Environmental scanning electron microscopy of personal and household products.

The ability to forego sample preparation and to make observation directly in the environmental scanning electron microscope has benefited both household and personal product research at Unilever Research. Product efficacy on biological materials such as microcomedones was easily ascertained. Skin biopsies were examined in a moist state with no sample preparation. Effects of relative humidity on detergents were visually determined by recreating the necessary conditions in the microscope. Effects of cooling rates on the morphology of softener sheet actives that remained on polyester fabric were characterized via dynamic experimentation.