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Essential oil spectrophotometers help you determine how pure an oil is based on its color, which in turn could impact how your perfume smells. Image Source: Flickr user sunny mama

The alluring aroma of a perfume might win over the heart of a picky customer, but experienced perfume manufacturers know that this is only one small part of what makes a particular scent so enticing. In reality, the perfume’s color also plays a major role in sales, and in some cases, can directly impact the scent of the perfume itself. After all, the quality of a perfume is only as good as the ingredients that went into producing it. If you want to ensure that the oils you use are absolutely pure and powerfully fragrant, you should consider investing in a spectrophotometer. Using this tool, you can make sure that each bottle of perfume looks identical and that you’re always using the best essential oils available.

• Some essential oils, like sandalwood, will look darker in color and appear hazier than clear, brighter essential oils like lavender. Image Source: Flickr user Your Best Digs

Healthy soil is dependent upon just the right balance of nutrients. Spectral analysis plays an important role in monitoring soil quality and quantifying nutrient levels. Image Source: Flickr user Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Health Campaign

Soil quality is an important part of agriculture and sustainability. Improving soil quality depends on quantitative analysis and the careful balance of nutrients which will promote superior growing conditions. Spectrophotometers are a valuable tool for monitoring nitrogen and phosphorus levels in fertilizers and soil compounds. Through advanced spectrophotometric technology we can monitor and develop fertilizers that will lead to a more lucrative and productive agricultural sector.

Spectrophotometry quantifies the color of a sample with a light source. The spectrophotometer divides the light source into its different wavelengths — visible, UV, and infrared — and measures how much the sample reflects or transmits these wavelengths. The way an object absorbs and transmits light is how our eyes perceive color, and spectrophotometers can create a formulation for every color we see.

Color may seem like a subjective characteristic, but a spectrophotometer makes it objective. Color plays a critical role in many industries, ranging from physics and biochemistry to food and beverage production. The applications of spectrophotometry are wide-reaching and can tell users far more about a sample than its objective color measurements.

At a time when over 75% of women report dyeing their hair, hair care products formulated to improve color retention are growing in popularity. Image Source: Flickr user Faylyne

There was a time when dyeing your hair was considered so taboo that women were driven to extreme lengths to guard their beauty secret. They would slink into salons via back entrances and receive color treatments in private booths, emerging with rejuvenated locks they passed off as natural. That changed when Clairol released the first at-home commercial hair dye in 1956, followed by a clever and memorable marketing tagline: “Does she … or doesn’t she?” Within a decade, the proportion of women who dyed their hair skyrocketed from 7% to 50% and hair dye sales increased from $25 million to $186 million.1 Nearly 60 years later, 75% of women and nearly 10% of men report artificially changing their hair color,  and the biggest concern faced by those of us with dyed tresses isn’t stigma or fear of discovery, but preserving the color we love. In response, shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments formulated to optimize color retention are increasingly entering the marketplace and represent one of the fastest growing segments within the hair care industry. Spectral analysis allows hair product manufacturers to objectively evaluate the efficacy of their formulations to improve color protection and create products that meet consumer expectations.

Thoughtful formulation of hair products can improve color retention and guard against premature fading. Image Source: Flickr user frankieleon

Things were fine the way they were. Nobody needed some hotshot new “fixer” boss. Especially not one who’s not only younger than you but also has a poster of a shark taking a seal out of the air on their office wall and a framed picture of Gordon Gekko on their desk. “Next item,” says Jodie. “Contracting manufacturers. We can get cheaper shampoo if we switch to a foreign firm. And what’s this about sending three batches back because they failed our color standards? Why are we still using these guys?” “We’ve been dealing with them for twenty years,” you tell her. “We’ve got a great relationship. These guys have been good to us.” “Business isn’t about friends,” Jodie says. “You’re either a shark or you’re a seal. I want a list of ten other shampoo manufacturers ranked on price and turnaround time by EOW. Next item…”

There are almost 4,0001 shampoo manufacturers in China alone. That’s a lot of sharks in the water. Which means that if, as a manufacturer, you aren’t able to deliver shampoos that consistently meet personal care product designer standards, you could end up losing contracts and clients to other manufacturers who do. In addition, each time a batch is rejected, you have to eat the cost. Not only does this include the direct ingredients, but also the plastic bottles, the printed labels, the time, labor, and power spent in production, and the cost of delivery itself. To prevent this, it’s essential to implement rigorous quality control standards2 for foam stability, detergency, conditioning, eye irritancy—and color.  

In a crowded marketplace, it’s important to meet designer standards. Image Credit: Flickr User beverlyislike. (CC BY 2.0)

Los consumidores confían en que los resultados precisos de las pruebas de rendimiento sean coherentes con los resultados de limpieza del "mundo real" Fuente de la imagen: Caroline Gagné, usuaria de Flickr

La fabricación de detergentes es una industria altamente competitiva y controlada. Los consumidores quieren productos de limpieza más eficaces, potentes, económicos y respetuosos con el medio ambiente. La garantía del producto en estas áreas depende en gran medida de la variedad de pruebas que se realizan dentro de las normas del sector.

Los fabricantes de detergentes líquidos, limpiadores en polvo y tensioactivos químicos confían en los resultados de las pruebas de rendimiento para medir la calidad del producto. Sin embargo, no todos los resultados de las pruebas de rendimiento dan una medida exacta de la capacidad de limpieza de un producto, y los consumidores exigen ahora información más fiable. Las pruebas de rendimiento se basan en protocolos científicos para garantizar resultados válidos mediante el uso de métodos y herramientas de prueba adecuados.

消費者は、「現実の世界」のクリーニングの結果と一致する正確な性能試験結果を信頼している：FlickrユーザーCaroline Gagné

洗剤製造は非常に競争が激しく、管理された業界である。消費者は、より効率的で、強力で、経済的で、環境に優しい洗浄剤を求めている。これらの分野における製品保証は、業界標準の中で実施される様々な試験に大きく依存している。

液体洗剤、粉末洗剤、化学界面活性剤のメーカーはすべて、製品の品質を測定するために性能試験結果に依存している。しかし、すべての性能試験結果が製品の洗浄能力を正確に測定できるわけではなく、消費者は現在、より信頼できる情報を求めています。性能試験は、科学的プロトコルに依存し、適切な試験方法とツールを使用することで有効な結果を保証します。

Consumers rely on accurate performance test results to be consistent with ‘real world’ cleaning outcomes. Image source: Flickr user Caroline Gagné

Detergent manufacturing is a highly competitive and controlled industry. Consumers want cleaning supplies that are more efficient, powerful, economic, and environmentally friendly. Product assurance in these areas is highly dependent upon the variety of tests performed within industry standards.

Manufacturers of liquid detergents, powdered cleaners, and chemical surfactants all rely on performance test result to measure product quality. However, not all performance test results give an accurate measurement of a product’s cleaning ability, and consumers are now demanding more trustworthy information. Performance testing relies on scientific protocols to guarantee valid results through the use of proper testing methods and tools.