The growth of bacteria, mould and fungus in skin care products is a natural process. As a Certified Organic Skin Care manufacturer what choices of preservative do we have? How do you know the preservative used is safe? We discuss the options in this article.

The growth of bacteria, mould and fungus in skin care products is a natural process. Often skin care products are stored in the shower or around the sink - ideal conditions for growth of these unwanted and unattractive add-ons.

Certified organic products are particularly sensitive as they contain only naturally derived ingredients. The choice of preservative, however, can make a very big difference in regard to your skin care’s shelf life and organic nature.

As a Certified Organic Skin Care manufacturer what choices do we have?

There are three common synthetic preservatives often found in certified organic skin care products.

Potassium Sorbate

Potassium sorbate is approved by Australian Certified Organic (ACO) for use in organic skincare products. It is mainly used as a food preservative, but it can also be used in organic skincare products. Potassium sorbate inhibits moulds, fungus and only some bacteria, so it is best to be combined with another preservative. It is mild, non-toxic and non-sensitising.

Naticide

This organic skincare preservative is a broad-spectrum anti-microbial vegetable-based fragrance which also acts as a preservative. It smells like vanilla and almond and can inhibit bacteria, mould and yeasts. It is approved for use in organic skincare by ACO. Naticide may be listed on labels as 'fragrance'.

Phenoxyethanol

While sometimes a label may say “derived from Grapefruit” phenoxyethanol is usually synthetically produced. While it is thought to be milder than most synthetic preservatives, it is listed in many coutries as a restricted product and, according to the US EPA data sheets may show “… chromosomal changes and genetic mutation … as well as testicular atrophy …”. I consider this a strict 'no-no' due to it's checkered history.

It kills and inhibits bacteria but isn't as good at killing fungus and mould, so it is often combined in organic skincare products with another preservative such as potassium sorbate making a synthetic concoction. 

What about natural preservatives?

The three preservatives above are synthetic, and each has it's side-effects. There are, however, natural alternatives. Some preservatives are made from oregano and thyme oils, as well as cinnamon, lavender, lemon peel, goldenseal and rosemary extract. The trouble with these is they have almost no effect as a preservative in products that need to be preserved longer term.

Ascorbic Acid & Tocopherol

The best natural preservatives are antioxidant vitamins like ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and tocopherol (vitamin E).  These may be used as food-grade preservatives and also offer excellent preserving properties for organic skincare products. You will notice these two preservatives feature in the Avado range. 

How do you minimise contamination and extend shelf life?

Certified organic skin care is just that, organic. This means once a product is opened, just like food, your products will go off. To keep your organic skin care products free from contamination, here are some tips:

• Do not leave product containers uncapped once the seal is broken
• Avoid sharing cosmetics
• Most certified organic products (unless otherwise indicated) have a shelf life of six months once opened. Use them up!
• If you are going away, there is no harm putting them in the refrigerator to extend life

Read your labels

As a general rule-of-thumb a good certified organic skincare product will have natural botanical extracts listed highest on the list of ingredients, whilst preservatives will be listed right at the end, as they represent the smallest quantities. If you're reading a label that seems to be the other way around, alarm bells should be going off!