Vinay Kumar Singh.
Head-Formulation
Kumar Organic Products Research Centre Pvt. Ltd.,
Bengaluru
Email : formulation_krc@kopresearchcentre.net
Cosmetic Preservative Blends are the mixtures or blends of more than one preservative compound in order to inhibit the growth of microorganism on cosmetic products. Presence of water and nutrients in Cosmetic products can easily support the proliferation of microorganisms. Apart from this reason, the microorganism is also the cause of change in viscosity and colour in cosmetic products.
Therefore, the requirement to check and control microbial activity plays a vital role which results in increasing the shelf lives as well as the quality of the products.
Besides having anti-microbial properties, cosmetic preservative blends are also used in product formulation as multifunctional ingredients such as antioxidant, emollient, humectant, moisturizers, fragrance, viscosity regulator etc. Cosmetic preservative blends have a wide variety of application in personal care industries.
Cosmetic preservative blends not only prevent cosmetic products from microbial growth by increasing its shelf life but also provides ease in the formulation of the products which results in great demand from cosmetic industries. Cosmetic preservative blends also offer broad spectrum with a significantly lower level of its use in final products which result in seeking its attention by various personal care industries.
The term “preservatives” refers to the functional name for a wide variety of compounds that help slow or prevent bacterial growth in a wide range of products, including foods, medicines, and personal care products. These compounds can be natural or synthetic. Preservatives play important roles in many products people use every day – for example, by helping prevent the growth of harmful microorganisms and protect products from spoilage or contamination.
Preservatives in Cosmetics and Personal Care Products
Preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products help prevent contamination and the growth of harmful bacteria in products ranging from sunscreens, lotions and shampoos to cleansers, toothpaste and makeup.
Antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products help prevent the growth of molds, yeasts and bacteria, guarding against contamination that can cause irritation or infections. Antioxidant preservatives also can help keep personal care products from spoiling by suppressing reactions that can occur when certain ingredients in a cosmetic or personal care product combine with oxygen in the presence of light, heat and some metals.
Improperly preserved personal care products can cause skin irritation, infections, blindness, and even serious illness or death. In 2006, five intensive-care patients at a hospital in Barcelona, Spain, contracted life-threatening infections with the bacterium Burkholderiacepacia. Their illnesses were ultimately traced to a moisturizing body milk used in the patients’ care. Researchers detected the bacterium in unopened bottles of the body milk.
Preservatives help maintain product integrity by killing microorganisms. Most preservatives are active against a single type of microbe. For example, parabens are most effective at killing fungi (yeasts and molds), whereas formaldehyde donors (discussed below) target bacteria. “No single preservative is equally effective against all types of microorganisms,” says Philip Geis, principal consultant at Geis Microbiological Services in Gainesville, Florida, USA. “As a result, a mixture of preservatives is often used by formulators to ensure that a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity exists.”
Cosmetic formulators gauge the efficacy of preservatives with a preservative effectiveness test (PET). They inoculate a product with a mixture of bacteria, yeast, and mold, then measure the levels of the microbes over time, typically 28 days. If the number of microorganisms in the product does not fall to acceptable levels, the product fails the PET and should not go to market.
Global Preservative Blends Market was valued US$ 167.9 Mn. in 2019 and is estimated to grow at CAGR of 5.6 %, to reach US$ 260.9 Mn. during the forecast period from 2020 to 2027.
Now a days, many manufacturers of Preservatives are offering Preservative blends having synergistic effect making the blend effective against broad spectrum. Many a times, the blend also other multifunctional acitivities. Example of few such blends are as follows.
Sharomix DMP & DMP II are broad-spectrum liquid solutions that protect against Gram negative and Gram positive Bacteria, yeasts and molds. By combining Diazolidinyl urea with Parabens, Sharomix DMP gains a multipurpose antimicrobial functionality, making it an ideal preservation system for shampoos, hair conditioners and emulsion products. Stable and effective over a wide pH range, Sharomix DMP’s easy-to-handle liquid form reduces the inconvenience associated with the handling of powders. Compatible with most cosmetic formulations, Sharomix DMP is soluble up to 1% in aqueous solutions. For best results, Sharomix DMP can be added to formulations at temperatures below 50°C. This means that when used in an emulsion, it should be incorporated after the cooling stage. Under the brand name euxyl®, Shulke offer broadly effective preservation blends that optimally protect cosmetic products and meet current technical and regulatory requirements.
Similary, Evonik With Verstatil® line of products for traditional preservation target different marketing and budget demands but keep efficacy and performance as the top priority. Blending multifunctional additives and traditional preservatives in Verstatil® products allows to address safe preservation and public acceptance, offering various products to fullfil every developer's demand.
For over half a century THOR’s innovative and technologically advanced chemical have been improving the way we live.Thor’s specially formulated personal care range,marketed under the Microcare trademark,has gained wide acceptance in an industry where standards are particularly exacting. Under Microcare, Thor has so many preservative blends. Below are few for example.
Microcare® CB / CBS centrations
• Optimised blends of chloromethyl/methylisothiazolinone (CIT/MIT) and benzyl alcohol for low in-use concentrations
Microcare® DB
• A blend of dehydroacetic acid and benzyl alcohol
Microcare® BPI
• Liquid blend of bronopol, iodopropynylbutylcarbamate (IPBC) and benzyl alcohol
Kumar Organic Products Limited too has following Preservative Blends.
Kopcerin PE- Blend of Ethylhexyl glycerine and Phenoxyethanol
Kopcerin CG-Blend of Ethylhexyl glycerine and Caprylyl glycol
Kopcerin DO-Blend of Ethylhexyl glycerine, Propylene glycol and Octenidine hydrochloride.
Kopirox PE- Blend of Piroctoneolamine and Phenoxyethanol
Kumar Organic Products has now launched a preservative blend KOPTBC,
Which has broad spectrum activity as it has been proven to be effective against Gram +ve, Gram –ve, yeast & mould.
It is a blend of Triethyl Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, & Benzoic Acid. The blend is Clear liquid having mild characteristic odour. It can be added at any point during the manufacturing process. It is bothhot and cold processable and Low impact on emulsion stability. For incorporation into aqueous based systems, solubilizers may be added. It is an economic alternative to standard preservatives system. It can be used between 1.0 – 1.5% in the product. It is effective in pH range of 4.0-8.0
Following are the result of Preservative Efficacy Tests.
PRESERVATIVE EFFICACY STUDY AS PER ISO 11930
Moisturising Cream with KOPTBC 1% at 5.5pH
Wet wipes(Aqueous based) with KOPTBC 1% at pH 5.5
Hair Conditioner with KOPTBC 1.2% at pH 5.1
KOPTBC is perfectly suitable for emulsion, aqueous product & colour cosmetics. It is ideal for wet wipes. In fact it is suitable for all Rinse off & leave on products of skin care, hair care& colour cosmetics.
Preservative Blends are now in demand as these are having broad spectrum activity due to synergistic effect and it also has other multifunctional effect.
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