HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT NATURAL PRESERVATIVE

VIDEO 3 WORKSHEET

In the final training video introducing our International Organic Skincare Entrepreneur
Program, we covered the most important aspect of natural, organic cosmetic formulating
- preservatives in cosmetics.

This is a huge topic and we cover just a small piece of it in our video, but we wanted to
show you that it is possible to create natural, organic, water-containing cosmetics that are
properly preserved and can pass the safety tests required to place them on the market.

Although many natural skincare formulators want to steer clear of using preservatives as
they are generally toxic - which they need to be in order to kill off microbes - or they are
seen to impact human health, it is important to recognise that preservatives are there to
serve a purpose. They are there to protect you from harmful bacteria and fungus.

When you make beauty products that contain water, that have a shelf life longer than a
week, you will need to use a preservative. You should also consider also how you will
preserve products that will have water introduced to them during their use, such as oil-
based salt scrubs that your customer might put their wet hands into. Remember:

The risks in using preservatives are significantly lower than

those in using unpreserved, water-based cosmetics.

The good news is there are preservatives available that are compatibible with natural, as
well as organic cosmetic formulation. They work within specific parameters so you will
need to check your suppliers’ information for each before using them in your formulas.

Follow our checklist overleaf on page 2 to help you choose the right natural
preservative for each of your natural, cosmetic formulations.

5 natural preservative blends: (NB. research inci as trade names vary)

Preservative Eco / Geogard ECT INCI: Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, Sorbic Acid

Euxyl® K903 INCI: Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tocopherol

Dermosoft® 1388 eco INCI: Glycerin, Aqua, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Anisate

Geogard Ultra™ INCI: Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Calcium Gluconate

Geogard ® 221 INCI: Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol

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12-point checklist to choose the right natural preservative

You want your preservative to be effective and by that we mean that it needs
to have broad-spectrum activity. Individual preservative compounds may
only be effective against one type of microorganism so you may need to
1. Efficacy combine them with others – for instance, sodium benzoate is only strong
against bacteria but not against fungus so will need to be paired with
another preservative in order to provide broad-spectrum activity against
bacteria, fungus and yeast.
Ideally, you don’t want your natural preservative to impact on your product’s
2. Characteristics scent, colour or other physicochemical characteristics. In reality, this may not
be practical as many natural preservatives contain fragrance compounds,
but it is something you need to consider when you are first choosing a
preservative for your formulation.
Your naturally-derived preservative must be effective at low dosages. You
must define for yourself what represents a low dosage in your formulation.
Many synthetic preservatives are used at very low percentages for instance,
3. Dosage while certain naturally derived preservatives can be used at levels up to 7%
or more. If your formulation requires an absolute minimum of preservative,
then you will need to consider whether your chosen preservative is effective
at those levels.
Your naturally-derived preservative must be mild on the skin and not cause
4. Skin reactions irritation or sensitisation.
Your naturally-derived preservative should be stable and display low volatility
5. Stability – in other words, you ideally want your preservative to show good pH,
temperature and light stability depending on your formulation and packaging.

Your naturally-derived preservative should be compatible with your product,

6. Compatibility packaging and other ingredients.

Your naturally-derived preservative should be active at your desired pH

7. pH range range. There is no point using a preservative with an optimal pH of 4, if your
formulation has a pH of 6.
You should also consider environmental aspects, such as whether your nat-
8. Environment urally derived preservative is biodegradable, doesn’t cause bio-accumulation
and is sustainable.
You should consider customer perception when choosing the right
9. perceptions preservative for the job. If they don’t trust your preservative, then you will
struggle to convince them that your choice is right.
Then consider how easy it is to incorporate your chosen preservative into
10. ease of use the formulation. Does it require boosters or chelators? Does it need to be
dissolved at a certain temperature? Are there specific usage requirements?
Next consider the shelf life of your chosen naturally-derived preservative.
Does it have a short shelf life and therefore only provide a short shelf life to
11. shelf life your overall formulation, or can it help you safely place your product on a
retailer’s shelf for a year?
Finally, you must consider the cosmetic laws of your country and how they
12. legal reqs. treat preservatives. Some laws will not allow you to use preservatives other
than the ones listed in their regulations.

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research & choose natural preservatives for your products

Research your chosen natural preservatives checking their properties against the
benchmarks on page 2 to help you decide on the right option for each of your products.

preservative:

1. Efficacy

2. Characteristics

3. Dosage

4. Skin reactions

5. Stability

6. Compatibility

7. pH range

8. Environment

9. perceptions

10. ease of use

11. shelf life

12. legal reqs.

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