What Is Water Resistance?
The water resistance topic answers three separate questions depending on the product line. IN TEXTILES two properties are measured: water repellency (the ability of the surface to drain water without retaining it, rated by the spray test) and water permeability (resistance to water permeation under pressure, measured by hydrostatic pressure). IN SHOES, the assembled product is tested to see if it is water permeable. IN SUN PROTECTIVE PRODUCTS, it is measured how much of the protection is retained after entering the water (water resistance retention). The three practices are governed by different standards and their results are not interchangeable.
Purpose of Water Resistance
The aim is to verify whether the product delivers the declared performance in wet conditions: that the clothing is waterproof in the rain, that the shoes keep the feet dry, that the sunscreen continues to protect after leaving the sea.
Which Products Is Water Resistance Applied To?
- Outerwear and raincoat fabrics
- Tents, awnings and tarpaulins
- Work clothes and protective clothing
- Membrane and coated fabrics
- Work safety shoes and boots
- Water-resistant sunscreen products
In Which Sectors Is Water Resistance Used?
Standards Related to Water Resistance
- TS EN ISO 4920 (textile — surface wetting resistance, spray test)
- TS EN ISO 811 (textile — resistance to hydrostatic pressure)
- TS EN ISO 9865 (Bundesmann rain simulation)
- TS EN 343 (protective clothing against rain)
- AATCC 22 / AATCC 127
- TS EN ISO 5403-1/-2 (leather — dynamic water impermeability)
- TS EN ISO 20344 / 20345 (shoes — all shoes waterproof, WR)
- TS EN ISO 16217 (sunscreen — water immersion process)
- TS EN ISO 18861 (sunscreen — water resistance retention percentage)
Water Resistance Conditions
- Sprey testi
- A certain volume of water is sprayed from a height defined in the standard.
- Hidrostatik test
- The pressure is increased at a rate defined in the standard; The value at which the third drop appears is recorded
- shoe experiment
- The product is subjected to walking movement in water at a defined depth
- sunscreen
- SPF measurement is repeated before and after water immersion; retention percentage is calculated
Equipment for Water Resistance
- Spray test device (spray tester)
- Hydrostatic pressure tester
- Bundesmann rain simulator
- Walking simulation water tank (for shoes)
- Water bath and SPF measuring device (for sunscreen)
- Reference photo sets
Sample Requirements for Water Resistance
- Separate sample sets for each experiment
- Fabric samples should be placed with the coated surface facing outwards.
- If the stitched area will be tested, a separate sample should be prepared.
- Completely assembled, unused pairs are required for shoe testing.
- If post-washing performance is desired, a washed sample should also be submitted.
Duration of Water Resistance
The spray test is short. The duration of the hydrostatic test depends on the rate of pressure increase and the level to which the sample resists; It is significantly extended in high-performance membranes. In the shoe test, the defined number of cycles determines the duration, and in the sunscreen test, the dipping and SPF measurement steps determine the duration.
Water Resistance Procedure
- 1Specimens are conditioned.
- 2In the spray test, the sample is stretched on the inclined device and a defined volume of water is sprayed; The surface is graded with the reference set.
- 3In the hydrostatic test, the sample is sealed to the cell and the pressure is increased at a defined rate.
- 4In the shoe test, the product is subjected to walking movement in the water tank and the inner surface is examined.
- 5SPF in sunscreen is measured before and after water immersion.
- 6Results are reported on a trial-by-experiment basis.
Water Resistance Acceptance Criteria
Acceptance criteria vary depending on the application: the minimum degree in the specification in the spray test, the class limits of product standards such as TS EN 343 in the hydrostatic test, the maximum wetting area defined by TS EN ISO 20345 for WR in shoes, and the retention percentage calculated according to ISO 18861 in sunscreen to support the declaration. Class and threshold values are confirmed from the current edition of the relevant standard.
Evaluation of Results
The results are read together. A high degree of spray but low hydrostatic pressure indicates that the surface finish is working but the fabric is not a water barrier. Material impermeability in shoes does not guarantee product impermeability; Water mostly enters through the seam or bottom joint. Re-measurement after washing reveals the permanence of the water-repellent finish.
Water Resistance Report
- Sample description and coating/membrane information, if applicable
- Applied standards and test level (material/product)
- Sprey testi derecesi
- Hydrostatic pressure value (cm of water column or kPa)
- Wetting area and amount of water intake in shoes
- SPF and retention percentage in sunscreen before/after dipping
- Results after washing, if any
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment (for protective clothing and footwear)
- Cosmetic Products Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 (for sunscreen claims)
Kozmetik Testleri — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Water Resistance test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Cosmetics testing shows that a product stays microbiologically safe throughout its use, delivers the performance it claims and contains no restricted substances. There is NO PRODUCT APPROVAL in this family: no authority approves a cosmetic product; responsibility rests entirely with the manufacturer and with the responsible person established in the EU.
This responsibility model shapes how the field works. Before the product is placed on the market a product information file (PIF) is prepared, a safety assessment (CPSR) is carried out and notification is completed. Inspection comes afterwards and asks for the file; if the file is incomplete the product is withdrawn from the market. Test reports form the evidence base of that file.
On the microbiological side there are two different questions and each is answered by a separate test. The CURRENT microbiological quality of the product is measured by enumeration and testing for specified microorganisms. The EFFECTIVENESS of the preservative system is examined by deliberately inoculating the product with microorganisms (challenge test): can the product resist repeated contamination throughout its use? A jar of cream is touched by a finger at every use; the preservative system must cope with that.
On the performance side, claim substantiation studies are carried out. For sunscreens, determination of SPF and UVA protection and measurement of water resistance are mandatory and are the basis of the value declared on the label. Evidence is also produced by in vivo or in vitro methods for claims such as moisturisation, appearance of wrinkles, hair care and colour retention.
On the chemical side, banned and restricted substances are screened: heavy metals, prohibited colorants, preservative concentrations, UV filter levels and contaminants such as nitrosamines. Products containing nanomaterials carry a separate notification obligation.
The BAN ON ANIMAL TESTING is the most defining constraint of the field. Animal testing cannot be carried out on finished products or ingredients, and a product tested on animals cannot be placed on the market. Alternative in vitro methods (reconstructed human skin models, cell culture based tests) are therefore at the centre of the field, and toxicological assessment rests largely on existing data, read-across approaches and in vitro results.
Stability and packaging compatibility studies determine shelf life and the period after opening (PAO). The interaction of the product with its packaging is also assessed: an active substance may migrate into the packaging, and substances that should not be present may pass from the packaging into the product.
On the process side, good manufacturing practice is demonstrated through ISO 22716; this is separate from product testing but a mandatory part of the file.
Method groups in this field
Microbiological quality
Enumeration of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and moulds; testing for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and E. coli.
Preservative efficacy
Resistance of the preservative system to repeated contamination by challenge test (ISO 11930).
Sun protection
In vivo SPF determination, in vitro UVA protection determination, water resistance and critical wavelength measurements.
Chemical analysis
Heavy metals, banned and restricted substances, quantification of preservatives and UV filters, contaminant screening.
Safety assessment
In vitro irritation and sensitisation methods, toxicological risk assessment, exposure calculations.
Stability and compatibility
Real-time and accelerated stability, packaging compatibility, PAO determination, sensory and physicochemical monitoring.
Commonly confused in this field
- There is NO CE marking on cosmetics; conformity is demonstrated through the PIF, the safety assessment and notification.
- The responsible person must be established in the EU; unless the exporter arranges this, the product cannot be placed on the market.
- Microbiological quality and preservative efficacy are different tests; a product that comes out clean may still have a weak preservative system.
- The animal testing ban covers ingredients too; animal test data generated for another market creates a problem of use.
- An SPF claim must be supported by measurement; a formulation change requires a new measurement.
- A change of packaging may require the stability and compatibility studies to be repeated.
Which decisions these results support
- The product information file and the safety assessment
- Verification of the preservative system design
- Substantiation of SPF and efficacy claims
- Determining shelf life and the period after opening
- Compliance with destination market restrictions for export
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Water Resistance
Are waterproof and water repellent the same thing?
It is not. Water repellent is the ability of the surface to bead and drain water and is achieved by the finish. Waterproof is the ability to resist water under pressure and requires a membrane or coating. A product is water repellent and can pass through water.
Are the seams also tested?
Fabric experiments do not include sewing. A garment made from a waterproof fabric will absorb water through the seams if the seam holes are not taped. If final product performance is desired, the stitched sample or assembled product must be tested separately.
What is required for a sunscreen to declare 'water resistant'?
The claim is based on measurement demonstrating that a certain percentage of protection is retained after immersion in water. ISO 16217 defines immersion and ISO 18861 defines how retention is calculated. The measurement is carried out together with the SPF determination.