They are suspicious in the eyes of consumers and at the heart of the attention of the authorities, who are tending to regulate and limit them more and more. Faced with the ever-increasing threats targeting them, the cosmetics industry has decided to defend its preservatives. At the 16th Cosmetic Valley Perfumes and Cosmetics Congress, Pamela Bloor, from Unilever, and Sylvie Cupferman, from L’Oréal R&I, presented, on behalf of Cosmetics Europe, the work of the Product Preservation Programme, with its technical, regulatory and communication aspects.
Pamela Bloor began this presentation by asking a question to the delegates: “Have you ever imagined what our life would be like without preservatives in cosmetics? It is by trying to answer this question that we become aware of the importance of the preservatives, and this is the basis of Cosmetics Europe’s work. This is one of the main priorities of our organization.”
And this is explained when Pamela Bloor talks about the impact that the absence of conservatives could have:
• The life span of the products would be considerably shortened
• It would be almost impossible to offer products in jars, in which consumers plunge their fingers every day by introducing micro-organisms, and this would require the design of more complex and expensive packaging
• Cosmetics, like food, should be stored in the refrigerator by their consumers… but who wants to apply an ice-cold moisturizing milk to their whole body in the cold morning?
• Production processes should be reviewed, with drastic implications for hygiene and even sterilization of the premises
• We could even see some cosmetics disappear, like those intended to be applied around the eyes… no more mascara! • And some raw materials may simply …
