Preservatives

Phenonip is a liquid, broad spectrum preservative with an INCI of INCI: Phenoxyethanol (and) Methylparaben (and) Ethylparaben (and) Butylparaben (and) Propylparaben (and) Isobutylparaben (click here for links on parabens). It can be used at 0.25% to 1.0% in all your creations, including anhydrous ones because some of these parabens are oil soluble! With all these parabens,...

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ll know that my preservative of choice is liquid Germall Plus. It contains propylene glycol (60%), diazolidinyl urea (39.6%), and iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (0.6%). It’s a broad spectrum liquid preservative that should be used at 0.1% to 0.5% in the cool down phase of your products....

Some of you are so eager to learn more about various preservatives, that you’re jumping ahead and asking questions about posts that haven’t been written yet! I like to establish the components of the various ingredients – in this case, what we find in our preservatives and how they work – then go into the...

Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC) is a non-formaldehyde releasing chemical based on iodine. It is effective against fungus and bacteria and can be combined with diazolidinyl urea or parabens to create a broad spectrum preservative. The Cosmetics Ingredient Review Panel notes it is safe to use at levels equal to or below 0.1% and the EU allows...

Phenoxyethanol is a phenolic compound with an alcohol functional group that we find in quite a few preservatives. It is not a formaldehyde releaser. It has good activity* against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria as well as yeast, and is generally paired up with another preservative – a quaternium, benzoic acid, or parabens to...