The Determination of Ethanol Levels in Facial Freshener Using the NIR Spectroscopy and Chemometric Method

A facial freshener, also known as toner, is a cosmetic product that is commonly used to invigorate the face after a busy day. Ethanol serves as a key component in toner, serving multiple purposes such as being a solvent, preservative, and antimicrobial agent. However, it's important to note that toner formulated for normal skin types typically contain ethanol in small concentrations, adhering to a limit of not more than 10%. Therefore, this study aims to determine ethanol levels in toner using the NIR spectroscopy and chemometric techniques. The NIR spectra of the simulated samples were correlated with ethanol concentration using chemometric calibration model. The calibration models used were partial least square (PLS), principal component regression (PCR), and support vector regression (SVR). The calibration model was validated by leave one out cross validation (LOOCV) as well as the external validation, and the precision and accuracy of the method was evaluated. Among the calibration models, the PLS model exhibited the best performance, yielding an impressive R2 0.9976; with an RMSEC value of 0.4364 and RMSECV value of 0.4704. The internal validation yield R2 value more than 0.99 and RMSE of less than 0,4198. Furthermore, external validation showed the R2 and RMSEP value of 0.989 and 0.920 respectively. The %recovery and RSD value were 101.2% and 0.129%. Comparing ethanol measurements obtained through the NIR chemometric method with those obtained using gas chromatography as the reference method, no significant difference was observed at a 95% confidence levels, as indicated by a significance value of 0.231.