flask, 
and make up to the mark with carbon disulfide. Measure the infrared absorption at 14.18 μm and 14.48 μm 
using the same conditions as described in clauseA.3. Determine the concentration of meta -isomer b y 
comparing this value with the calibration curve. A standard sample should be run each day to check the 
calibration of the instrument.  DUS  2296 -1: 202 1 
© UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  7 
 A.5 Calculation  
DEET content (g/kg) =  (𝐶1 𝑥 𝑃)/𝐶2 
where,  
C1 = concentration (g/L) of standard DEET found from calibr ation curve  
C2 = concentration (g/L) of sample taken  
P = purity (g/kg) of the reference standard   
8 © UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  
 Annex  B 
(normative ) 
 
Determination of residue  
B.1 Procedure  
B.1.1  Weigh accurately about 5 g of the material in a weighed, clean and dry squat form weighing bottle and 
dry to constant mass at 105ºC± 1ºC. Cool in desiccators and weigh.  
B.1.2  Calculation  
Residue percent by mass = 100 (𝑀1/𝑀2) 
where,  
M1 = mass in g of the residue; and  
M2 = mass in g the material taken for test  
 DUS  2296 -1: 202 1 
© UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  9 
 Annex C  
(normative)  
 
Determination of total fatty substance content  
C.1 Outline of the method  
The emulsion is broken with dilute mineral acid and the fatty matte r is extracted with petroleum ether. It is 
weighed after removal of the solvent.  
C.2 Reagents  
C.2.1  Dilute hydrochloric acid 1:1 (v/v)  
C.2.2  Petroleum, B.P. 40 °C to 60 °C  
C.2.3  Methyl orange indicator solution —Dissolve 0.1 g of methyl orange in 100 mL of water.  
C.2.4  Sodium sulphate, desiccated  
C.3 Procedure  
C.3.1  Weigh accurately about 2 g of the material into a conical flask; add 25 m l of dilute hydrochloric acid, fit 
a reflux condenser into the flask and boil the contents until the solution is perfectly  clear.  
C.3.2  Pour the contents of the flask into a 300 m l separation funnel and allow it to cool to 20 °C  and r inse 
the conical flask with 50m l of petroleum ether in portions of 10 m l.  
C.3.3  Pour the ether rinsings into the separation funnel shake the s eparation funnel well and leave until the 
layers separate.  
C.3.4  Separate out the aqueous phase and shake it out with 50mL portions of ether twice. Combine all the 
ether extracts and wash them with water until free of acid (when tested with methyl orange indicator solution).  
C.3.5  Filter the ether extracts through a filter paper containing sodium sulphate into a conical flask which 
has been previously dried at a temperature of 60 °C± 2 °C and then weighed.  
C.3.6  Wash the sodium sulphate on the filter wit h ether and combine the washings with the filtrate. Distil off 
the ether and dry the material remaining in the flask at a temperature of 60 °C± 2 °C to constant mass.  
C.4 Calculation  
The total fatty substance shall be calculated as follows:  
Total fatty sub stance, percent by mass =  
  
where,  
M1 is the mass, in grams, of the residue, and   
10 © UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  
 M2 is the mass, in grams, of the material taken for the test.  DUS  2296 -1: 202 1 
© UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  11 
 Annex D  
(normative)  
 
 Determination of total pyrethrins  
D.1  General  
The active ingredients in pyrethrum extra ct may be determined using a HPLC system first by injecting a 
solution of the analyte into the chromatograph, followed by the separation and comparison of peaks areas of 
the analytes in the sample with that of an external standard containing a known amount  of the analytes. The 
peaks are eluted in the following order: Cinerin II, Pyrethrin II, Jasmolin II (total Pyrethrins II) and Cinerin I, 
Pyrethrin I, Jasmolin I (total Pyrethrins I).  
D.2  Reagents  
D.2.1 World pyrethrum standard, 50 %  
D.2.2 Acetonitrile , HPLC grade  
D.2.3 Water, HPLC grade  
D.3  Apparatus  
A liquid chromatography  System equipped with an auto -sampler, a Variable Wavelength Detector (or 
equivalent) and a Column {Phenomenex, 250 x 4.6 mm Luna Phenyl -Hexyl 5μ Reverse Phase (or 
equivalent)}.  
D.4  Operating conditions  
D.4.1 Flow rate: 1.5 ml/min  
D.4.2 Composition: 40 :60 (%, v/v water/acetonitrile)  
D.4.3 Elution: Isocratic  
D.4.4 Oven temperature: 40 ºC  
D.4.5 Wavelength: 240 nm  
D.4.6 Injection Volume: 15 µl  
D.4.7 Stop time: 22 min  
D.4.8 Post time: 1 min  
D.5  Preparation of the standard  
Weigh 20 mg of the pyrethru m standard to the nearest 0.0001 g in a 100 mL volumetric flask and dilute to 
volume with Acetonitrile and label it. Transfer a small portion to a sample vial and label it accordingly.   
12 © UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  
 D.6  Sample preparation  
In a 100 ml volumetric flask, weigh 20 mg to the nearest 0.0001 g of the sample to be analyzed and dilute to 
volume with Acetonitrile. Sample this solution using a vial and label it accordingly.  
D.7  Procedure  
After the chromatograph is stable, make a minimum of three injections for the standard sol ution as well as for 
the analyte and average the area counts. The relative Standard Deviation between injections should be within 
2 %. 
D.8  Calculation of the % total pyrethrins (active ingredient)  
The % Total Pyrethrins is calculated as follow:  
% 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒  𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠  = (𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒  𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒  𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎  𝑋 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑  𝑋 𝑃𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦  𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑  (𝑖𝑛 %)) ÷ 
(𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒  𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑  𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑋 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 .) 
 DUS  2296 -1: 202 1 
© UNBS 202 1 – All rights reserved  13 
 Bibliogra phy 
[1] Product Performance Test Guidelines. OPPTS 810.3700: Insect Repellents to be applied to human 
Skin 
[2] RS 392 -1: 2018, Skin applied mosquito repellents — Specification — Part 1: Lotions, creams, gels and  
ointments  
[3] US EAS 786:2013 , Skin care cre ams, lotions and gels — Specification  
[4] RS 191: 2019, Refined pyrethrum concentrate — Specification  
 
  DUS  2296 -1: 202 1 
© UNBS 2021 – All rights reserved  15 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown  in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is governed by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and testi ng in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtai ned from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
   DUS 2296 -1: 202 1  
 
ICS 71.100.70  
Price based on nn pages  
© UNBS 202 1– All rights reserved