ICS 71.100.70  
 
Reference number  
DRS  360: 2024  
© RSB 2024  
  
 RWANDA 
STANDARD  DRS 
360 
 
Second  edition  
2024 -mm-dd 
 
Herbal soap s — Specification  
   
DRS  360: 2024  
©RSB 2024  - All rights reserved                  ii 
 In order to match with technological development and to keep continuous progress in industries, 
standards are subject to periodic review. Users shall ascertain that they are in possession of the latest 
edition  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© RSB 2024  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized 
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without 
prior written permission from R SB. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to : 
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ePortal: www.portal.rsb.gov.rw   Formatted:  German  (Switzerland)
Field  Code  ChangedFormatted:  German  (Switzerland)
Formatted:  German  (Switzerland)DRS  360: 2024  
iii                ©RSB 2024  - All rights reserved  
 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  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  3 
5 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 3 
6 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  3 
7 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 4 
Annex  A (normative)  Determination of pH  ................................ ................................ .............................  5 
A.1 General  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  5 
A.2 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 5 
A.3 Reagents  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....... 5 
A.4 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 5 
 DRS  360: 2024  
©RSB 2024  - All rights reserved                  iv 
 Foreword   
Rwanda Standard s are prepared  by Technical Committees and approved by R wanda Standards Board (RSB) 
Board  of Directors in  accordance with the procedures of RSB, in compliance with Annex 3 of the WTO/TBT 
agreement on the preparation, adoption and application of standards.  
The main task of technical committees is to prepare national standards.  Final Draft Rwanda S tandards adopted 
by Technical committ ees are ratified  by me mbers of RSB Board of Director s for publication and gazettment as 
Rwanda Standards.  
DRS  360 was prepared by Technical Committee RSB/TC 42, Surface Active Agents . 
In the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following standard:  
TZ 1009 : Herbal Soap — Specification  
The assistance de rived from the above source is hereby acknowledged with thanks.  
This second  edition cancels and replaces the first  edition (RS  360: 2018 ), which has been technically revised.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee on Surface Active Agents  (RSB/TC 
42) in the preparation of this standard.  
Standards for Sustainability  
Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority  
Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority  
HORIZON/SOPYRWA  
University of Rwanda/College of Science and Technology  
ORIBUT Company Ltd  
AMABOKO Y’URWANDA Ltd  
Rwanda Investigation Bureau  
Hygiene and Paper Works Ltd  
SULFO Rwanda Industries  
Rwanda  Standards Board  (RSB) – Secretariat  DRS  360: 2024  
v                ©RSB 2024  - All rights reserved  
   DRS  360: 2024  
1                ©RSB 2024  - All rights reserved  
 Herbal soaps  — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft Rwanda Standard prescribes the requirements, sampling and test methods for herbal soaps.  
It covers the following types of herbal soap:  
a) herbal bathing soap;  
b) herbal laundry soap; and  
c) herbal liquid soap.   
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.  
RS 333, Herbal cosmetic products – General requirements  
RS EAS 377 , Cosmetics and cosmetic products (all parts)  
RS EAS 346 , Labelling of cosmetics — General requirements  
RS 278 , Cosmetics – Methods of sampling  
RS ISO 457 , Analysis of soap — Determination of Chloride content — Titrimetric method  
RS ISO 456 , Surface active agents — Analysis of soaps — Determination of free caustic alkali  
RS ISO 684 , Analysis of soap — Determination of Total free alkali  
RS ISO 685 , Analysis of soap — Determination of alkali content and total fatty matter content  
RS ISO 673 , Analysis of soap — Determination of ethanol insoluble matter  
RS ISO 862 , Surface active agents — Vocabulary  
RS ISO 1067 , Analysis of soap — Determination of unsaponifiable, unsaponified and unsaponified  sapon ifiable 
matter   
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3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this standard, the terms and definitions given in RS 333 and the following apply.  
herbal soaps  
any laundry, bathing or liquid soap which contains herbal oil and/or herbal extracts  
4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  To ensure the quality of the product and the well -being of the consumer, herbal soaps shall conform 
to requirements prescribed in RS 333.  
4.1.2  The Herbal soaps shall not contain less than 1.5 % of herbal content. The manufacturer should set the 
maximum limit of herbal content based on scientific researches and according to the type of herbs used in 
formulation.  
4.1.3  All the ingredients used , including fragrances, preservatives, colorants or super -fatting agents, if added  
shall conform to the requirements in RS EAS 377 (all parts).  
4.1.4  Herbal bathing soap  shall: 
a) be high graded, thoroughly saponified milled soaps or homogenized soap or both, white or coloured and 
compressed in the form of firm cakes .  
b) shall possess good cleaning and lathering properties.  
4.1.5  The h erbal laundry soap shall be of firm texture, shall be free from objectionable odour and shall 
possess good lathering.  
4.1.6  The herbal liquid soap shall :  
a) be in a form o f a liquid or emulsion;   
b) be opaque or transparent, coloured or colourless and p erfumed or unperfumed;  
c) be of uniform consistency, free from sediments and suspended particles ;   
d) be easily spreadable ;   
e) have good lathering and rinsing properties ; and  DRS  360: 2024  
3                ©RSB 2024  - All rights reserved  
 f) be non -toxic and non -irritant . 
4.2 Specific requirements  
Liquid bathing soap shall also comply with the specific requirements specified in Table 1 when tested in 
accordance with the test methods specified therein.  
Table 1 — Requirements for herbal soap  
S/No  Characteristic  Requirements  Test 
methods  Herbal 
bathing  
soap  Herbal 
laundry soap  Herbal liquid 
soap  
1 Total fatty matter % by mass, min  50 45 15 ISO 685  
2 Matter insoluble in alcohol % by mass, max  2 20 5 ISO 673  
3 Matter insoluble in water % by mass, max  - 5 - ISO 6839  
4 Total free fat (unsaponified and unsaponifiable fatty 
matter), % by mass, max  0.5 2 - ISO 1067  
5 Free caustic alkali as (NaOH), % by mass, max  0.1 0.4 0.03 ISO 684  
6 Total free alkali as Na 2O/ K 2O, % by mass, max  - 0.25 0.03 ISO 29456  
7 Chlorides, % by mass, max  0.8 1.5 - ISO 457  
8 pH at 27ºC  6.0 – 8.0 - 6.0 – 8.0 Annex A  
5 Packaging  
The herbal soaps shall be packaged in suitable materials that do not allow any damage of the product or its 
contamination. The containers shall be securely closed.  
6 Labelling  
In addition to the labelling requirements of  RS EAS 346, the following information shall be indelibly and legibly 
marked on the container:  
a) product name that is “Herbal soap”;  
b) percentage of herbal preparations used;  
NOTE 1 In case of antibacterial soaps, the antibacterial agent used and its concentration in the product shall be declared 
on the label.   
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 7 Sampling  
For the purpose of this Rwanda Standard, general precaution, scale of sampling and preparation of test samples 
shall be done as prescribed in RS 278.  
 DRS  360: 2024  
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 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Determination of pH  
A.1 General  
pH determination should be made in an acid free atmosphere.  
A.2 Apparatus  
A.2.1 Any standard pH meter , equipped with a low sodium error glass electrode. The instrument shall be 
calibrated and standardized with standard buffer solutions (see D.3.2) before use.  
A.2.2 Volumetric flask , 1000 -mL capacity  
A.2.3 Beakers , 1000 -mL 
A.3 Reagents  
A.3.1 Distilled water shall be boiled thoroughly or purged with carbon dioxide -free air to remove carbon dioxide 
and shall be protected with soda lime or soda asbestos while cooling and in storage. The pH of this water shall 
be protected with soda lime or soda a sbestos while cooling and in storage. The pH of this water shall be between 
6.2 and 7.2 at 27 °C. The residue on evaporation when heated at 105 °C for one hour shall not exceed 0.5 mL 
per litre.  
A.3.2 Standard buffer solutions with the pH range of 9 to 11 at 27 °C for calibrating the pH meter.  
A.4 Procedure  
Weigh to the nearest milligram approximately 10 g of the material and transfer to a 1 -L volumetric flask. Partially 
fill the flask with distilled water and agitate until the sample is completely dissolved. Adjust the temperature of 
the solution and the distilled water to 27 °C ± 2 °C an d fill to the calibration mark with distilled water, stopper the 
flask mix thoroughly and allow the solution to stand at a temperature of 27 °C ± 2 °C for two hours prior to 
measuring the pH. Measure the pH of the solution at 27 °C ± 2 °C using a glass ele ctrode.  
  
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 Bibliography  
[1] KS 1795 , Neem herbal soap — Specification  
[2] TZS 883 , Neem herbal soap  — Specification  
[3] TZS 894 , Jatropha herbal soap — Specification  
[4] IS 15735 , Herbal cosmetics  — General guidelines  
[5] RS EAS 186 -1, Bathing soap — Specification — Part 1: Solid  
[6] RS EAS 186 -2, Bathing soap — Specification — Part 2: Liquid  
  
 
 
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