| abstract |
A substrate (e.g. skin of unknown type, fabric, or hard surfaces) is characterized by analyzing chemicals emanating from the substrate or from a substance (e.g. a test formulation comprising a mixture of volatile chemicals) applied to the substrate. Analysis is preferably done using a volatile chemicals sensor, desirably a sensor comprising an array of conducting polymer sensors. The chemical analysis data obtained in this way may be statistically analyzed, e.g. by Euclidian distance mapping or principal component analysis, for ease of handling. Having characterized a surface in this way, products, e.g. cosmetic and cleaning products, may be formulated for optimized performance on that substrate. |