Overview
ISO/TR 23199:2019 provides supplemental guidance to be used with ISO 16128-2 for the specific case of hydrolates (also called hydrosols or floral waters). The technical report clarifies how to determine the organic index (OI) of hydrolates when direct measurement of water or steam input is not available. It is aimed at cosmetics ingredient manufacturers-particularly SMEs-to support consistent, transparent calculation of organic content for product labelling and formulation assessment.
Key Topics
- Scope: Additional information to apply ISO 16128-2 to hydrolates and floral waters.
- Hydrolate types: Distinguishes between
- Eaux florales (floral waters produced by distillation with added water), and
- Hydrolats derived as an aqueous phase during essential oil steam distillation.
- Water-accounting approach: When an inlet water or steam meter is available, apply the ISO 16128-2 formula directly. When no meter is available, estimate water introduced by applying a default correction for process losses.
- Default loss factor: A default 20% water loss (pilot-determined) is applied where losses are not measured. The total mass of water introduced is estimated by multiplying the mass of hydrolate obtained by 1.25.
Key formulas presented in the report (notation as in ISO text):
- For floral waters: m_H2O = FWW × 1.25
- For hydrolates: m_H2O = HW × 1.25
- Special case for fresh biological plant material: if CW > HW × 1.25, then OI = 1
(m_H2O = mass of total water introduced; FWW = mass of floral water obtained; HW = mass of hydrolate obtained; CW = water of constitution.)
Applications
- Manufacturers and formulators: Use the guidance to calculate organic indexes when direct measurement of water/steam input is not feasible on production equipment.
- Small and medium enterprises (SMEs): Practical method to estimate water input and demonstrate compliance with ISO 16128-2 requirements without installing additional metering.
- Product documentation & claims: Apply consistent, auditable calculations for organic index reporting on ingredient specifications and product information.
Related Standards
Practical value: ISO/TR 23199:2019 enables consistent, reproducible organic-index calculations for hydrolates by clarifying water-accounting practices and providing a defensible default loss factor when measurement is unavailable. This supports transparency in ingredient assessment and product claims within the cosmetic industry.
Open preview (PDF)Cosmetics — Calculation of organic indexes of hydrolates — Supplemental information for ISO 16128-2
