Preservatives and anti-oxidants
for creams, lotions, soaps and skin care applications
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Emulsifiers, emollients | Raw materials
Choosing a preservative that won't obliterate your efforts to work with as natural as possible ingredients, is probably the most difficult task when making water-based emulsions. The offer from the cosmetic ingredient industry is vast and somehow confusing, and includes a few supposedly "natural" preservatives, whose chemical characteristics and efficacy do not seem to us to justify their claims of being either "natural", or "effective".
We describe below an innovative, completely natural broad-spectrum preservative, as well as natural anti-oxidants. We also suggest two (admittedly synthetic) preservatives, both characterised by broad spectrum of activity and low usage ratio. Given all the factors, these preservatives and anti-oxidants seem to us to be the safest choice.
Anti-oxidants
Rosemary Oleoresin Extract
Naturally derived anti-oxidant, used to prolong the shelf life of oils. Usage ratio is 0.1 to 0.2%, i.e., 20 to 40 drops per litre of oil. When comparing prices on ROE (Rosemary Oleoresin Extract), don't forget to double check the suggested usage ratio!
[ refer to our soap suppliers directory or contact us for possible alternatives ]
Vitamin E Acetate, 99% pure
Active cosmetic ingredient for creams and lotions, naturally derived from vegetable sources. Use at 0.05 to 5%, with higher usage ratios being particularly suited to mature skin treatments.
[ refer to our soap suppliers directory or contact us for possible alternatives ]
Vitamin E Acetate, 25% in jojoba
When diluted in Australian Golden Jojoba, Vitamin E Acetate is simpler to use for small batches of creams and lotions. The active cosmetic ingredient is naturally derived from vegetable sources. Use at 0.2 to 20%, with higher usage ratios being particularly suited to mature skin treatments.
[ refer to our soap suppliers directory or contact us for possible alternatives ]
Preservatives
Biopein / Neopein (registered trademarks of Bio-Botanica)
Innovative broad-spectrum preservative, recently released by Bio-Botanica, Biopein (now replaced by Neopein) is a proprietary blend of natural plant extracts that effectively protects water-based products from bacteria and fungi. Usage ratio is around 0.3%.
[ refer to our soap suppliers directory or contact us for possible alternatives ]
Suttocide A (registered trademark of Sutton Laboratories)
Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 50% aqueous solution. Use at 0.2 to 0.5%. General purpose, broad-spectrum preservative, Suttocide A survives highly alkaline environments, and is therefore particularly suitable for liquid soap.
[ refer to our soap suppliers directory or contact us for possible alternatives ]
Uniphen P-23 (registered trademark of Induchem)
Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben and Propylparaben. Swiss made, globally approved preservative for leave-on, water-based cosmetic emulsions (similar to Phenonip). Use at 0.5 to 1%.
[ refer to our soap suppliers directory or contact us for possible alternatives ]
[ Quick links to: Emulsifiers, emollients | Raw materials ]
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