Preservatives can be natural or synthetically produced to be added to foods, beauty and personal care products to prevent spoilage. Cosmetic products are made up of ingredients that are naturally biodegradable, which means microbes can easily break these substances down which cause undesirable chemical changes. To retain the safety standard of any product manufacturers incorporate preservatives to maintain the safety standard of foods, pharmaceutical and personal care products. How preservatives make products safe for long-term use? Preservatives are antimicrobial ingredients that are added to product formulation to maintain the microbiological safety standard in products by constraining the progression of microbial contamination. Reliable manufacturers always incorporate preservatives at safe levels to ensure the quality of the product and products not causing any reaction on the application. Below is the list of most commonly used types of preservatives used in personal care and cosmetics products.
 DMDM Hydantoin This substance works by releasing formaldehyde into products. The formaldehyde preserves those products, but it can irritate sensitive skin. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives such as DMDM Hydantoin are restricted in Asia and Europe but are more commonly used in America. One primary reason for such restriction is EPA considers this a probable carcinogen. Strangely even after being a probable carcinogen, it can be used in many skin care products and causing skin irritation as severe as dermatitis. Along with
this, this can also be immune system toxicant and irritates eyes, ears even lungs. Imidazolidinyl Urea Formaldehyde-releasing preservative actually works along with parabens. Parabens are destructive for your health and offer an antibiotic front against mold, yeast, and Bacteria. But again formaldehyde is known as an irritant and a possible carcinogen. Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate This ingredient is often used in products which come with a label of being gentle. Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate is toxicant and skin allergen as per many cosmetic ingredients reviews. It even causes skin irritation that can cause contact dermatitis in many users.
So next time you are shopping for cosmetic products or personal care items, you must take a look at the label to determine product ingredients and make sure you avoid elements those are hazardous to your health. Organic acids Few organic acids are used to preserve products from spoilage. Examples of organic acids are
Anisic Acid Sorbic Acid/Potassium sorbate Levulinic Acid Benzoic Acid/Sodium Benzoate
Products in which these are used in a higher level lead to higher costs of that product. These are effective against most fungi, but these have weak efficiency against bacteria. These acids are considered to be "natural alternatives" though often these are made synthetically. These can often be combined with Diazolidinyl urea for broad-spectrum efficiency.
Ingredients that one can safely use are natural alternative and wonderful products for the skin. Other than using any commercial lotion or cream, one can effectively try organic coconut cream which comes with excellent skin care benefits. This won't expose you to potentially harmful ingredients that every commercial product includes.