10th Edition Aerosol Guide

Written on: May 1, 2026 by Nicholas Georges

Update delivers clarity, access & industry alignment…

As the aerosol products industry continues to evolve, so too must the guidance that supports it. The latest edition of the Household & Commercial Products Association’s (HCPA) Aerosol Guide delivers updated voluntary standards and methods for today’s marketplace.

For more than 65 years, the HCPA Aerosol Guide has served as a trusted resource for aerosol product suppliers, fillers, formulators and marketers, offering the technical insight needed to operate effectively.i Today, the 10th Edition Aerosol Guide is available for free on HCPA’s websiteii to expand access to essential guidance for the industry. The updated guide now incorporates standards and methods developed by the Plastic Aerosol Research Group, LLC (PARG).

The 10th Edition Aerosol Guide reflects the work of HCPA member companies to establish consistent, science-based practices in product development, filling operations and materials supply. This work has helped advance uniformity, improve testing protocols and deliver reliable technical information to those who depend on it. Notably, HCPA members determined that this guide should focus on technical standards and methodologies and removed the regulatory content included in prior editions. However, HCPA continues to develop separate resources that address aerosol regulations, such as the recently published Guide to Water Bath Alternatives in the United States.iii

Removing cost and access barriers helps ensure that these standards reach a wider audience, particularly aerosol fillers and packaging suppliers who may have previously faced limitations. This change broadens the guide’s global impact, enabling international partners to reference and apply these practices, while reinforcing HCPA’s role in discussions with regulatory agencies. Hosting the guide online also supports timely updates, so new standards and methods can be incorporated as they are developed.

The guide is now organized into seven sections, including:

• Section 1: Voluntary Standard Practices & Test Methods for Aerosol Products in Three-Piece Tinplate Containers
• Section 2: Voluntary Standard Practices & Test Methods for Aerosol Products in Aluminum Containers
• Section 3: Voluntary Standard Practices & Test Methods for Aerosol Products in Two-Piece Tinplate Containers
• Section 4: Voluntary Standard Practices & Test Methods for Aerosol Products in Plastic Containers
• Section 5: Voluntary Standard Practices & Test Methods for Aerosol Products in Glass Containers
• Section 6: Voluntary Standard Practices & Test Methods for Physical Attributes of Aerosol Products
• Section 7: Voluntary Standard Practices & Test Methods for Product Delivery and Aerosol System Verification

HCPA is grateful to the many contributors who supported this effort, especially Erik Bowdish from Sonoco, whose leadership guided this update, and Rodney Prater from SC Johnson, whose early determinations helped set this latest revision in motion.

For more information about the HCPA Aerosol Guide, please contact me at ngeorges@thehcpa.org. SPRAY

i HCPA operated under the name “Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association (CSMA)” from the 1950s through 2000, then “Consumer Specialties Products Association (CSPA)” from 2000 to 2018. All earlier editions of the HCPA Aerosol Guide were called either the CSMA or CSPA Aerosol Guide.
ii link
iii link