Sherri supplicates…
If there were a self-preserving skin care line, would you use it?
And the Left Brain Loquates…
This is an excellent question and one that is likely on the minds of a fair number of consumers of cosmetics. The ideal answer is YES, we`d much prefer using a self-preserving skin care line. Unfortunately, there are currently no reliable self-preserving skin care or hair care products. Based on the best data available today, we could never recommend using a cosmetic that does not contain some kind of preservative.
Cosmetic chemists don’t like preservatives
When it comes right down to it, we cosmetic chemists do not like to put preservatives in their products. They provide no functional benefit, they can interfere with the ingredients that make the product work and some of them are really nasty chemicals when used at high levels. They are harsh chemicals because they kill cells. Microbes are made of cells but so are we. Therefore, it is not surprising that some of the preservatives used at high levels are irritating to human cells while they kill the invading microbial ones.
We need preservatives
But preservatives are a necessary evil. While we don’t love the preservative options available, the notion of not using any preservative is even more objectionable. Look at this list of microbes and diseases they can cause.
Streptococcus pyogen - Allergic reactions (pus)
Clostidium tetani – Tetanus
Clostidium perfringens- Gangrene
Pseudomonas aeruginosa -Conjunctivitis, pus, infections
Trichophyton – Dermatomycosis
Aspergillus- Allergic reactions
What would you rather have, a slight skin irritation or Gangrene? Seems like a simple choice.
Why self-preserving isn’t safe
Microbes are hearty organisms and they will grow in almost any environment that contains water. So-called self preserved cosmetics are just not as safe as formulas that contain preservatives. They just don’t work as well. There are various formulation techniques used to make a preservative-free cosmetics but they all have their drawbacks. For example, one way is to reduce the pH to such a low level that microorganisms can`t survive. Well, that might work while the container is closed but once it`s opened and exposed to moisture, the potential for microbial growth is created. With no preservative the nasty critters will keep growing and contaminate the entire product. Yuk!!
Other techniques for creating self-preserved cosmetics such as using natural preservatives, aroma chemicals and antioxidants are only effective against a limited number of microbes. For example they might kill off the Aspergillus but have no effect on the Pseudomonas aeruginosa. You can be sure you won’t have an allergic reaction but you might get conjunctivitis (pink eye).
Beauty Brains Bottom Line
Preservatives provide a great benefit to society and have directly led to the significant 
increase in human longevity. If you want to be safe, you should only use cosmetics that are properly preserved.
Using self-preserved skin products is like drinking non-pasteurized milk. It’s ok for a little while but even if you keep it refrigerated, it will eventually spoil. Would you drink spoiled, contaminated milk? So why would you ever want to put it on your skin?
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I have seen loose face powder products with and without a chemical as a preservative. Can preservation be done without a chemical with petrochemicals in it?
Using the natural herbal, extract, and other coating ingredients?
thanks
Here are my 2 cents on the subject, although they may only be worth a penny:
A lot of the so-called “natural preservatives” are no more natural than Parabens. For instance, take Grapefruit Seed Extract which is marketed as a “natural preservative”
In order to create the Grapefruit Seed Extract the manufacturers take leftover grapefruit pulp (a waste product from grapefruit juice production) and in an intensive, multi-step industrial chemical process change the natural phenolic compounds into synthetic quaternary ammonium compounds. Synthetic ammonium chloride is one of the chemical catalysts used in this process.
So if you are going to call Grapefruit Seed Extract a “natural preservative” then by the same reasoning you can call Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: Coconut Oil Extract or by that logic you can call the dreaded and evil Parabens “Wild Berry Extract” on account of the fact that Parabens are derived from benzoic acid which they get from wild berries.
Good point Sofia. Unless you are making your own cosmetics directly from things you find in nature, you are going to have to chemically modify them to get them to work. Truly natural products are rarely found.
i am developing a line of organic all natural beauty products and this website is so helpful. i am already a cosmetologist but i have no idea what ingredients work better with others or the shelf life of organic all natural products. i am hoping i can find all of my answers on this site.
Amanda, not sure if you’ll find exactly the information you want but we do write about ingredients often. Keep checking. We’ll even look into this notion of organic natural ingredients and what works and what doesn’t.
I just stumbled upon your site and want to THANK YOU for speaking the truth about preservatives. There is too much misinformation out there scaring the public. We are constantly having to defend our use of preservatives in our products. However, when we explain why we use them (at very small levels) most people agree that they’re necessary. And quite frankly, they’re relieved to know the truth. We believe, as manufacturers, we’re responsible for making products that are safe to use. Thanks for helping to clear up this issue.
Hi
I am pleased to say that I sell a
SELF PRESERVING PARABEN FREE SKIN CARE LINE with a two year shelf life at room temperature!
I do education for the company as well and we actually have the technology patented. I sell to physician offices,med spas,spas,and at wholesale.
The prices that you see on my web site are retail.
I have not read the rules of this site so I hope I am not violating any by posting my web site.
All The Best,
Julie
I saw people in the Middle Eastern Stores in Brooklyn scooping up shea butter from a back room and plopping it in plastic containers and selling it, and I was curious.
I’ve now started using and selling shea, by itself and mixed with other oils – so far it acts much like olive poil (which I also use on my skin by itself…) it goes a little rancid after a several weeks in the hot sun, or months after sitting in the shade. Adding certain essential oils seems to extend life.
Think there’s something I’m not protected against by what I’m doing? I figure the lack of any water in the product combined with its abundance of naturally occurring vitamins is relatively protective. it will never have that fluffy feel of lotion, but I like it quite a lot!
Wow my computer doesn’t like this box, so please forgive errors!
As long as you’re throwing the product away when it goes rancid, you keep it covered, and avoid contact with water, you should be ok. But when in doubt, throw it out.
you should check out Aubrey Organics before you throw out the baby with the bath water on naturally preserved cosmetics.
Suzanne,
Aubury Organics contains citrus grandis seed extract or grapefruit seed extract as its preserving agent… this in pure form has been found to not be a good ‘natural’ preservative and also, as I understand it, there has been some concerns as many batches have been found to have parabens in them.
I think it is important to think about what natural or organic is. I am an aromatherapist and I also make cosmetics for fun. I know that a lot of human intervention goes into extracting an essential oil from the plant/fruit etc. Does that mean it is natural or man made?
Are all natural products good and ‘synthetic’ products bad? At what point in an intervention does a material become synthetic. I love to use more natural products however I actually find some ‘sythetic products’ quite good. I also have no problem with parabens – they are also found in nature.
I am loving this website. 4 years ago I read a book on how to make self preserving beauty products, medicines etc… I read it several times. Hurdle technology is the term used to describe the process of making self preserving products. I am a cosmetologist & a homeopath, I studied Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology & disease for 2 years, so I feel qualified to add my opinion to this excellent website. I work as chief formulator & we manufacture all our skin care range. We are currently going through organic certification. Introduction over with I would like to say this.
As much as i love making preservative free skin care for my self. I would NEVER sell it to the public. The reason for this is simple. In controlled conditions self preserved skincare may be safe but as soon as that product leaves storeroom shelves and is in the hands of your customer it is no longer in a controlled environment and it is at risk of contamination.
So after 6 months trying every which way to develope a self preserved ‘emulsion’ based product I gave up & now I will defend the reason I use preservatives whole heartedly. I don’t use parabens & with the use of low PH and low water I can get away with using as little as 0.7% which is really very little (7mls to a litre) In 4 years I have never had a complaint.
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