Are Preservatives Necessary?

Natural beauty products are becoming more popular as concerns about chemicals grow. In our quest for natural products, some people are taking shortcuts that can lead to disaster down the road. One common misconception is that all chemicals are bad. The same philosophy says that all preservatives are bad and that preservative-free products are safer. This dangerous myth is based on a misunderstanding of what a preservative is and why we need them.

Unpreserved products can contain the bacteria that cause acne, bladder infections, potentially deadly staph infections and other scary things. If a product contains water, but no preservatives, there is nothing to stop yucky things from growing in it. Contaminated products may smell fine, look fine, and still be dangerous.

Many plants and natural products contain their own preservatives. Honey does not spoil because it contains natural substances that inhibit bacterial growth. Fruit juice, on the other hand, contains no natural preservatives so it will spoil very quickly if not refrigerated.

Any product that contains water is a potential breeding ground for bacteria – if you find a water-based product (such as lotion or body cream) that does not contain a preservative of some kind – run, don’t walk – away as fast as you can. Say you found an open bottle of water on the ground – would you drink from it? Common sense tells you that something icky could live in that water – yet when it comes to skin care products, some people are willing to use products that have no protection against ickies.

As a recent Canadian Health advisory showed – even a popular product can develop bacteria or fungus issues if there is no preservative. Now, to be fair, there have been no actual reports of injury from any Northern Essence product – but without a preservative, even something as simple as sniffing a product can introduce bacteria and fungi if your nose or fingers touch the bottle opening. Bacteria and molds also live in the air, on containers, and in many other places – and can even be present in the ingredients used to make the product.

So, you do want a preservative in even natural products – for your own safety and the safety of your family.

The controversy comes when experts try to agree on which preservatives to use. There are many, many myths surrounding preservatives. Some people promote the idea that tea tree oil (TTO) or grapefruit seed oil (GSO) are natural preservatives – however, tests show that neither one will properly preserve a water-based product. There is also a great deal of disagreement about whether TTO and GSO are safe – since, like most plant essences – they contain high levels of phytoestrogens. Some say phytoestrogens are fine, others say they are a potential problem.

Silver citrate and a few other natural preservatives have been found to work effectively under a limited set of circumstances. Some preservatives work well only at a certain acidity level, others work only if there is a certain level of water to other ingredients or an addition of glycerin to the product.

Some say that parabens are dangerous, others say they have a long history of safe use. They do a great job of preserving products and preventing potentially dangerous bacteria growth. So, many product formulators choose to use methylparaben and propylparaben in their products. When I formulate skin care products that need a preservative, I prefer to use a non-paraben preservative. However, there are pros and cons to every preservative system and experts all have their own preferences.

What is the bottom line? Never use a skin care product that contains water but no preservatives. The only exception is if you have personally made the product under clean conditions – and you store it in the refrigerator – using it or tossing it out after a few days.

If preservatives still make you nervous, do more research on which ones are safer to use. Just don’t risk your health and beauty on unpreserved products.