Preservatives in Cosmetics Industry

ORIGIN & DEFINITION

Cosmetics have become an integral part of human’s life in the past few years. According to the
report published by Allied Market Research, the global cosmetics market was valued at $380.2 billion in
2019, and is projected to reach $463.5 billion by 2027, manifesting a CAGR of 5.3% from 2021 to 2027 [1].
This implied how this industry really is a thing in nowadays.

The rising needs of cosmetics resul

Cosmetic is defined as the substance or preparation intended for placement in contact with any
external part of the human body' (this includes the mouth and teeth). We use cosmetics to cleanse,
perfume, protect and change the appearance of our bodies or to alter its odors. Whatever the process
one wishes to take, there is one goal in mind: covering up imperfections .[2]

Because of its essence to be contacted with the body or skin to be helpful, it’s crucial to ensure
the product is not harmful for both parts. Besides the safeness of ingredients the product contained, the
fact that most cosmetic formulations are made of organic composition and high water content must
take into account. This could enable the degradation of the product quickly by microorganisms and lead
to what is commonly known as microbial contamination. Microbial contamination may bring a
significant risk for consumer health because contaminated products can lead to irritation or infection.

PRESERVATIVES

At the end of the day, cosmetics need to be safe to use during their entire shelf life. This aim can
be obtained by applying some preservation to make sure the product can stand against the microbe
pressures of the consumer. Hence, preservatives emerge and have become one of the components that
can't be separated from most cosmetic products.

Preservatives are frequently added substances to cosmetics for the vital purpose of hindering
the development of microorganisms. Preservative ingredients protect cosmetic products by preventing
and controlling the growth or proliferation of microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi, which can be
introduced throughout the lifespan of a product during consumer use. These essential ingredients are
designed to specifically and selectively target various microorganisms (ICCR, 2014).

Preservatives usually work in two ways. The first is to exterminate vegetative cells that are
present in the cosmetic product at manufacture time. This is generally indicated by cell wall disruption
or biochemical pathways interference exerted by chemical forces. The second is by stopping or reducing
the growth of microorganisms by creating such an environment that makes reproduction or germination
(in the case of spores) impossible. Preservatives play an essential role in preventing product spoilage and
protecting consumers from potential adverse health effects such as skin or eye infections resulting from
the contamination of products by such microorganisms. However, they may also be added to preserve
cosmetics against the potentially external menace, such as damage and degradation caused by oxygen
or UV light exposure.
EXAMPLE OF PRESERVATIVES

PARABENS

Parabens, which are esters of 4-para hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), have been known as one of the most
popular preservatives of cosmetics (and even pharmaceuticals and foodstuff). The global fame of
parabens as preservatives mainly because of their efficacy against a broad spectrum of bacteria and
fungi. Parabens are easy to produce, effective, and cheap, but their safety status remains controversial.

Parabens are suspected endocrine-disrupting compounds with oestrogenic- and antiandrogenic-like

properties (Prusakiewicz et al., 2007; Terasaka et al., 2006). In addition, studies suggest a potential
relationship between the application of paraben-containing products and some kinds of allergies
(Savage et al., 2012), or even breast cancer (Darbre, 2006).

COMMON STRATEGY

The debate swirling around the safety of the abovementioned preservative raised the idea of self-
preserving cosmetics. In the phase of product formulation and manufacturing process, the cosmetics
producers implement strategies that allow minimizing the amount of added preservatives. One of the
proposed strategies is to limit the water content in cosmetics as it is the preferred environment for
growth by bacteria and fungi; this step prevents the development of microorganisms.

Other than that, strategies for replacing those controversial compounds with different chemical or
natural preservatives or mix them up with other preservatives also take into account. For example, the
use of alcohols such as phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, and their salts: sodium benzoate and potassium
benzoate as a substituent.

EPILOGUE

Despite all the controversies, preservatives still essential to keep as a critical component of cosmetic
products purposefully to guard product against unwanted contamination and elongated the product's
life span. The absence of this substance may lead to decreased shelf life and would turn the handling
procedure of products into one that is no different from the handling procedure of fresh vegetables or
fruits.

Hence, the discourses about the usage of preservatives in cosmetics are still intriguing themes to discuss
since they would help serve us as consumers the best of product quality.