Investigation of product and body emissions

Medical diagnostics, cosmetic ingredient analysis, optimized fragrance release, and health

VOC analysis & diagnostics – biomarker testing
© istock.com / Prostock-Studio, AI-edited by Fraunhofer IVV

Endogenous factors and exogenous factors

How can diseases be diagnosed early and non-invasively? Which substances are released by the body's metabolism and how can these be specifically influenced? How do ingredients – e.g. fragrances or so-called skin actives – in cosmetic products react when they come into contact with the skin?

By analyzing volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs) from biological media such as breath, sweat, urine, saliva, and stool, we can investigate metabolic processes and identify biomarkers for various diseases. In addition to questions relating to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, the analysis of body emissions enables new strategies for the development of cosmetics, for example, to determine the effectiveness of active ingredients based on skin emissions or to demonstrate an effective reduction or masking of body odors.

Our services in the medical and personal care sector

Study Design/ Conceptualization

We design and conduct test subject studies for you:

  • Customized sampling and analysis of endogenous or exogenous VOCs based on your research question and product application
  • Planning and implementation by an interdisciplinary scientific team, if necessary, review by an independent ethics committee

VOCs in Diagnostics

We examine emissions from materials, products and biological media:

  • Detection of biomarkers for pathophysiological and nutritional issues
  • Dynamic breath analysis to determine the pharmacokinetics of dietary supplements
  • Exposure studies through various routes (dermal, inhalation, oral)
  • Creation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling biological media for standardized procedures

VOCs in Cosmetics

We clarify emissions from the product itself and during its dermal application:

  • Practical investigations of products and product applications to clarify the cause or reaction pathways of desired and undesired fragrances and active ingredients.
  • Chemical investigation of the product effect on the consumer after application of the cosmetic product.

Get in touch!

We support you in developing innovative processes and technologies in the healthcare sector and in optimizing the formulation of cosmetic products!

Volatile emissions as markers for health and well-being

Possible applications of our services in the field of volatile emissions as biomarkers for metabolic processes and cosmetic efficacy.

VOC analysis & diagnostics – biomarker testing
© istock.com / Prostock-Studio, AI-edited by Fraunhofer IVV

Healthcare and Medical Industry

Healthcare and diagnostics companies, e.g., early detection, therapy, prevention, rapid tests, technologies, dietary supplements

Service VOC Analytik - Health and Personal & Home Care Supplement - Capsules
© iStock.com / fotografixx
Blood samples: VOCs in diagnostics
© istock.com / solarseven

Early diagnosis of health problems at the onset of disease is crucial to ensure effective treatment and increase the success of treatment. Volatile biomarkers, which serve as indicators of pathophysiological processes, the effectiveness of drugs or exposure to potentially harmful substances, not only enable non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic measures, but also the prediction and prevention of negative health consequences. When developing and establishing diagnostic tests, ensuring sample integrity is of central importance to achieve meaningful results in studies.

We support you, for example, in the following areas:

  • Determination of the chemical composition of respiratory gases and emissions from biological media such as sweat, urine, blood, and stool for medical diagnostics
  • Characterization of sampling materials with regard to emissions and adsorption to ensure sample authenticity and standardization
  • Exposure studies to determine emission rates of products (focus on inhalation exposure and risk assessment, biocompatibility)
  • Determination of the release of volatile compounds from ingested products, e.g. pharmacokinetics of food supplements

Personal Care

Skin care (rinse-off, leave-on skin care), hair care, perfume and fragrances, body odors

Product effect - skin feeling - body cream
© iStock.com / Boyloso
Shampoo and the effectiveness of active ingredients.
© istock.com / gilaxia

Our research also focuses on the effectiveness of active ingredients in cosmetics. The release and exposure of humans to volatile compounds play a central role here. By analyzing skin emissions and body odors, we can prove the effectiveness of active ingredients and develop strategies for effectively reducing or masking unwanted odors. At the same time, odors released from cosmetic products can have a positive effect on consumers. Together with us, you can develop a better understanding of the release of odors from your products themselves and when used on humans at the molecular level and optimize your product's effectiveness – complementary to our multisensory services.

Our services in the field of personal care:

  • Instrumental-analytical investigation of the reduction or masking of body odors in humans
  • Characterization of the release of fragrances and (off) odors in different products and formulations under controlled laboratory conditions
  • Realistic and application-oriented investigation of fragrances when the test product is applied to humans
  • Identification of volatile markers in processing for quality assurance and process control

Personal & Home Care

Current research projects in the area of product impact

 

Research Project »CandyCrunch«

Predicting consumer acceptance based on analytical data using fruit gummies as an example.

Further product perfomance services

Sustainable product development along the entire process chain: Our interdisciplinary team of experts has extensive know-how in a range of areas. Find out more about our cross-institutional services here: