The formulation class, which can include things like "toothpaste," "shampoo," and "fabric softener," amongst others, provides basic ingredients information regarding the components that are present. Standard shampoo formulations include the following ingredients: foam booster (a nonionic surfactant), conditioner, viscosity improver, opacifier, dye, perfume, chelate, and preservatives
- either two anionic surfactants or one anionic and one amphoteric surfactant
- two types of surfactants (either two anionic or one anionic and one amphoteric)
Formulated products are typically available in a variety of forms, including liquid, solid, emulsion, dispersion, and so on. These products contain a large number of components (for example, there may be 20 components in some cosmetic products), and some of these components, such as preservatives, are present in low concentrations. In most cases, the first step of the first inspection is the determination of the total solids, the volatile matter, and the water that will be used in the mass balance calculations. The amount of organic solvent and scents present is what differentiates the two latter factors from one another. The following items make up a standard operating procedure: From the solids, the material that is soluble in ethanol (which is where the surfactants are) is separated from the material that is insoluble in ethanol (containing inorganic compounds). Ion exchange, column, thin layer chromatography, and liquid-liquid extraction are the techniques used to isolate different types of surfactants from the organic fraction. These types of surfactants include anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic surfactants. Both the amount of time spent on analysis and the amount of solvent used can be cut down by using alternative techniques such as solid-phase extraction (SPE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). It has been demonstrated that solid-phase microextraction possesses beneficial properties for aqueous sampling samples. The required information, the matrix, and the available instrumentation are at least some of the factors that influence the choice of separation mode. 
The infrared (IR) technique is a non-destructive method that can be utilized for the analysis of formulated products. It provides a significant amount of information regarding the compounds that are present. Spectroscopies in the near-infrared range (between 13000 and 4000 cm1) and the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) range (between 4000 and 400 cm1) are utilized. The ethanol-soluble fraction can be subjected to qualitative analysis, which enables the identification of functional group types such as hydrotropes (xylene sulfonate and toluenesulfonate). In addition, one can find zeolite, alkalis, polymers, and builders in the insoluble fraction of ethanol. Sample analysis may be completed in a matter of minutes. However, method development might take quite a while due to the large number of calibration standards required for quantitative analysis. Alkyl ether sulfate (AES) and fatty alkanol amide are quantified in shampoos by FTIR spectrometry with similar results obtained by two-phase titration. Also, using diffuse reflectance for solid samples, powder soap, heavy-duty laundry detergent, and bar soap are analyzed by FTIR spectrometry. It is possible to examine surfactants, hydrotropes, and sequestering agents in liquid detergent using 13C NMR spectroscopy without subjecting the sample to any kind of pretreatment. Phosphorus species that are present in detergents may also be measured using 31P NMR spectrometry. GC is used to examine formulations, including the analysis of solvents and fragrances. For the purpose of separating inorganic impurities from the sample being analyzed for solvents in surfactants, sample pretreatment with an organic solvent is used. 
In terms of surfactants and complementary compounds, some applications that can be mentioned include the separation of a hardness agent (sodium laurate) in liquid laundry detergent by GC and the Hofmann degradation, as well as analyses of cationic surfactant of the alkyl trimethyl- and dialkyl dimethylammonium type in fabric softener and hair rinse. Other applications include the separation of a hardness agent (sodium laurate) in solid laundry detergent by the Hofmann degradation. Because it enables the measurement of a wide range of chemicals, from surfactants to minor compounds in the matrices of detergents, cosmetic goods, and industrial products, liquid chromatography (LC) is a considerable separation technology relevant to the formulation process. In the formulation of liquid pesticides, LC with UV absorbance detection is utilized for the determination of anionic surfactants (alkylbenzene sulfonate) and nonionic surfactants (APE); cationic surfactants (such as cetyl pyridinium) in pharmaceutical tablets; and benzalkonium chloride in ophthalmic preparations. Analysis of nonchromophore surfactants is analyzed in cosmetic items (such as shampoos, foam baths, and make-up remover lotion) using normal-phase and reversed-phase elution in conjunction with short-wavelength ultraviolet detection. Nonionic surfactants, such as alkanolamides, amphoteric surfactants, such as carboxy betaine and carboxyimidazoline, and anionic surfactants are all possible forms for these molecules (alkyl sulfates, alkyl ethoxy sulfates, sarcosinate, and types of sulfonates such as taurate and sulfosuccinate). 
The measurement of alkyl trimethylammonium (a cationic surfactant) in skin moisture formulation using refractive index detection is one example of another kind of detection technique. Also, alkyl sulfonates in shampoo and LAS in laundry detergent were determined using liquid chromatography (LC) with postcolumn addition of a solid-phase reagent followed by conductometric detection. In order to determine the presence of alkyl ether sulfates, synthetic and petroleum sulfonates, and AE in industrially prepared goods, an evaporative light-scattering detector is applied. For the examination of minor components in laundry detergents, such as buffering agents (triethanolamine, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and silicate), or an enzyme stabilizer (formate), ion chromatography with inverse conductivity detection yields satisfactory findings. Ion-exchange chromatography coupled with UV absorbance detection may also be used to identify sequestrants in powdered and liquid forms of laundry detergent. One example of such a sequestrant is citrate. Quantifying other components, including enzymes, may be accomplished in the formulation of detergents by using specific processes that include measurement using plasma desorption, laser desorption, or ion-spray MS. The identification of anionic surfactants (LAS and AS) and inorganic chemicals is made possible by the use of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (phosphate, silicate, zeolite, sulfate). Other methods, like X-ray particle diffraction and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, have also been used to qualitatively analyze inorganic detergents. 
Optical light, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy is three types of microscopy that may be used for surface investigation. These microscopies can analyze particles, deposits of surfactant, and other detergent components on fabric. The usefulness of this method for investigating surfactants found in hair care products was shown by research conducted by MS on cosmetics. After the sample has been pretreated in order to separate the various types of surfactants, it is possible to perform the typical identification of anionic surfactants such as AE and AES, as well as identification of less common surfactants such as lauryl sulfosuccinate, N-acyl-N-methyl taurate, and paraffin sulfonate. This approach has also proved successful in identifying amphoteric surfactants, such as Cocamidopropyl betaine, as well as those that are present only sometimes, such as lauryl hydroxysultaine. MS is a suitable method for analyzing different types of components that are included in hair-care formulations. These components include cationic and nonionic surfactants, such as alkyl trimethylammonium and dialkyl dimethylammonium. Nonionic surfactants include AE and, cocodiethanolamide, CDEA. The use of LC-MS may accomplish the separation and characterization of surfactants in formulated goods. The examination of homologs of a cationic surfactant (ditallowdimethylammonium) and its impurities (tritallowmethylammonium) using normal-phase LC–MS FAB mode is an illustration of the typical use of this technique.