Preservatives are, of course, critical to maintaining the safety, freshness, and efficacy of personal care and cosmetic items. And while online shopping has surged forward as a key avemue for consumers to purchase their next cosmetic item, over half (53%) of Americans are concerned about the safety of products bought online, according to research from Mintel. Plus, almost eight in ten (78%) consumers are concerned about the freshness of items they buy online.

It’s these combined consumer concerns that helped kick off the second quarter of the U.S. specialty chemicals market second quarter on such a vigorous note in the second quarter. The market increased 0.9% in April after a 0.5% gain in March and a 0.3% gain in February.

Partnering for better preservatives

Preservatives are a fundamental and vital segment of the speciality chemicals market – and Coast Southwest’s very own Nicholas A. Arellano, technical marketing manager of preservatives, got a chance to talk about their role in the personal care market with Happi Magazine as he was cited in an expert on “The Power of Preservatives” just recently.

Some context: Coast Southwest is a proud partner in preservatives with Sharon Laboratories, a globally recognized manufacturer with ISO-certified production facilities in Israel and Brazil. Sharon Laboratories delivers classic preservatives, “free of” alternatives, and naturally derived, advanced products which can be options for rinse-off, leave-on, wipes, and baby-oriented products.

“Finding a preservative or preservative blend that meets consumer expectations, regulatory requirements, and product efficacy has become arduous and more of an industry challenge”

Nicholas A. Arellano
Coast Southwest

In the article, Nick shares his thoughts about natural surfactants, including the brand-new, patent-pending, preservative line Sharomix Amplify, the SharoSense Plus line, and balancing the current consumer perception of preservatives with formulation concerns.

“Finding a preservative or preservative blend that meets consumer expectations, regulatory requirements, and product efficacy has become arduous and more of an industry challenge,” he explains in the story. “Because of Sharon’s rapidity and attention to industry concerns and needs, we have a portfolio of preservatives that will help all customers in all different regions of the world.” 

Other insights he offers up?

As the industry continuously changes to keep up with consumer perception and regulatory requirements, we are noticing that technologies cannot be created fast enough to meet this ever-changing environment. This poses obvious challenges to all the different departments within any given organization to keep up with demand.

The current atmosphere among consumers regarding preservatives in their personal care products is increasingly negative with more of a call for safe preservation as well as efficacy in the eyes of formulation chemists and consumers, which creates a fine balance between science and art.

Looking ahead to 2019 and beyond, the driving forces behind preservative technologies will be lower use levels to further user safety and the call for more natural/green options.

Want to learn more about the future of preservatives? Be sure to read the full Happi Magazine article here.