Out of\u00a0all cosmetic ingredients available to you as a natural and organic skincare formulator, preservatives and emulsifiers are probably the least exciting ones. Let’s be fair, it’s easier to get excited by all the wonderful cold pressed plant oils, or botanical extracts, or fragrant hydrosols. Preservatives and emulsifiers\u00a0are, however, so important that whenever something goes wrong with your formulation that they are the first two on\u00a0the ‘to-be-checked’ list.<\/p>\n
Product preservation has always been a challenge to the formulation chemist, but it is even more important and fundamental in natural and organic skincare products. The more natural ingredients we apply, the more \u201cyummy food\u201d we offer to micro-organisms.<\/p>\n
So here are our 5 reasons why your natural formulations should be preserved:<\/p>\n
Your precious natural product, unless it is totally waterless (in case of oil blends, butters or balms), is the best medium for hundreds of micro-organisms to survive and to grow in. All of the following provide excellent food and growth conditions for bacteria, yeast and mould:<\/p>\n
No matter how clean you work, no matter how hygienic your production and filling conditions are, no matter whether you disinfect all your jars and bottles before filling, and boil the water, micro-organisms would laugh at us at the end unless YOU DO something to get rid of them and to make sure that they would not enter the product during the whole shelf-life and under usual storage and application by the consumer.<\/p>\n
Even if<\/em>\u00a0you could produce and fill your cosmetics under sterile conditions (which you obviously cannot), as soon as the consumer opens a jar or a bottle, the product is susceptible to contamination. You probably don’t want to imagine your customers as a huge breeding ground for microorganisms, but that’s unfortunately what we all\u00a0are.<\/p>\n Certainly it would be a nightmare to you, after years of trial and research to create an ideal and amazing formulation\u00a0which contains the finest natural ingredients in it, only to find that microorganisms have the following effect:<\/p>\n All of these scenarios can be\u00a0caused by unwanted and uninvited microorganisms\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>your product.<\/p>\n People who buy natural and organic cosmetics are often people suffering with\u00a0chronic skin problems such as eczema or acne. These people have often been\u00a0disappointed by both physicians and mainstream products (both cosmetics and pharmaceuticals). \u00a0Other natural and organic product consumers are often\u00a0those people\u00a0who decide to follow a healthier lifestyle, both in nutrition and skin care, sometimes\u00a0after they’ve experienced a health scare.<\/p>\n This consumer does not necessarily always have healthy, intact skin and a strong immune system. As an organic cosmetic formulator, you want to change people’s life and lifestyle to a better, more comfortable situation. You therefore don’t want to give microorganisms any<\/em> opportunity to harm your customer.\u00a0Insufficiently preserved cosmetics can cause\u00a0severe infections<\/a> (and even death!) in\u00a0people with a weak immune system such as children, people with injuries, diabetics, or people who are undergoing certain treatment\u00a0or therapies such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.<\/p>\n You can’t\u00a0take risks with your customer’s health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n As a small-volume manufacturer you have the opportunity to\u00a0communicate directly with your customer via social media or newsletters. Demonstrating your knowledge and competence about the ingredients you apply will distinguish you from hundreds of other suppliers who don’t do that.<\/p>\n Don’t feel bad about using preservatives in your products. Announce with pride\u00a0that you’re preserving your products because you use\u00a0many precious natural ingredients in your skincare,\u00a0which are susceptible to contamination and that you want to protect both the product and the consumer by applying a preservative.<\/p>\n Explain the preservative system you’re applying to your customer and explain why you apply it. Emphasise that the (possible) harm of any preservative is much less than the risk of a contamination. Demonstrate your knowledge and competence to convince the customer about the efficacy and safety of your product.<\/p>\n Read our other articles on natural preservation:<\/p>\n Want to learn more about natural cosmetic preservatives? Read: Everything you wanted to know about natural preservatives<\/a>.<\/p>\n3. Preservatives protect\u00a0your skincare\u00a0product’s integrity.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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4.\u00a0Preservatives protect\u00a0your customer.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
5. Preservatives protect and grow your business by demonstrating your knowledge and competence.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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