03/20/12

Some Truth About Preservatives in Cosmetics

One controversial topic is the use of preservatives in cosmetics. The primary role of anti-microbial preservatives is to destroy bacteria and prevent contamination. With this in mind, surprisingly, animals that are fed large amounts of preservatives typically do not enjoy a long life. Animal testing is performed through ingestion of the product to determine carcinogenicity and safety. But as we do not drink cosmetics, the risk of ingesting preservatives is not really an issue. Rather, the risk of transferring infection from cosmetics contamination (ie. transferring an eye infection from one eye to the other via mascara or sticking dirty fingers into a jar) is much greater than the risk of applying minute amounts of preservative to the skin.

Lately there have been a lot of efforts to eliminate preservatives from cosmetics, but there really is no such thing as a commercially-made, preservative-free cosmetic. First and foremost, most cosmetic products do not get bought and used until at least 3 to 6 months after leaving the manufacturer necessitating the use of preservatives. Additionally, many products that are labeled as preservative free actually contain preservatives; the catch is that the ingredient may fall under a different category (ie. there are fragrances which also happen to be preservatives). There has also been a trend towards special packaging that permits a lower concentration of preservatives used.

But the truth is, preservatives are very important for ensuring product longevity and stability until the very last drop is used. As it is, among ingredients in a cosmetic product, preservatives happen to be one of the lowest in terms of concentration. Labels list ingredients in order of descending concentration and preservatives are usually listed towards the end. Restricting the use of preservatives in cosmetics for their preservation may not be the best thing in the end.