The preservatives are the family of cosmetic ingredients that are the most questioned and are media hype, and are also the source of concerns for consumers. Is there someone who has never heard about parabens or phenoxyethanol, to quote only the most criticized? This anti-preservative trend is not without any consequence on the cosmetic companies as well as on the formulations of their products. How will they adapt to this situation? What are the strategies to use to ensure their preservation? This was the topic of a conference during the 10th Regulatory Convention of the Cosmetic Valley, held in Chartres (France), on November 28 and 29.
A report of the common lecture by Perrine Brel (Dow Microbial Control) and Stéphane Sellam (Thor Personal Care), Chartres, 29 November.
For a cosmetic product, the preservative system is an essential element of safety and quality.
Keep in mind that the different steps of the life of a cosmetic: its formulation, its manufacturing process, its conditions of use, are all favourable conditions for the development of micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi …). These organisms, in fact, find there all they need to develop:
• water, essential to any form of life,
• nutrients, that they eat, as our skins do,
• a favourable temperature, be it during manufacturing, storage, or in the bathroom,
• suitable pH,
•oxygen, essential for their growth, supplied every time the product is in contact with air …
Vital preservation
A cosmetic is an ideal environment for the birth and the growth of micro-organisms. What does happen when they contaminate it? The product is no longer safe to use.
Fungi, and moulds they give rise to, are not the best means for the image of a cosmetic company, one may guess. Further, a withdrawal from the market or the destruction of contaminated batches has a significant economic weight. Add to this …
