PRESERVATIVES
The beauty of natural and synthetic synergies in personal care preservation
These days, there is an increasing demand for cleaner and greener beauty products. To meet shifting needs, beauty brands are reformulating their product lines. Yet, components that are considered “clean” and “natural” can sometimes be misleading and are not always safe. More clarity and a better understanding of the trends are required, plus the focus of providing safer and more effective solutions should never change, writes Tali Cohen, marketing manager of Sharon Laboratories.
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reservatives are a fundamental part of a formula since they ensure the safety of the consumer and the finished product. They inhibit the growth of bacteria, yeast, mould and fungi, even after a product has been opened and exposed to the elements, and during use. Inappropriate preservation of a formula poses serious health risks to the skin. The task formulators must address is choosing a preservative solution that will not only guarantee product safety but also consumer safety. The risk of contamination can be influenced by many factors: product type; where it is stored; and exposure to moisture, heat or humidity. The presence of natural extracts, mud, clay and the water content in a formulation also play a role. A product’s packaging, such as an open jar, may increase the contamination risk when compared to a pump or tube. It is these characteristics that determine the type of contamination threat a product faces, such as gram-negative and -positive bacteria, yeast or mould. A formulator must also take other aspects into consideration such as regulatory updates; impact on odour and colour; compatibility with other ingredients; and the climate in the various regions of sale.
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FEBRUARY 2022 // WWW.PHARMACOS.CO.ZA
Figure 1: Challenge test results 0.5% SharoSense Plus 181 Natural passes EP and UPS
CURRENT TRENDS AND CHALLENGES Current trends leave formulators with fewer options of preservatives, as they face a rapidly shrinking pool of compounds of interest. Many of the existing preservative solutions are not strong enough to handle the antimicrobial challenge. In this case, there are a number of ways in which formulators can improve the strength or versatility of the preservative. They can raise the level of use, generally to over 1%. Another option is to add additional materials such as a booster, additional
Did you know? Since establishing its first production and R&D centre in 1977, Sharon Laboratories has built a global reputation for developing preservatives and has become a leading supplier in the industry. The accumulated knowledge within the business continues to provide the foundation for developing a wide variety of innovative and highly successful technologies, which provide preservation solutions to the entire personal care industry.
