The Chemical Preservatives used by "Organic" Beauty Brands

"Organic" doesn't always mean free from synthetic chemicals when it comes to your beauty products.

I am always frustrated when I come across a beauty product that is marketed as "organic" or "natural, but contains lots of synthetic chemicals.

Cream based products contain water. So they need preserving properly, otherwise your product could contain bacteria or fungus.

Products like bath salts, body oils and soap don't contain water, so don't need a chemical preservative (although some companies do stick them in for fun anyway!)

The challenge for beauty product manufacturers is how to fulfil a retailer's requirement to order in large quantities of product and then have them sitting on shelves for up to 5 years.

Many brands argue that a chemical preservative is a necessary evil. In particular Parabens are used to preserve cream products.

But because of all the recent reports about potential long term health problems associated with Parabens, most organic personal care companies are switching to alternative preservatives.

Some are cynically putting in anything that isn't a paraben, but is far more likely to harm you...customers just don't know about it yet! For example, there is no excuse for putting in Formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

Other companies use a naturally occurring Paraben, Japanese Honeysuckle. It seems dishonest to me to market your products as "Paraben Free" if you use a natural Paraben.

In this post I wanted to highlight a few of the chemicals commonly used by natural skin care brands.

Before I do, I should mention that Pai products use only natural preservatives. Our cream products have an 18 month shelf-life from manufacture. It takes a bit more effort and cost to use only natural preservatives and it complicates the supply chain - but that's what justifies the price premium organic beauty products can command.

Always Read The Label
Companies have to put most of their ingredients on the label. They hope you won't read it - and if you do, they are pretty sure you won't understand it!

Pai was the first Organic Beauty brand to list all our ingredients in plain English. We have to put it in Latin (the INCI list) as well because of EU regulations.

Unless you have done lots of research, most of the ingredients won't make much sense. So I have put together a list of the most commonly used chemical preservatives below:


Alcohol 
Works as a preservative when present in concentrations of over 10%.

Used in such high proportions it can strip away natural oils and be unsuitable for sensitive skin or Rosacea sufferers.

If Alcohol is listed near the top of the ingredients list, then a large proportion of the product will be alcohol. 


Benzoic Acid
A mild skin irritant thought to exacerbate Eczema.


Benzyl Alcohol
Considered a skin and eye irritant and has been linked to Contact Dermatitis and Urticaria.


Formaldehyde Still used in some "natural" skin care products, Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and skin irritant.


Japanese Honeysuckle (listed as Lonicera Japonica)
While this might sound innocuous, this is a naturally occurring Paraben.


Parabens – Butyl, Ethyl, Propyl, Isopropyl, Methyl, Benzyl 
The debate rages on about these six preservatives. Recent studies have raised concerns over the gradual build-up of these chemicals in the body and linked them to hormone disuption and cancer.

More clinical trials need to be done but, at Pai, we exercise a precautionary approach. If we don't know enough about an ingredient, we don't use it.


Parfum
This term was traditionally used to hide the precise formulae of commercial perfumes.

However it is now a common fixture on beauty products' ingredient lists to hide a multitude of sins - from synthetic fragrances to chemical fixatives and preservatives.

200 different chemicals can be legally covered by the word "parfum".


Phenoxyethanol
Used by the majority of 'natural' and 'organic' skincare brands, this petroleum based preservative is a skin irritant.


Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate is derived from benzoic acid which can occur naturally in berries. This common preservative was at the centre of a food health scare a few years ago.

In high doses it has been linked to DNA damage and the onset of degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. In cosmetics it can cause skin and eye irritation.


Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate
Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate is a common paraben replacement but is a harsh skin irritant and is thought to break down into formaldehyde in the body.


If anyone has questions about ingredients or chemicals used on beauty products, just get in touch!