# Utilizing Cost-Effective Determination Techniques to Authenticate Cosmetics
## 4 Discussion  
Cosmetic ingredients are complex, and product variations are significant. To authenticate cosmetics, comparing the suspected sample to an authentic item was much more effective than component characterization. Proper use of analytical equipment that captures data signals is crucial for confirming whether these two items' signals match. The process of identifying authenticity calls for two critical tasks: (a) fine tuning the parameters of the analytical instrument to accurately capture both samples' data; (b) employing scientific methods for data comparison, setting a viable deviation margin to verify the authenticity of the suspected sample. MALDI-TOF analysis mainly prioritizes substance examination and sorting in life sciences. The sample preparation method has a significant impact on the analysis results [24; 25]. The technique involves charge transfer from the matrix to target ions under laser energy, wherein the overall analysis is optimized by choosing an appropriate matrix for measurement [26; 27]. Common substrates for small molecule detection include nicotinic acid, picolinic acid, 3-hydroxypicolinic acid, and 3-aminopicolinic acid. DHB-based mixture, 4-chloro-a-cyano-cinnamic acid, 2-(4-hydroxyphenylazo) benzoic acid, and 2-mercaptoethanolobenzothiazazole enable large molecule analysis. To assess cosmetic \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline
**Group** & **Sample** & \begin{tabular}{c} **Substance** \\ **Number** \\ \end{tabular} & \
\begin{tabular}{c} **Similarity (within** \\ **Groups, \%)** \\ \end{tabular} &
\begin{tabular}{c} **Similarity (Different** \\ **Procurement Location, \%)** \\ \end{tabular} \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**SC11**} & SC11-1 & 129 & \multirow{2}{*}{98.9} & \multirow{2}{*}{98.2} \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-5}  & SC11-2 & 134 & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**SC22**} & SC22-1 & 168 & \multirow{2}{*}{99.2} & \multirow{2}{*}{98.7} \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-5}  & SC22-2 & 161 & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**SC33**} & SC33-1 & 52 & \multirow{2}{*}{99.4} & \multirow{2}{*}{63.2} \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-5}  & SC33-2 & 51 & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**SC44**} & SC44-1 & 139 & \multirow{2}{*}{98.7} & \multirow{2}{*}{97.1} \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-5}  & SC44-2 & 143 & & \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**SC55**} & SC55-1 & 145 & \multirow{2}{*}{99.1} & \multirow{2}{*}{98.3} \\ \cline{2-2} \cline{4-5}  & SC55-2 & 142 & & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: GC-MS analysis results of emulsion cosmetics samples from the wholesale market. authenticity, small molecule chemical profiles were compared through mass spectrum similarity. In this study, diverse matrices were tested, and it was discovered that employing 3-hydroxypicolinic acid as a matrix provided comprehensive and distinct responses. Consequently, 3-hydroxypicolinic acid was chosen as the optimal matrix for testing. The sample was dispersed with buffer solution to differentiate polar and nonpolar substances which represent the molecular profile of cosmetics. A cold storage technique after dispersion enhanced the separation of polar and nonpolar substances, with up to 200-300 molecules identified per sample. Following thorough dispersion, samples were refrigerated for substance sedimentation before centrifugal separation. This approach was effective across all samples examined. Gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS) efficiently analyzes weak polar or partially polar substances due to the presence of accurate characteristic spectral libraries [28; 29; 30; 31]. In cosmetic authenticity testing, it establishes relative retention index references using a mix of n-alkanes for the identification and discrimination of relevant components. To ensure separation efficiency, the performance of GC columns such as DB-5 and DB-624 was evaluated, with improved results seen with temperature programing on the former; it effectively separates over 100 components compared to others.