What's in the bottle PRESERVATIVES

April 1, 2006

Ecologist

We don't have to choose between looking good and being healthy. According to Pat Thomas, we should regularly check the ingredient list showed on the cosmetic and skincare products and find out which ones are bad to our health.

Preservatives are designed to kill things and prevent them from multiplying. They are widely used in commercial cosmetic products to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherechia coli, Aspergillus niger and Stephylococcus aureus are the most commonly used preservatives, however, they could potentially cause serious infections on the skin and in the body.

Products may get contaminated during the manufacturing proces, although it is rare, manufacturer should look into this matter and address the problem at the factory floor level rather than just adding more preservatives to the final product.

As a consumer, we can help to stop introducing microbes into cosmetics and skincare products in a number of different ways. For instance, we should


1. Avoid dipping unclean hands into tubs,

2. leaving tops off,

3. diluting with untreated water,

4. storing in a moist and warm environment or

5. buying large, wide-mouth containers for family use.

No preservative will prevent contaminants from getting into the cosmetic and skincare products. Preservatives are used to keep the growth of microbes in an product to a minimum.

Human skin is comprised of living cells and so preservatives, even if they are used in small quantity, present a potential risk to the integrity of the skin. They will be absorbed into the bloodstream and then to the rest of the body. Therefore, cosmetic preservatives generally have restrictions on their use, such as their maximum percentage to the total formula.

Identifying and using effective preservatives is not easy. To be considered effective, a preservative has to fulfil a number of criteria. It must be

• Effective on a wide range of microbes,

• Long lasting, it continues to keep the product free from contaminants for the life of the product,

• Rapid acting at the first sign of contamination

• Non-sensitising,

• Non-toxic and non-irritating,

• Compatible with other ingredients in the mixture,

• Stable, will not break down during storage and stays active in a wide pH range,

• Inactive, except as an anti-microbial, will not interact with other ingredients,

• Soluble, mix well with whatever base (water or oil) it is in,

• Acceptable in odour and colour,

• Cost effective

At this moment in time, no single preservative, synthetic or natural, fulfils all these criteria. For this reason, manufacturers often use mixtures of several different preservatives in a single product. Solubility is another reason. Some preservatives are water soluble and some are oil soluble. To manufacture a water-oil emulsion like a hand lotion will need to use both types.

All the most commonly used preservatives can causes dermatitis and other skin reactions and some may carry larger risks. For example, the most widely used preservatives in cosmetics belong to a group call parabens. Studies show that these substances act like estrogens. Traces of parabens have also been identified in breast tumour samples and so it is suggesting that they may have an estrogenic effect in the body as well.

Other commonly used cosmetic preservatives include Kathon CG (a mixture of Methylisochlorothiazolinone and Methylchlorothiazolinone – a neurotoxin and potential carcinogen) and the preservative DMDM hydantoin and Quaternium 15 (Formaldehyde formers, thus potential carcinogens). Mercury-based preservatives such as Thimerosal are sometimes used in eye related cosmetics products, e.g. eye makeup and eye makeup remover, they are neurotoxic and can damage our eyes with long-term exposure.

Preservatives that end in EDTA (e.g. Disodium EDTA) can irritate our skin and mucous membranes and these preservatives are also bad for our environment. EDTA preservatives don't readily biodegrade, however, they easily bind with heavy metals in the water supply, causing them to re-enter the food chain.

The idea of a preservative-free cosmestic sounds good but it seems merely a misnomer. All commercial products require some kind of preservation and products based on botancials may claim to be preservative-free. It is because the active plant ingredients also function as preservatives.

The profits obtained from using truly natural preservatives are fewer than using traditional preservatives. Therefore, many companies are formulating patented blends of 'natural' preservatives, which they market as natural preservative 'systems'. They may claim that “A + B +C” are more natural than the others and so, as a consumer, it is always worth checking what's in the 'system' before accepting that the product or ingredient is natural.

Products with natural preservatives such as essential oil, herbal and fruit extracts, sugars and even grains may have a shorter shelf life and the overall package may need to be smaller. However, the good side is we will have better skin health in the shortterm and better overall health over the longer term.

It is extremely important to reduce our exposure to those potentially toxic preservatives. It is highly recommanded to buy plant-based products and have them in smaller containers. Products with hermetically sealed or provide a metered-dose (pumps and squeeze tops), will allow fewer contaiminants in during storage and use and so fewer preservatives are required. Similarly, collapsible tubes discourage contamination and they are therefore so widely used in pharmaceuticals. Moreover, tubes made from aluminium have a preservative effect and they are recyclable.

ACT NOW

Step 1. Go to your bathroom and make-up desk and look at the labels of your favourite products. Do any of them contain the following preservatives? (Table 1)

Step 2. If so, photocopy this article, highlight the preservatives you have found on the label that worry you and write to the manufacturer's customer services department and asking them why they still use those potentially harmful preservatives, given that the following natural, non-toxic and equally effective preservatives exist. (Table 2)

For the above reasons, we should avoid buying cosmetic/skin care products wth ingredients (preservative) shown in Table I. On the other hand, we should buy cosmetic/skin care products wth ingredients shown in Table II as preservative.

* Source: ecologist April 2006