Let's talk about Preservatives and why we use them...

 

After a discussion with a fellow bath and body manufacturer, I decided that it was time to bring up the topic of Preservatives. The topic of preservatives sparks massive debates with extremely strong opinions on both sides.  Those of us in the “handmade” “homemade” industry typically design our formulas and products to be as natural and chemical free as possible. What I have noticed is that the majority of the debates come from those that make and market "homemade" or "handmade" products. To me, if you care about the safety of your customers and the integrity of your products, then there is nothing to debate or argue about. Appropriate preservatives are REQUIRED for some products. Let me stress the word "Appropriate" and we will touch on that in a minute. But, first let me just add this little bit of information below,  directly from the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) website.

"Companies and individuals who manufacture or distribute cosmetics are legally responsible for the safety of their products. This includes, for example, making sure cosmetics are free of harmful microorganisms.

While the law does not require cosmetics to have FDA approval before they go on the market, we do monitor the safety of cosmetics, including their microbiological safety, and FDA can take action against cosmetics on the market that don’t comply with the law.

This includes, but not limited to:

• Poor manufacturing conditions
• Ingredients that  encourage growth of microorganisms, without an effective preservative system" - FDA website                                                

What types of products need preservatives?

Any product that is made with or contains water, aloe vera gel/juice, hydrosols, teas, or any water-soluble or water based ingredients . Water is a breeding ground for bacteria, yeast and molds. In our case, we use a broad spectrum preservative in our lotions, scrubs, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner bars, and facial cleansers. Not all of these products are made with water or water based ingredients, some are made with oils and butters making then anhydrous.  Even with that being said, it is easy to accidentally introduce water into those products by using wet fingers or taking them into the shower with you when you use them, in comes the preservative to keep all of the nasties away.  Soap bars do not require preservatives.

What happens if there is no preservative in the product?

photo from The Nova Studio webpage about cosmetic preservation

The above picture is what happens when an appropriate preservative system is NOT used.  Yes, it is absolutely disgusting. And that's not even the scary part. What is scary, is that unpreserved product you made or purchased is growing nasty bacteria, molds and yeast that are not visible and do not leave a foul odor.  Think about that while you are slathering that all over your face and body...mmmm...no thank you.  I cringe every time a friend shows me "this really cool (product)" that they bought at a farmers market or bazaar and there is no preservative listed on the label.  Heck, half of the time the label is missing ingredients and other required things, but I digress, we'll save that rant for another time. I hate doing it, but I always tell my friends to use caution with the "cool (product)" they just purchased. Not always, but the majority of the time, I find that the makers of these products that do this are backyard "hobbyists" who did not do their research, did not test their products, did not do any formulating of their recipes, and are completely unaware of the potential harm and injury to customers that their products can cause. It is so frustrating to those of us that are trying to do it the right way, because those that are irresponsible make it harder for customers to want to trust us.

But I see Vitamin E and Rosemary Extract used as natural preservatives, can I use them as my preservative instead?

Remember the word "Appropriate" from earlier? How can I say this, so that everyone, including the people in the back can hear? NO! Not now, not ever! Vitamin E (Tocopherol), Rosemary Extract, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Essential Oils, etc ARE NOT preservatives. These commonly get confused because ones like Vitamin E are used in anhydrous products like our Mad Cow Tallow Balm, which is strictly oil based. We use Vitamin E because it is a wonderful anti-oxidant that slows down the oxidation of the oils prolonging the shelf life. However, Vitamin E, along with the others I just named DO NOT have any anti-fungal, anti-microbial or anti-bacterial properties thus rendering them 100% completely USELESS as preservatives.

What preservatives do you use?

We use a couple of different preservatives, depending on the product.  Every product has a different pH requirement, temperatures at which to add preservative and the over all formula of the product. All of the preservative systems we use are paraben free and formaldehyde free

These are the preservatives that we use. We feel that these preservatives offer the best broad spectrum protection and are the safest for our customers.

Liquid Germall Plus - This is considered a natural preservative. It can be used in lotions, creams and shampoos INCI: Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Optiphen Plus - Considered a natural preservative. It can be used in lotions, creams, scrubs, sunscreens and body washes. INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Sorbic Acid

Euxyl PE 9010 - is natural and Ecocert approved. It can be used in lotions, creams, serums, wet wipes and shampoos. INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Ethylhexylglycerin

Don't ever be afraid to question!

If you ever wonder if your products are safe or not, do not ever be afraid to ask questions from the manufacturer/maker of the product. They should be able to tell you what preservatives they use and why. Do they test their finished products? They should be knowledgeable about the ingredients in their products and what the uses are. They should be practicing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in accordance with the FDA. This applies to all makers and manufacturers from the big box names to the backyard "hobbyist" who does this on the side. And if they ever make a claim that their water based products are Preservative-Free...run away....run far, far away. Because they either do not know what they are doing which can put you at serious risk of illness or injury or they are trying to mislead you in some way.