It has been a few years since the use of preservatives in cosmetic product formulas has had a bad reputation. And rightly so: they are usually not harmless for their users – potentially carcinogenic, allergenic, irritant, or endocrine-disruptive… As a result, it is tempting for cosmetics manufacturers to seduce consumers with the ‘free from preservative’ claim… while introducing other substances. Here is a short review of them, with the Expertox firm.
Preservatives are very often required to preserve products, because the latter usually contain water, which enhances the proliferation of germs. They prevent any undesirable phenomena, like oxidation, alteration by microorganisms, or phase shift, for example.
There is a list of preservatives authorized in cosmetic products in Annex V of Regulation (EC) no 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products [1]. However, other substances have similar properties due to their antimicrobial or antioxidant activity.
Obviously, guaranteeing the preservation of products, while claiming them to be ‘free from preservatives’ is actually tempting for cosmetics manufacturers. As a reminder, claims fall into the scope of Regulation (EU) No 655/2013 of 10 July 2013 [2] laying down common criteria for the justification of claims used in relation to cosmetic products. According to the European Commission’s report on claims published in October 2016 [3], 20% of the cosmetic products inspected presented a ‘free from’ claim, and it largely concerned parabens. The use of this claim is controversial, because it can contribute to denigrating substances authorized in formulas, which would go against the equity criterion stipulated in Regulation (EU) No 655/2013: ‘claims for cosmetic products shall be …
