ASTM E2049-20

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: E2049 − 12 E2049 − 20
Standard Guide for
Quantitative Attribute Evaluation of Fragrance/Odors for
Shampoos and Hair Conditioners Hair-care Products by
Trained Assessors
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2049; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This guide covers standardized procedures for the quantitative sensory assessment of fragrance/odor intensity or attribute
intensity of fragrances in shampoo or hair conditioner base hair-care products through all stages of use (point of purchase, lather,
in use, wet hair after rinse, and dry hair) under laboratory conditions with trained assessors.
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical
conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.
1.2 This standard addresses the use of hair products and the equipment needed to use these products. This standard does not
purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to
establish appropriate safety safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use.
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
E253 Terminology Relating to Sensory Evaluation of Materials and Products
E1207 Guide for Sensory Evaluation of Axillary Deodorancy
E1593 Guide for Assessing the Efficacy of Air Care Products in Reducing the Perception of Indoor Malodor
E2082 Guide for Descriptive Analysis of Shampoo Performance
2.2 Code of Federal Regulations:
21 CFR 50.25 Protection of Human Subjects—Elements of Informed Consent
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E18 on Sensory Evaluationand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E18.07 on Personal Care and
Household Evaluation.
Current edition approved Oct. 15, 2012Nov. 1, 2020. Published November 2012December 2020. Originally approved in 1999. Last previous edition approved in 20062012
as E2049 – 06.E2049 – 12. DOI: 10.1520/E2049-12.10.1520/E2049-20.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Available from U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, 732 N. Capitol St., NW, Washington, DC 20401-0001, http://www.access.gpo.gov.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
E2049 − 20
3.1.1 assessor, n—a general term for any individual responding to a stimuli in a sensory test.test; in some cases, the trained
assessor may be a “cosmetologist” (a licensed, trained professional who has been certified by state or government agencies to apply
hair-care products to human heads); these individuals may be alternatively described as beauticians, stylists, or hairdressers.
3.1.2 hair swatches, n—sample tresses of human hair that serve as sample carriers.
3.1.3 subject, n—an individual recruited to participate in a study to serve as a sample carrier, and to use, consume, or experience
the test sample. The sample evaluation is completed by an assessor.
3.1.3 hair swatches, n—sample tresses of human hair that serve as sample carriers.
4. Equipment
4.1 The following equipment may be used during the preparation or evaluation processes, or both:
4.1.1 Hair Swatches, prepared as described in 12.2,
4.1.2 Aluminum Foil Sheets,
4.1.3 Beakers, 1000 mL,
4.1.4 Blow Dryer, specifications should be documented (for example, wattage, voltage power level, air velocity, temperature),
4.1.5 Combs,
4.1.6 Glass or Plastic Bottles, 4 oz (120 mL),120 mL,
4.1.7 Pipets,
4.1.8 Scale,
4.1.9 Towels, cloth or paper, or both,
4.1.10 Unfragranced Shampoo Base or Detergent,
4.1.11 Vinyl or Plastic Gloves, and
4.1.12 Water (temperature and hardness should be consistent).
5. Summary of Guide
5.1 This guide provides a methodology for the identification, selection, and training of assessors for the evaluation of the intensity
and duration of the odor/fragrance attributes of shampoos or shampoos, hair conditioners, or both. and other hair-care products.
This guide describes sample preparation and evaluation techniques from containers (point of purchase), hair swatches, mannequin
heads, and whole human heads. (Related materials include Terminology E253, GuideGuides E1593, Guide and E2082, and MNL
26.MNL26. )
6. Significance and Use
6.1 This guide can be used to quantitatively assess the intensity of specific attributes of hair fragrance.odors resulting from
hair-care products.
6.2 This guide may be utilized for product development, research guidance, and quality control.
ASTM MNL 26, Sensory Testing Methods: Second Edition, ASTM MNL26, ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA
19428-2959.
E2049 − 20
6.3 These are suggested procedures and are not meant to exclude alternate procedures that may effectively provide the same or
similar results.
7. Selection of Subjects and Assessors—General Requirements
7.1 Assessors may be recruited within a company or from the local community. The choice to use employees allows a company
to have assessors on site and keep proprietary samples and information on site. The use of local community residents allows a
company to have a more dedicated and available panel, schedule more panel time, and provides a smaller risk of attrition, both
short and long term, because of job commitments and other priorities.
7.2 If candidates are recruited from the local community, recommendations include contacting community groups, placing
newspaper ads ads in local print or on the internet and an announcement on the recruiting company’s website. If candidates are
recruited within the company, interoffice memos or emails, or notices posted on the company’s website or bulletin boards are
effective. It is recommended to recruit more candidates than needed (50 to 75), since not all may qualify.
7.3 During the recruitment phase, candidates should be informed of the time commitments for training, the potential duration of
the panel, the panel’s use, and the need for a high level of personal commitment.
7.4 A prescreening questionnaire is given to interested persons to determine availability, interest, general medical information,
general knowledge, and awareness of and experience with odors. This questionnaire is used to eliminate unsuitable candidates.
7.5 A medical history should be recorded and kept on file for each participant. For each test, all subjects and assessors should be
asked if their medical history has changed since they last participated in a hair-care product evaluation. The medical history should
be updated as needed when there is a change in the physical condition or medication history of a returning subject or assessor. This
medical information should be treated as private, confidential information and not included in any final report or shared in any
manner which would identify an individual assessor or subject unless required by law. It is recommended that the form be approved
by the company’s human resources department.
7.6 Both assessors and subjects should display interest, cooperation, commitment, and punctuality in order to ensure maximum
operating efficiency.
7.7 Assessors and subjects should refrain from smoking, the use of breath mints, toothpaste, mouth rinses and sprays, chewing
gum, and from drinking caffeinated beverages for at least 1 h prior to each test.
7.8 Assessors and subjects should not use scented products such as perfume, aftershaves, bath oils, hair spray, hand and body
lotions, etc. prior to testing.
7.9 Informed written consent shall be obtained from all subjects and assessors prior to their participation in a particular study. The
consent form shall include the basic elements of informed consent as specified by the Federal Register (20(21 CFR 50.25).
7.10 If an ethics committee review (IRB) is needed for a specific study, the study details including all recruitment and informed
consent information must be approved before proceeding with study recruitment.
8. Selection of Subjects for Whole Head Evaluations
8.1 The target population should be defined and subjects selected from this population in a random, unbiased manner according
to appropriate experimental design considerations.
8.1.1 Defining the population includes determination of hair type and condition, scalp condition, gender, age, etc.
8.2 Reasons for exclusion include extremes in hair condition that are not representative of the general population, hair type,
etc.etc., as well as allergies to topical products or fragrances.
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9. Screening of Assessors
9.1 The objective is to select and train a panel to evaluate the odor of various shampoo and hair conditioner hair-care products
from containers or from human hair in various stagesstage/touch-points of use, or both.
9.2 The prescreening phase of the selection process should yield a minimum of 20 to 30 candidates for further screening. These
candidates shall then participate in an odor acuity test phase consisting of several parts. Candidates should be screened for
qualitative olfactory discrimination ability, the ability to perform basic sensory tasks, and competency with the scaling method
used.
9.3 Additionally, candidates should participate in acuity exercises and be screened for anosmias to any specific materials which
are routinely encountered in the product category and are relevant to the task at hand. (See Appendix X2.6.3 of Practice E1207
for more details.)
9.4 Each candidate is interviewed by the panel administrator or trainer to determine attitude, interest, and ability to learn and work
in a group, and availability for orientation, practice, and panel sessions on an ongoing and routine basis.
9.5 The selection process should embody the principles in STP 758.
9.6 Select 15 to 20 assessors. The following criteria may be used as a guideline. Other approaches are described in
6 5
MNL 13MNL13 and STP 758.
9.6.1 Available for the orientation and training and practice sessions.
9.6.2 No health-related problems which would interfere with the sense of smell. These would include serious allergies, sinus
problems, history of frequent sinus infections, or migraine headaches.
9.6.3 Correct rating of 80 % or more of the scaling exercises in the prescreening questionnaire.
9.6.4 Correct identification of 80 % or more of the odd samples in the triangle test series.
9.6.5 Correct placement of 80 % or more of the samples in the intensity ranking exercises.
9.6.6 Demonstration of good verbal skills, a high interest in the work, and a cooperative yet confident personality.
10. Training of Assessors
10.1 The panel trainer should have experience with appropriate sensory techniques, use of scales, training techniques, industry
credibility, good oral and written communication skills, and good problem-solving skills. The trainer should also have experience
with appropriate attributes, definitions, and qualitative references or standards for understanding each fragrance attribute.
10.2 Training should include orientation to general concepts such as sample manipulation and rating scales, exposure to a range
of samples that represent a range of variability in sensory characteristics, and evaluation of several sample pairs representing large
differences and small or no differences. Each assessor shall be able to identify samples as similar or identical when such is the case
and enumerate specific differences when they are known by the trainer to be present.
5 6
10.3 For additional information on training see STP 758 and MNL 13.MNL13.
ASTM STP 758, Guidelines for the Selection and Training of Sensory Panel Members, ASTM STP 758, ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West
Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959.
ASTM MNL 13, Manual on Descriptive Analysis Testing for Sensory Evaluation, ASTM MNL13, ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West
Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959.
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11. Sample Preparation for Evaluation From Bottles (Point of Purchase)
11.1 Obtain sufficient quantities of unfragranced and fragranced product base to complete the entire study. The actual product base
shall be used to account for base odor contribution and base-fragrance interactions. The fragrance level shall be as intended for
final use.
11.2 Glass or plastic containers may be used as long as consistency is maintained throughout the study. Four-ounce bottles, filled
approximately ⁄4 full, will generally provide adequate sample and headspace. If plastic containers are used, they should represent
the final packaging material, if possible.
11.3 Fragrance oil should be added to the product base at the intended level, allow
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