Let us make a little outward journey for having some updates concerning the use of preservatives inside cosmetic formulations.

Do you remember where we stopped in 2018? Preservative’s activities were under pressure! According to EFfCI data, among the 57 active entries of Annex V, only 9 remain available for the preservation of the whole Cosmetic formulas.

What has then happened in the past two years?

As a consequence of the Official Technical Document which clarifies the guidelines regarding the improper use of Free From claims, dated July 2019, it is expected that negative pressure on preservatives will decrease.

Nevertheless, it will be very interesting to observe how long the consumers will need to “detox” from the marketing concept that FREE means SAFE.

Another market trend exploded in the last years and that seems in constant growth, is the one concerning Organic and Natural products. People are getting more and more conscious of what they use and expose their bodies to, and cosmetics are no exception.  The audience is more informed and aware of its needs and, for this, more interested in product ingredients and manufacturing processes. Therefore, the marketing concepts of Natural, Green and Sustainable are masters in this context. Unfortunately, there is no official regulatory framework on Natural/Organic in the cosmetic field.

Despite the creation of private certification standards providing positive and negative lists of substances to be used in the Natural/Organic formulations, it is undeniable that this approach influences also the use of preservatives, limiting the accessible molecules to be used to protect finished products.

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