Preservatives in skincare. What are they?
Cosmetic products need to be be preserved in order to prevent microbial spoilage that would make the product unsafe for consumers. Preservatives play a very important function in products containing water: they kill microorganisms and prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast. If a product contains water (including hydrosols, floral water and aloe vera juice, all of which contain water), a preservative is essential to help prevent microbes growing. Anhydrous (water-free) products generally don’t require preservatives as they are not prone to microbial contamination. This includes products like lip balms and anhydrous whipped body butters. The exception here is an anhydrous product that might come into contact with water (eg a body scrub or a cleansing balm applied with wet fingers). With these types of products you either need to be very careful not to introduce water to the product during use, or you should include an oil based preservative. You will need to use ...