Nothing says pretty like an eyeshadow in a cappuccino brown…with a touch of Bacillus cereus. Or what about a rich moisturizer with a hint of mold? It happens, especially if a formulator—or its contract manufacturing partner—isn’t prudent when it comes to production, and more specifically, preservation.
But product preservation has been complicated in recent years by small, but very vocal, groups publically railing against the use of traditional technologies like parabens and phthalates.
“It’s been a continuing challenge with all the blogs, e-newsblasts and other stories stimulating the public’s perception (some science-based and many not science based) about the efficacy of chemical ingredients, including preservatives,” said Kevin D. Sathre, vice president of sales at Coast Southwest, which works with global preservatives manufacturer Sharon Laboratories. As a result, marketers and suppliers in the personal care industry are seeking natural, milder yet still effective preservative systems and technologies.
Leading preservatives suppliers are up for the challenge, offering a wide range of solutions that provide adequate protection and answer consumer demands.
“The rules of the game for preservation have been changing,” noted Sathre. ”Customers want milder formulations than previous formaldehyde donor or isothiazolinone chemistries. Preservatives now can be multifunctional or using nontraditional materials to create ‘preservative free’ blends that offer broad spectrum efficacy that meets the standards of micro challenge testing and shelf-life requirements.”
Sharon Laboratories, for instance, has blends with caprylyl glycol and 1,2-hexylenediol, which are emollients and humectants that are also potentiators or boosters that increase the efficacy of the preservative blend, according to Sathre. Some blends have the traditional phenoxyethanol and benzyl alcohol preservatives but others contain non-traditional phenethyl alcohol or phenylpropanol. Sharomix HP, CPA and CPP, he said, can be considered “preservative-free” blends that provide broad-spectrum efficacy even though they are milder than traditional preservatives.
Sharon Biomix blends, which are paraben-free, formaldehyde-free, and halogen-free, offer all-natural broad spectrum preservatives with Pure I and II, but the company also offers “nature identical” with Biomix Free I and II and ECO, which conform to Ecocert standards, according to Sathre.
According to Sathre, when one customer that had tried many natural preservatives in their all-natural body care line opted for Biomix Pure I in a lotion and body wash, each product in the line passed microbiological challenge testing.
“The customer had a successful launch of the product line with confidence that he will not have any contamination issues,” Sathre said.
