Dr. Straetmans Hosts Conference on Natural Regulation in Europe

By: Dr. Straetmans GmbH Staff

Posted: December 5, 2008

page 2 of 3

After the introduction into the standards and restrictions resulting from both organizations' guidelines, Jan Jänichen, PhD, of Dr. Straetmans gave an overview on the possibilities to produce functional ingredients in accordance with the given standards. Using only renewable starting materials and accepted chemical conversions, he showed in his presentation how a large variety of chemically processed natural ingredients, like emulsifiers, surfactants or antimicrobials, are accessible. Jänichen also presented processes like oxidative cleavage and examples of interesting raw materials for the cosmetic industry.

The more technical second session was started with a very entertaining and yet deeply scientific lecture of Gero Beckmann, PhD, member of the board of directors of Labor L+S, Germany’s largest microbiological laboratory. He explained microbiological testing in depth, giving many examples of failing preservation and unexpected behavior of microorganisms. According to Beckmann, microorganisms sometimes even start feeding on preservatives like parabens if they get the chance to adapt to such systems. The lecture showed that a proper challenge test is mandatory to gain product safety. A preference for a certain test method could not be given, but the most widely used in Europe remains the challenge test according to the European Pharmacopoeia.

Fernando Ibarra, PhD, of Dr. Straetmans, followed Beckmann's presentation with the understanding of microbiology and preservation strategies for natural cosmetics, focusing on alternative and natural ingredients for preservation. Starting with the selection of traditional preservatives that are accepted by different standards, the focus was put on non-traditional systems that today are widely used throughout the world. The influence of different pH levels, of a selection of emulsifiers and of gelling agents was studied recently and presented in this lecture to show the impact of formulation parameters on the efficacy of a given antimicrobial system.

Following a lunch break, Frank Legart of PourLegart, spoke about his practical experiences as a formulator and producer of natural cosmetics. With 16 years of experience in this field and knowledge of regulatory demands, marketing aspects and technical background he was able to give an insight into the daily challenges that a restriction like natural standards bring along. Legart also focused on market data and raw material trends.

Wilfried Petersen, PhD, of Dr. Straetmans presented a study, performed by his company to identify problems with the emulsion stability of 10 selected commonly used emulsifiers for natural cosmetics. The influence of destabilizing factors like surfactants, low and high temperature or pH was analyzed and presented by Petersen in an extensive overview. This comprehensive approach was aimed to giving practical solutions for easily recognizing stability issues in formulations and giving recommendations for stabilization in selected systems.