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Formula Troubleshooting—Preservation

By: Peter Tsolis and Steve Schnittger, The Estée Lauder Companies

Posted: May 2, 2011, from the May 2011 issue of Cosmetics & Toiletries.

As formulators build the latest creations, they must ensure that each part of the product meets its target and predetermined standards. Although characteristics such as aesthetics, fragrance, performance and color are market-dependent, preservative efficacy is not and must remain high. Preservatives are required to ensure that organisms do not grow and contaminate the product, and while it is necessary to ensure that all steps leading up to the development of the formula follow proper protocol—such as sanitary environment and microbe-free starting materials—a proper preservative system is crucial to ensure the long-term stability and safety of the product.

Across the industry, most companies have different methods and criteria to gauge their preservative system’s ability to inhibit microbe growth. Despite these variations, however, all formulators must ensure they develop a product that is not only effective at protecting against bacteria and fungi, but also is safe when applied to the skin. Irritation issues often arise from the improper use of preservatives, i.e. unnecessarily high levels of preservatives combined with materials that penetrate them deeper into the skin, which can lead to certain skin sensitization issues.¹

This is only an excerpt of the full article that appeared in Cosmetics & Toiletries, but you can purchase the full-text version.