Editor’s note: This article is an update to the October 2008 article1 reporting the frequency with which preservatives were being used in personal care products. The previous report was based on formulations registered with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and, for the first time, with Health Canada. The present report is also based on data collected for preservatives used in personal care in both the United States and Canada.
Since the last time the frequency of preservative use in cosmetics was reported,1 several events have taken place that impact the use of preservatives. The first was the Personal Care Products Council’s (PCPC) strong suggestion for member companies to participate in the FDA’s Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP) as part of its Consumer Commitment Code. This resulted in an increase in the number of formulations registered—from 27,771 to 36,811.
