KENYA STANDARD DKS 2415:2012

ICS 75.100

Liquid Hand Wash — Specification

SEPTEMBER 2012SEPTEMBER 2012

© KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved First Edition 2012

DKS 2415:2012
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION

The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:

PZ Cussons E.A.
Kapa Oil Refineries
Unilever Kenya Ltd.
Bidco Oil Refineries
Giloil Ltd.
Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI)
Government Chemist’s Department
Orbit Chemicals
University of Nairobi
Ecolab Ltd.
Pwani Oil Products
MEP Chemical Industries
Corn Products
Consumer Information Network
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat

REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS

In order to keep abreast of progress in industry, Kenya Standards shall be regularly reviewed. Suggestions
for improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards,
are welcome.

© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2012

Copyright: Users are reminded that by virtue of section 6 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of the Laws of Kenya, copyright subsists in all
Kenya Standards and except as provided under section 7 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of Standards may
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing from the
Managing Director.

ISBN 9966-23-368-7

ii © KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved

 KENYA STANARD DKS 2415:2012

Liquid Hand Wash — Specification

KENYA BUREAU OF STANDARDS (KEBS)

Head Office: P.O. Box 54974, Nairobi-00200, Tel.: (+254 020) 605490, 602350, Fax: (+254 020) 604031
E-Mail: info@kebs.org, Web:http://www.kebs.org

Coast Regional Office Western Kenya Regional Office Rift Valley Regional Office
P.O. Box 99376, Mombasa-80100 P.O. Box 2949, Kisumu-40100 P.O. Box 8111, Eldoret-30100
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Fax: (+254 041) 229448 Fax: (+254 057) 21814 Fax: (+254 053) 33150

© KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved iii

DKS 2415:2012
Foreword

This Kenya standard was developed by the Technical Committee on Soaps and Detergents under the
guidance of the Standards Projects Committee and is in accordance with the procedures of the Bureau.

During the development of this standard, reference was made to available data from manufacturers and
acknowledgement is hereby made for the assistance.

iv © KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved

KENYA STANDARD DKS 2415:2012

Liquid Hand Wash — Specification

1 Scope

This Kenya standard prescribes the requirements and methods of test for liquid hand wash (synthetic and
combined soap & synthetic products) used for washing hands.

This standard does not apply to soap based hand wash.

2 Normative references
This Kenya Standard incorporates by dated and undated references, provisions from other publications.
These normative references are cited at the appropriate place in the text and the publications are listed
hereafter. For dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications apply
to this Kenya Standard only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated references the
latest edition of the publication referred to applies.

KS 2385; Determination of the microbial inhibition of cosmetic soap bars and liquid hand and body washes –
Test method
KS 161 Part 18; Methods of test for paints, lacquers and enamels
KS 45; Methods of analysis for soaps
KS 220; Method for the microbiological examination of food
KS ISO 9297; Water quality, determination of chloride – silver nitrate titration with chromate indicator (Mohr’s
method)

3 Requirements

3.1 Ingredients – All the ingredients used shall be non-injurious to health and biologically safe.

3.4 If humectants e.g. glycerine, propylene glycol is part of the formulation, the total amount shall not be
less than 1% m/m.

3.3 The product shall not have any offensive odour.

3.2 The product shall not be irritating to the normal skin, and shall not contain ingredients in quantities
that are toxic to human beings.

3.7 If the product has herbal claims, the total herbal extracts (e.g neem or Aloe Vera) amount shall not
be less than 5 % m/m.

3.8 If the product is antibacterial, it shall pass antibacterial activity test when tested against KS 2385.

3.9 The product shall also comply with the requirements given in Table 1.

© KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved 1

DKS 2415:2012

Table 1 — Requirements for liquid hand wash

Sl No Characteristic Requirement Test method

Synthetic Combined (synthetic

& Soap)
i) Total Active Content, min, % m/m 5 10 Annex B

*
iii) pH at 20°C, neat, range 3.7 – 9.0 3.7 - 10 Annex C
3
iv) Specific gravity or density at 20°C, g/cc 0.99 -1.04 0.99 -1.04

v)

vi) Free acid content ∗ (as oleic acid), % - 1 KS 45

m/m, max. Clause 6
vii) Lather volume, ml, min 110 110 Annex A
viii) Total bacterial count, CFU/G <100 <300 KS 220
Yeast & Mold, CFU/G <100 <100
ix) Chloride content, (as potassium/sodium 2 2 KS ISO 9297
chloride) % m/m, max
*Only weak acids should be used such as lactic acid, citric acid e.t.c

4 Packaging and marking

4.1 Packing
The hand wash shall be packed in containers that are strong enough to withstand normal usage and
transportation and prevent leakage and contamination of the product.
These containers may then be packed in bulk packages.
Only handwash from the same batch shall be packed together in a container and, when relevant, a bulk
package.

4.2 Marking
Each container and bulk package shall bear in prominent, legible, and indelible marking the information in
English or Kiswahili:

a) Manufacturer’s name and address and/or registered trade mark if any

b) Product name

c) Batch or code number

d) Net weight

e) Country of origin

f) List of ingredients

g) Instructions for use

h) Date of manufacture and best before date

∗
Corrected to a fatty matter content of 15 %(m/m)
2 © KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved
DKS 2415:2012

Annex A
(normative)

Test for lather volume

A.1 Principle
The speed of a domestic kitchen blender is adjusted so that when operated for 60 s it will deliver 600 mL ±
100 mL of lather (foam) from a 1 % solution of sodium lauryl sulphate in 300 ppm calcium hardness water at
25 ºC.

Soap samples are grated to a uniform noodle of about 2 mm to 3 mm diameter (domestic cheese grater).
Five grams of the noodles are mixed in the domestic blender for 60 s with 100 mL of 300 ppm calcium
hardness water at 25 ºC.
The volume of the lather generated from the soap is normalised to a volume of 600 mL delivered from the
sodium lauryl sulphate solution tested in the same blender at the same speed.

A.2 Equipment/reagents

A variable speed kitchen blender with a container/ jar of at least 1000 mL capacity.

A.2.1 Kitchen cheese grater

A.2.2 1000- mL measuring cylinder

A.2.3 100 -mL measuring cylinder

A.2.4 Thermometer 0 ºC – 100 ºC

A.2.5 Water containing 300 ppm calcium hardness

To make 2 L of a 300 ppm hard water dissolve 1.66 g of analytical grade anhydrous calcium chloride in
demineralised water and make to 2 L.
1 % SLS solution in water containing 300 ppm calcium water hardness. Dissolve 20 g of analytical grade
sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) in water and make to 2 L with the 300 ppm calcium hardness water.
NOTE Especially that this SLS solution should be prepared fresh every day.

A.3 Sample preparation

A.3.1 The requirement is for duplicate lather measurements from three bars of each product, and for six
replicate lather measurements from the freshly made solution of sodium lauryl sulphate.

A.3.2 A sample of the bathing bar is grated to give at least 20 g of 2 mm – 3 mm diameter noodles.

Cut-off the end third of the bar before grating the freshly exposed face of the remaining two thirds. This will
limit the proportion of over dried surface soap that is converted into noodles.
Immediately place the grated noodles onto a coarse sieve e.g. aperture 850 microns or similar and shake
gently to allow any fine and over dried soap to pass through.
Small diameter noodles can lose water very quickly and the gratings should be transferred very quickly from
the sieve into a labelled container that can be closed to prevent such water loss.

Duplicate lather determinations on an individual sample of a bathing bar will only require 2 g x 5 g samples of
the noodles. However, it is always wise to take at least 20 g to allow for any repeat tests.

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DKS 2415:2012
A.4 Procedure for lather determination

NOTE All tests are to be performed with solutions and equipment at 25 ºC ± 2 ºC.

A.4.1 Lather volume from standard sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) solution

A.4.1.1 Pour 100 mL of 1 % SLS solution into the blender, cover the blender jar.

A.4.1.2 Run the blender for exactly 60 s.

A.4.1.3 Invert the blender jar over the 1000 mL measuring cylinder and allow to drain. If necessary a long
plastic spatula or ruler can be used to scoop the residual foam from the jar into the cylinder.

A.4.1.4 If necessary level the top of the foam with the long plastic spatula or ruler and measure the lather
(foam) volume (S).

NOTE The total volume of material in the cylinder is taken as the lather volume. There is no allowance for any liquid that may
separate from the actual foam.
A.4.1.5 Measure the temperature of the foam in the measuring cylinder.

A.4.1.6 If the lather volume is not 600 mL ± 100 mL adjust the blender speed and repeat the test until a
volume in this range is achieved.

A.4.2 Lather volume from a bathing bar sample

A.4.2.1 Prepare 20 g of 2 mm – 3mm diameter noodles from each sample to be tested, as described in
Clause A.3.

A.4.2.2 Quickly weigh 5 g ± 0.05 g of the grated sample.

A.4.2.3 Add the sample to the blender jar which should contain 100 mL of water with 300 ppm Ca water
hardness.

A.4.2.4 Run the blender for exactly 60 s.

A.4.2.5 Invert the blender over the 1000-mL measuring cylinder and allow to drain. If necessary a long
plastic spatula or ruler can be used to scoop the residual foam from the jar into the cylinder.

A.4.2.6 If necessary level the top of the foam with the long plastic spatula or ruler and measure the lather
(foam) volume (*X)

NOTE The total volume of material in the cylinder is taken as the lather volume. There is no allowance for any liquid that may separate
from the actual foam.

o
A.4.2.7 Measure the temperature of the foam in the measuring cylinder. The target temperature is 25 C ±
o
2 C. See 4.4.

A.4.3 Calculation

The normalised value (X) of lather for the soap sample will be calculated as follows:
*
X= X × 600mL
S

A.4.4 Criteria for conformity

The test for lather will give 6 test results for a given product, obtained from duplicate determinations of the
parameter from three samples of the product.

4 © KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved

DKS 2415:2012

The mean and the range of the corresponding test result shall be calculated as:
The sum of test results
Mean (X) = The number of results

Range (R) = The difference between the highest and the lowest value obtained for the test
results.

The sampled lot of products shall be declared as conforming to requirements for this standard if the
expression X - 0.6R is greater than or equal to the minimum value in Table 1.

A.4.5 Notes for guidance

A.4.5.1 The kitchen blender

The requirement is for a kitchen food blender operated at a speed, which will deliver a lather volume of 600
mL ± 100 mL from a standard solution of sodium lauryl sulphate. Commercial blenders may have adequate
integral speed controls. Any blender may be operated through an external electronic speed controller or a
variable output transformer. Normally the lowest speed will be required from blenders having integral speed
control.

A.4.5.2 Preparing the noodles

The hole size in the grater should be 2 mm to 3 mm diameter, but is not critical. The size of holes in a grater
can be checked quickly by using a magnifier with a built-in measurement scale, or very simply by inserting
the shafts of twist drills into the holes.

A cheese grater with a rotary drum action may be used.

Older soaps may create some dust/ broken noodles during the grating operation. This fine material will have
been removed by sieving the noodles immediately after preparation.

Prepared noodles can be kept is a wide top, screw cap, jar or a sealed plastic bag. A sealed plastic bag is
less efficient at retaining moisture but is adequate for 1 day. Ideally the samples should be kept in a
refrigerator until it is re-equilibrated back to room temperature for about 1 hour before testing.

A.4.5.3 Temperature control

o o
All tests should be carried out at 25 C ± 2 C and all apparatus and solutions should be at this temperature.

The temperature of the foam is measured in the measuring cylinder, immediately after the foam volume
measurement.

It is not always easy to achieve this level of temperature control. To achieve a foam temperature in the
specified range it may be necessary to start with the 300 ppm hard water supply adjusted to a slightly higher
or slightly lower temperature than ambient.

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DKS 2415:2012

Annex B
(normative)

Determination of active ingredient

B.1 Principle
Active matter, namely, the sodium salt of sulphonated alkyl benzene, shall first be separated from inorganic
Salt and non-detergent organic matter. It shall then be neutralized with ethyl alcohol, dried and weighed.
Finally the weighed extract shall be corrected for the presence of sodium chloride and alkali carbonates.

B.2 Apparatus

B.2.1 Beakers
150 mL and 100 mL capacity.

B.2.2 Buchner flask

500 mL capacity fitted with a sintered glass filter funnel.

B.2.3 Evaporating basin

B.2.4 Separating funnels

100 mL capacity.

B.2.5 Steam bath

B.2.6 Wide-mouthed flat-bottomed flask

200 mL capacity.

B.2.7 Air-oven
Preferably electrically heated, with temperature control device.

B.3 Reagents

B.3.1 Ethyl alcohol

30 per cent, 96 per cent and absolute (by volume).

B.3.2 Diethyl ether

B.3.3 Acetone

B.3.4 Standard sulphuric acid

Approximately 0.1N.

B.3.5 Standard silver nitrate solution

0.1N.

B.3.6 Phenolphthalein indicator

1 per cent solution in 95 per cent (by volume) ethyl alcohol.

B.3.7 Methyl orange indicator

0.1 per cent (m/v).

B.3.8 Nitric acid

Concentrated, sp. gravity 1.42.

B.3.9 Nitro-benzene.

B.3.10 Standard ammonium thiocyanate solution, approximately 0.1N.

6 © KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved
DKS 2415:2012
B.3.11 Ferric ammonium sulphate indicator, saturated solution.

B.3.12 Caustic soda solution, 10 per cent (m/v).

B.4 Procedure

B.4.1 Removal of inorganic salts

Weigh accurately about 5 g of the material for products containing about 20 % active matter, and
correspondingly less for products of higher active matter content. Proceed as described in the determination
of matter insoluble in alcohol (Annex D). After filtering and washing the residue thoroughly with hot ethyl
alcohol, evaporate the combined filtrate to a small bulk in an evaporating basin.

B.4.2 Determination of active matter

B.4.2.1 To ensure that the residue is completely anhydrous, add 300 mL of absolute alcohol and evaporate
to dryness. Extract the residue with 30 mL of hot 96 % ethyl alcohol, stirring and breaking up the solid matter
in the dish with a glass rod. Allow the solid matter to settle and decant the hot alcoholic solution through a
sintered glass filter funnel fitted to a Buchner flask to which suction is applied. Extract the residue in the dish
with six further consecutive 30 mL portions of hot 96 per cent ethyl alcohol. Pass each extract in turn through
the sintered glass filter. Finally wash the residue in the sintered glass filter three times with about 20 mL of
96 per cent ethyl alcohol from the jet of a wash bottle.

B.4.2.2 Transfer the filtrate and washings in the Buchner flask to a tared wide-mouthed flat-bottomed flask,
evaporate nearly to dryness on a water bath, and drive off the remaining solvent by directing a gentle stream
of dry air into the flask whilst continuously rotating the latter on the water bath. A thin film of active matter
easy to dry is thereby obtained. Add 10 mL of acetone, evaporate and remove the last traces of solvent as
described above, cool in a desiccator and weigh.

B.4.2.3 Heat the flask for not more than five minutes in an air-oven at a temperature of 100 ± 1°C, gently
blow out with a current of air, cool and re- weigh. Repeat this drying process until the difference between two
successive weighings does not exceed 3 mg. Record this weight as M 1 .

B.4.2.5 The extract obtained in B.4.2.4 contains the active matter, some sodium chloride and possibly a
trace of alkali carbonates, which may have passed through the filter in the presence of the detergent.

B.4.3 Determination of alkali carbonates

B.4.3.1 Dissolve the extract in B.4.2.4 in cold distilled water, add a few drops of methyl orange indicator and
titrate with standard sulphuric acid to the methyl orange endpoint.

B.4.3.2 Calculation
Mass in g of sodium carbonate,
M 2 = 0.053 VN
where
V = Volume in ml of standard sulphuric acid used and,
N = Normality of the standard sulphuric acid solution.

B.4.3.3 Reserve the solution for the estimation of chlorides.

B.4.4 Determination of chlorides

B.4.4.1 To the solution remaining after the estimation of alkali carbonates, add 2 mL of concentrated nitric
acid and 20 mL of standard silver nitrate solution. Add 3 mL of nitrobenzene and shake vigorously. Titrate
with standard ammonium thiocyanate solution using ferric aluminium sulphate as indicator.

B.4.4.2 Calculation

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DKS 2415:2012
Mass in g of sodium chloride,
M 3 = 0.058 (20N – VN 1 )

where,
N = normality of the standard silver nitrate solution;
V = volume in ml of standard ammonium thiocyanate used;
N 1 = normality of the standard ammonium thiocyanate solution.

B.4.4.3 Calculation
(m0 − m 2 − m 3 )
Active matter, per cent by mass = 100
m
where,
m1 = is the mass in g of alcohol extract (see B.4.2.4);
m2 = is the mass in g of sodium carbonate (see B.4.3.2);
m3 = is the mass in g of sodium chloride (see B.4.4.2);
m = is the mass in g of the material taken for the test.

8 © KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved

DKS 2415:2012
Annex C
(normative)

Determination of hydrogen ion concentration

C.1 General
pH determination shall be made in acid free atmosphere.

C.2.1 pH meter
Any standard electrometric instrument, equipped with a low sodium error glass electrode. The instrument
shall be calibrated and standardized with standard buffer solution before use.

C.2.2 Volumetric flask –100 mL capacity.

C.3 Reagents

C.3.1 Distilled water

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 between 6.2 and 7.2 at 30°C. The residue on evaporation when heated at 105°C for one hour shall
not exceed 0.5 mg per litre.

C.3.2 Standard buffer solution

Any two suitable buffer solutions within the pH range of 9 to 11 at 30°C for calibrating the pH meter.

C.3.3 Procedure
Weigh 10± 0.001 g material and transfer to a 1 litre volumetric flask. Partially fill the flask with distilled water
and agitate until the sale is completely dissolved. Adjust the temperature of the solution and the distilled
water to 30 ±0.5 C, and fill to the calibration mark with distilled water. Stopper the flask, mix thoroughly, and
0

allow the solution to stand at a temperature of 30°C for two hours prior to measuring the pH. Measure the pH
of the solution using a glass electrode.

© KEBS 2012 — All rights reserved 9