What about preservative-free products?

We’ve all seen them, “preservative-free” products.  But what does that really mean?

First of all, bacteria, fungus, yeasts are all around us, in the air, on surfaces and, yes, on our skin.  And our skin does a good job of protecting us and we help by washing. So why do we need to worry about the little beasties in our cosmetic products?   Well… you know what can happen if you disrupt the skin’s barrier – like if you get a cut.  You get an infection.  And cosmetics are excellent breeding grounds for bacteria, fungus and yeast (more about that later) so if you apply a contaminated product, your chances of getting an infection increase dramatically.  And contaminated products can grow mold (like you would use something with black or green fuzzies on your skin), the color and fragrance can change, skin creams and lotions can “break” (separate), and products can lose their efficacy.  So products might be “preservative-free” but they are preserved in some way.  Consumers don’t want to spend oodles of money on something only to have to throw it out next week…

First of all, what makes cosmetics susceptible to contamination?

1)  Cosmetics (and I mean cosmetics, shampoos, conditioners, hair gels, etc.) are mostly water with organic materials like surfactants, emollients, conditioners – basically anything that makes a cosmetic work.  Exactly what the bacteria, yeast and mold need to thrive :  water, food, and the air in the package.

2) Every time you use a cosmetic you are exposing it to air and usually touching the product with your finger, or an applicator, – remember, there are all kinds of nasties on your skin and in the air – so you are introducing contamination to the product.  Even if the product is sterile when you buy it, it can develop contamination just from use.

So what are your options?

1) Use products that contain the standard preservatives:  Methyl, Ethyl or Propyl Paraben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Quaternium-15, DMDM Hydantoin are the more common ingredient names you’ll see.

2) Use low pH products.  Low pH is not a good environment for the beasties to grow.  But not all products can be formulated at a low pH.

2) Use products that contain “natural” preservatives, things like Grapefruit Seed Extract, Tea Tree Oil, Rosemary extract, Tocopherol (vitamin E),  Ascorbic Acid (vitamin C).   these materials are not as effective as the standard products and need to be used at somewhat higher levels.

3) Use aseptically packaged product.  Some products are sealed so that they cannot be opened and the product is dispensed by a pump.  This will reduce contamination but contamination can still form at the tip of the pump, especially if it is not used often.  For the best effectiveness, the product should be contained in a flexible inner pouch so (contaminated) air is not sucked into the package as product is dispensed.

4) Refrigerate the product between uses.  This will slow the growth but will not stop it completely so product can still go bad.  And I’d bet most of us wouldn’t think of going out without an emergency kit for touch ups throughout the day.

No matter how a product is “preserved”, reputable manufacturers  test to make sure their system  is effective.  So the products you buy might be preservative-free, but they are not unpreserved.