Melissa Meisel, Senior Editor07.01.22
A popular body lotion marketer recently issued a voluntary recall for certain moisturizers that could contain a bacterium which typically poses little medical risk to healthy folks. However, consumers who have certain health problems, such as weakened immune systems, may be more susceptible to possible skin infections from the contaminated product.
The company urged consumers to discontinue use of the recalled lotion as a precautionary measure. Internally, the R&D team had to figure out what happened with the batches. Was it an issue regarding the preservatives or the cleaning and sanitation practices on the production site?
Preservatives are key players in the creation of household and personal care products. These components hinder and prevent contamination during formulation, shipment, storage or consumer use. In recent years, formulators have sought natural alternatives to traditional preservatives in an effort to appease consumer demands.
According to Global Market Insights (GMI), the cosmetic preservatives market size exceeded $980 million in 2021 and is expected to grow at an 8% CAGR between 2022 and 2028 to $1.65 billion. GMI also stated that the rise in demand for premium cosmetics has led to incorporation of sophisticated preservatives which should contribute toward overall market growth.
In North America, specifically, the expansion of the beauty market as a whole regarding anti-aging, brightening and sunscreen in skin care are especially rife for opportunity in preservatives. In fact, the North American cosmetic preservatives market size exceeded $260 million in 2021 and is expected to grow more than 8% a year due to increasing preference for vegan, natural and organic beauty products.
The global natural cosmetic preservatives market is expected to surpass $640 million by 2028, owing to rising incorporation of natural ingredients in cosmetic formulations, according to GMI.
“Preservatives are a very important building block for a formulation,” Bob Malenchini, national sales director, personal care and life sciences, Acme-Hardesty, Chicago, told Happi. “Through the pandemic, we have seen customers preferring solutions that are free of parabens, methylisothiazolinone (MIT) or DMDM hydantoin.”
During the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists Supplier’s Day event in May, Acme-Hardesty’s partner, Sharon Laboratories, launched a new preservative solution, SharoSense Plus 785.
Sharon’s patent pending new blend offers natural protection driven by the synergistic effects of natural Maltol in conjunction with sorbic acid and sodium benzoate. SharoSense Plus 785 is a broad spectrum, water soluble preservation system that is ideal for wet wipes, baby care and facial care applications that have a pH less than 5.5. This clean label product is also vegan, Ecocert- and Cosmos-approved.
“The rise of natural and alternative preservative solutions has given customers different channels to evaluate the efficacy with the core focus of human health and well-being,” Malenchini told Happi.
Customer connection is also a key element to working with preservatives for personal care.
“When it comes to preservatives, the approach has too often been to start with a discussion of the things that consumers, and therefore formulators, don’t want as opposed to looking at what they do want in a preservative,” said Nicholas A. Arellano, technical marketing manager, preservatives, Coast Southwest, Placentia, CA, and another partner of Sharon Laboratories. “Every lab and product development team has a long list of chemicals to avoid. These lists can be contradictory. When it comes to defining ‘natural’ or ‘green,’ there is no agreed upon standard as to what is acceptable.
“We take a different path. With the depth of the Sharon lines and its decades-long commitment to working with Coast Southwest’s applications laboratory to create the right preservative solution for a customer’s specific needs, we take a can-do approach. It’s like filling in the pieces of a puzzle,” explained Arellano. “We work with formulators to define the preservative systems they need and then to address those requirements with a combination of ingredients and expertise.”
Coast Southwest’s “go-to” preservatives are both based on Sharon’s Amplify technology, the advanced preservative technology specifically developed for the personal care industry that allows a significantly lower level of use of preservative with more protection. According to Arellano, Sharomix Amplify AM24 takes the use level to well below one percent, which is a “dream” for formulators—cost-effectively providing significant preservative protection while reducing the potential for irritation that can come with higher use levels of traditional preservatives.
SharoSense Plus 181-N is also based on the Amplify technology. Customers gravitate to 181-N as a naturally derived preservative blend which meets the Natural Origin Index ISO 16128 of 99.6%, he added. This broad-spectrum preservative is an ideal fit for chemists seeking a naturally derived, low use level preservative that is 100% water-soluble and free of parabens, formaldehyde donors, and halogen.
“An important benefit of SharoSense Plus 181-N is that as a naturally derived version of SharoSense Plus 181, both ingredients have the same INCI, making it easier for formulators to fashion a natural version of a formula without completely revamping the formulation,” said Arellano. “SharoSense Plus 181-N gives product developers and marketers the opportunity to reshape the discussion of preservatives. Rather than avoiding talking about preservatives, now there is a way to talk about how this advanced preservative system contributes to creating a cleaner, safer and more natural lotion or shampoo.”
Jed Riemer, PhD, principal scientist and head of regulatory at Jeen International, Fairfield, NJ, told Happi that his company’s customers are increasingly asking for phenoxyethanol-free options.
“Since parabens and formaldehyde releasers are also not currently acceptable, there are very few registered preservatives to choose from, and customers are turning to multifunctional, preservative-free ingredients which provide antimicrobial activity such as Jeecide CAP-7,” Riemer explained.
Jeen is also working on new multifunctional, preservative-free antimicrobial ingredients that will launch later in 2022. Its bestselling preservative continues to be Jeecide CAP-5 (INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Potassium Sorbate (and) Water (and) Hexylene Glycol), which combines the proven activity of phenoxyethanol and postassium sorbate with the boosting activity of caprylyl glycol and hexylene glycol.
Pat Lutz, president of Lincoln MFG, North Kingstown, RI, shared with Happi that formulators are looking for alternatives to preservatives and have come to rely on Linatural Ultra-3 and Linatural Ultra-MFN for natural preservation in premium lotions, body washes and shampoos.
“They are highly effective microbial blocking agents, and they add value to formulations with emolliency and moisturization,” Lutz told Happi. “Derived from corn, sugar cane and mastic water, these premium components are completely natural and highly effective.”
Lincoln MFG, now a Barentz company, will continue to innovate into 2023 and beyond for new natural, alternatives to preservation, said Lutz. The supplier has a diverse line of choices in natural and naturally-derived preservatives and alternatives to preservation. According to Lutz, Lincoln MFG-USA also provides microbial preservative challenge testing for customers and continued technical consulting in microbiology and formulation.
Overall, preservation has become a very complex topic due to the shrinking palette of allowed and non-controversial molecules, observed Sabrina Behnke, senior global business manager for modern preservation at Tri-K Industries, Denville, NJ.
“Complete preservation of a product is often not possible with a single ingredient and requires smart combinations of molecules,” she told Happi. “We are excited to support our customers with our formulation and microbiology expertise and help guide them through the process of creating a stable and safe formula.”
Behnke continued, “While some of the traditional preservatives are being phased out, we believe that we are in a great position to deliver innovative and unique solutions to the market. Our customers can expect interesting and unique innovations from Tri-K in the next few years. Our innovation group is currently evaluating additional natural and biobased options for preservation. While natural feedstocks are important and desired, we also focus on greener processes, reducing waste and energy consumption.”
This year at NYSCC Supplier’s Day, Tri-K launched Galguard Tetra (INCI: Undecylenoyl Glycine, Capryloyl Glycine, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid) to answer a customer need for an affordable preservative solution with strong anti-fungal activity. According to Behnke, this blend is liquid and can be used in wide range of applications from leave-on to rinse-off.
“Our data shows that it performs exceptionally well in surfactant-based formulations,” she explained. “It features our amino acid-based molecules (undecylenoyl glycine and capryloyl glycine) that work synergistically with phenoxyethanol and benzoic acid. Galguard Tetra is safe for the skin and the environment.”
“As an industry, the topic of preservatives is becoming less taboo and more open,” Arellano of Coast Southwest told Happi. “We see more chemists beginning the formulation process with a discussion of preservatives. There is a stronger front-end recognition of regulatory considerations, product safety and performance. Formulators these days are starting by defining the preservative system they need and building out the formula from there. I think that’s because we have preservative options today—Sharon’s Amplify technology is one example—that tap into chemists’ creativity to explore the possibility of how new preservative technologies can actually work in formulas.”
In North America, specifically, consumer focus is increasing toward organic and natural cosmetic products which should foster product demand in preservatives for cosmetic manufacturing, said Global Market Insight in its report. Social media and digital media are one of the key factors driving the regional cosmetic industry as a whole.
The covid-19 pandemic accelerated the move toward sustainable supply chains which is anticipated to boost natural cosmetic preservatives demand, added Global Market Insights. However, traditional ingredients are more cost-effective as compared to natural cosmetic preservatives which may propel the growth of synthetic cosmetic preservatives demand, the market data company also found in its research.
Malenchini of Acme-Hardesty told Happi that the industry will continue to see a high level of interest in cost effective, natural preservative systems that offer full protection in personal care applications that are in compliance with global regulatory requirements.
Riemer of Jeen commented that as the industry moves away from traditional preservatives, there is the need to develop multifunctional antimicrobial offerings which can be utilized in a “hurdle approach” to manufacturing stable, preservative-free formulations.
But no matter what approach is taken, collaboration between supplier and formulator is critical.
“In our view, it is key for ingredient suppliers to work in the labs with formulators. We need to drill down to the level of how a technology, ingredient, or blend actually works in a formula,” said Arellano of Coast Southwest. “Deeper understanding builds confidence and equips personal care chemists and marketers to talk about the safety and performance of their products with confidence.”
The company urged consumers to discontinue use of the recalled lotion as a precautionary measure. Internally, the R&D team had to figure out what happened with the batches. Was it an issue regarding the preservatives or the cleaning and sanitation practices on the production site?
Preservatives are key players in the creation of household and personal care products. These components hinder and prevent contamination during formulation, shipment, storage or consumer use. In recent years, formulators have sought natural alternatives to traditional preservatives in an effort to appease consumer demands.
According to Global Market Insights (GMI), the cosmetic preservatives market size exceeded $980 million in 2021 and is expected to grow at an 8% CAGR between 2022 and 2028 to $1.65 billion. GMI also stated that the rise in demand for premium cosmetics has led to incorporation of sophisticated preservatives which should contribute toward overall market growth.
In North America, specifically, the expansion of the beauty market as a whole regarding anti-aging, brightening and sunscreen in skin care are especially rife for opportunity in preservatives. In fact, the North American cosmetic preservatives market size exceeded $260 million in 2021 and is expected to grow more than 8% a year due to increasing preference for vegan, natural and organic beauty products.
The global natural cosmetic preservatives market is expected to surpass $640 million by 2028, owing to rising incorporation of natural ingredients in cosmetic formulations, according to GMI.
Natural Beauty
Cosmetic preservatives are commonly used in skin care preparations. These compounds help in maintaining product stability, appearance and quality throughout the shelf life. Increasing consumer awareness and inclination towards cosmetic preservatives owing to its ability to safeguard the cosmetics for a longer time may positively influence product demand as well, noted Global Market Insights in its findings.“Preservatives are a very important building block for a formulation,” Bob Malenchini, national sales director, personal care and life sciences, Acme-Hardesty, Chicago, told Happi. “Through the pandemic, we have seen customers preferring solutions that are free of parabens, methylisothiazolinone (MIT) or DMDM hydantoin.”
During the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists Supplier’s Day event in May, Acme-Hardesty’s partner, Sharon Laboratories, launched a new preservative solution, SharoSense Plus 785.
Sharon’s patent pending new blend offers natural protection driven by the synergistic effects of natural Maltol in conjunction with sorbic acid and sodium benzoate. SharoSense Plus 785 is a broad spectrum, water soluble preservation system that is ideal for wet wipes, baby care and facial care applications that have a pH less than 5.5. This clean label product is also vegan, Ecocert- and Cosmos-approved.
“The rise of natural and alternative preservative solutions has given customers different channels to evaluate the efficacy with the core focus of human health and well-being,” Malenchini told Happi.
Customer connection is also a key element to working with preservatives for personal care.
“When it comes to preservatives, the approach has too often been to start with a discussion of the things that consumers, and therefore formulators, don’t want as opposed to looking at what they do want in a preservative,” said Nicholas A. Arellano, technical marketing manager, preservatives, Coast Southwest, Placentia, CA, and another partner of Sharon Laboratories. “Every lab and product development team has a long list of chemicals to avoid. These lists can be contradictory. When it comes to defining ‘natural’ or ‘green,’ there is no agreed upon standard as to what is acceptable.
“We take a different path. With the depth of the Sharon lines and its decades-long commitment to working with Coast Southwest’s applications laboratory to create the right preservative solution for a customer’s specific needs, we take a can-do approach. It’s like filling in the pieces of a puzzle,” explained Arellano. “We work with formulators to define the preservative systems they need and then to address those requirements with a combination of ingredients and expertise.”
Coast Southwest’s “go-to” preservatives are both based on Sharon’s Amplify technology, the advanced preservative technology specifically developed for the personal care industry that allows a significantly lower level of use of preservative with more protection. According to Arellano, Sharomix Amplify AM24 takes the use level to well below one percent, which is a “dream” for formulators—cost-effectively providing significant preservative protection while reducing the potential for irritation that can come with higher use levels of traditional preservatives.
SharoSense Plus 181-N is also based on the Amplify technology. Customers gravitate to 181-N as a naturally derived preservative blend which meets the Natural Origin Index ISO 16128 of 99.6%, he added. This broad-spectrum preservative is an ideal fit for chemists seeking a naturally derived, low use level preservative that is 100% water-soluble and free of parabens, formaldehyde donors, and halogen.
“An important benefit of SharoSense Plus 181-N is that as a naturally derived version of SharoSense Plus 181, both ingredients have the same INCI, making it easier for formulators to fashion a natural version of a formula without completely revamping the formulation,” said Arellano. “SharoSense Plus 181-N gives product developers and marketers the opportunity to reshape the discussion of preservatives. Rather than avoiding talking about preservatives, now there is a way to talk about how this advanced preservative system contributes to creating a cleaner, safer and more natural lotion or shampoo.”
Jed Riemer, PhD, principal scientist and head of regulatory at Jeen International, Fairfield, NJ, told Happi that his company’s customers are increasingly asking for phenoxyethanol-free options.
“Since parabens and formaldehyde releasers are also not currently acceptable, there are very few registered preservatives to choose from, and customers are turning to multifunctional, preservative-free ingredients which provide antimicrobial activity such as Jeecide CAP-7,” Riemer explained.
Jeen is also working on new multifunctional, preservative-free antimicrobial ingredients that will launch later in 2022. Its bestselling preservative continues to be Jeecide CAP-5 (INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Potassium Sorbate (and) Water (and) Hexylene Glycol), which combines the proven activity of phenoxyethanol and postassium sorbate with the boosting activity of caprylyl glycol and hexylene glycol.
Pat Lutz, president of Lincoln MFG, North Kingstown, RI, shared with Happi that formulators are looking for alternatives to preservatives and have come to rely on Linatural Ultra-3 and Linatural Ultra-MFN for natural preservation in premium lotions, body washes and shampoos.
“They are highly effective microbial blocking agents, and they add value to formulations with emolliency and moisturization,” Lutz told Happi. “Derived from corn, sugar cane and mastic water, these premium components are completely natural and highly effective.”
Lincoln MFG, now a Barentz company, will continue to innovate into 2023 and beyond for new natural, alternatives to preservation, said Lutz. The supplier has a diverse line of choices in natural and naturally-derived preservatives and alternatives to preservation. According to Lutz, Lincoln MFG-USA also provides microbial preservative challenge testing for customers and continued technical consulting in microbiology and formulation.
Overall, preservation has become a very complex topic due to the shrinking palette of allowed and non-controversial molecules, observed Sabrina Behnke, senior global business manager for modern preservation at Tri-K Industries, Denville, NJ.
“Complete preservation of a product is often not possible with a single ingredient and requires smart combinations of molecules,” she told Happi. “We are excited to support our customers with our formulation and microbiology expertise and help guide them through the process of creating a stable and safe formula.”
Behnke continued, “While some of the traditional preservatives are being phased out, we believe that we are in a great position to deliver innovative and unique solutions to the market. Our customers can expect interesting and unique innovations from Tri-K in the next few years. Our innovation group is currently evaluating additional natural and biobased options for preservation. While natural feedstocks are important and desired, we also focus on greener processes, reducing waste and energy consumption.”
This year at NYSCC Supplier’s Day, Tri-K launched Galguard Tetra (INCI: Undecylenoyl Glycine, Capryloyl Glycine, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid) to answer a customer need for an affordable preservative solution with strong anti-fungal activity. According to Behnke, this blend is liquid and can be used in wide range of applications from leave-on to rinse-off.
“Our data shows that it performs exceptionally well in surfactant-based formulations,” she explained. “It features our amino acid-based molecules (undecylenoyl glycine and capryloyl glycine) that work synergistically with phenoxyethanol and benzoic acid. Galguard Tetra is safe for the skin and the environment.”
Regulatory Concerns & the Future
According to Malenchini of Acme-Hardesty, in order to make products formulator friendly, as well as global ly compliant and broad-spectrum, his company has seen increase interest in partner Sharon’s new platform, the SharonSun line. A leading product in this line is Sharomix AM24, which is a phenoxyethanol-free product that offers broad spectrum protection for high SPF formulations at a low level of use <1%.“As an industry, the topic of preservatives is becoming less taboo and more open,” Arellano of Coast Southwest told Happi. “We see more chemists beginning the formulation process with a discussion of preservatives. There is a stronger front-end recognition of regulatory considerations, product safety and performance. Formulators these days are starting by defining the preservative system they need and building out the formula from there. I think that’s because we have preservative options today—Sharon’s Amplify technology is one example—that tap into chemists’ creativity to explore the possibility of how new preservative technologies can actually work in formulas.”
In North America, specifically, consumer focus is increasing toward organic and natural cosmetic products which should foster product demand in preservatives for cosmetic manufacturing, said Global Market Insight in its report. Social media and digital media are one of the key factors driving the regional cosmetic industry as a whole.
The covid-19 pandemic accelerated the move toward sustainable supply chains which is anticipated to boost natural cosmetic preservatives demand, added Global Market Insights. However, traditional ingredients are more cost-effective as compared to natural cosmetic preservatives which may propel the growth of synthetic cosmetic preservatives demand, the market data company also found in its research.
Malenchini of Acme-Hardesty told Happi that the industry will continue to see a high level of interest in cost effective, natural preservative systems that offer full protection in personal care applications that are in compliance with global regulatory requirements.
Riemer of Jeen commented that as the industry moves away from traditional preservatives, there is the need to develop multifunctional antimicrobial offerings which can be utilized in a “hurdle approach” to manufacturing stable, preservative-free formulations.
But no matter what approach is taken, collaboration between supplier and formulator is critical.
“In our view, it is key for ingredient suppliers to work in the labs with formulators. We need to drill down to the level of how a technology, ingredient, or blend actually works in a formula,” said Arellano of Coast Southwest. “Deeper understanding builds confidence and equips personal care chemists and marketers to talk about the safety and performance of their products with confidence.”