Preservatives are a controversial topic in the beauty world. Noone likes to use them, but they are a necessary evil. Preservatives kill bacteria than may grow in you makeup and skincare products and without them, these products would go bad and may even cause serious negative reactions to our skin.
The most common preservatives used in beauty products are parabens and urea-derivatives, which work by releasing formaldehyde. Due to their bad, but not always deserved, reputation more and more people are turning away from them and are instead looking for natural alternatives.
But what are they? And, most importantly, are they really as, if not more, effective than synthetic preservatives?
Most common types of natural preservatives
Some natural ingredients, such as plants and extracts, do have antimicrobial and antifungal activity and can therefore be used in beauty products as preservatives. Here’s the most common ones:
Antioxidants: fats and oils contained in beauty products can oxidize (i.e. become rancid) when exposed to oxygen (which is present both in the air and water). Antioxidants, such as Vitamin E and rosemary extract, slow down this oxidation process so that your products will last longer. However, antioxidants can’t kill bacteria and fungi that may grow in your products and ruin them.
Essential Oils: essential oils such as tea tree oil and neem oil have antimicrobial properties but are usually used with other preservatives because they don’t kill a wide range of bacteria. In addition, in order to kill bacteria, essential oils need to be present in the products in high concentrations. But these high amounts aren’t safe to be used on the skin and could case negative side effects.
Grapefruit seed extract: this one is controversial because the seeds and pulp of the grapefruit undergo a synthetic process, so some people don’t consider it to be natural. While grapefruit seed extract has some antimicrobial activity, this is weak and so, other preservatives are usually used with it.
Are natural preservatives effective?
Yes, they are, but not as much as synthetic preservatives. Like mentioned above, natural preservatives don’t kill a wide range of bacteria, the amounts needed are too high and not safe and so they are often used with other preservatives, and in any case, products that contain them have a shorter shelf life than those that use synthetic preservatives such as parabens.
Tips for naturally preserved cosmetics
To be fair, the tips below are valid for all types of beauty products including those that use synthetic preservatives, but it’s even more important to follow them when you use products with natural preservatives, which are weaker and have a shorter life span:
- Always store your cosmetics away from light and heat, which can alter the product and make it go bad.
- Use products that come in tubes and avoid jars whenever possible. Every time you open a jar, in fact, the products get exposed to air and could oxidize and go bad.
- Use products that come with opaque, dark tubes instead than clear, see-through packaging that can easily be spoiled when exposed to light.
- If you want to use products that come in jars, be very quick to close the lid and use a spatula to pick up the amount of product you need. Using your fingers is not recommended as they could contaminate the product with bacteria, making it go rancid.
Do you go out of your way to buy products with natural preservatives despite their shorter shelf life or are you ok with using synthetic ones?
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
very informative! I don’t think we can truly avoid preservatives and many of us do a lot more harmful things to our skins than using products with preservatives. but of course, non-harmful ingredients are always favorable
.-= Connie´s last blog ..Review: Shu Uemura UV Under Base Mousse SPF17 PA++ =-.
Oooh great tips! I did not know about the clear packaging. I guess makeup is kinda like tea leaves that way, huh?
Connie, I agree. Some synthetic preservatives pose some concerns but the amounts used in beauty products are so small that they shouldn’t cause any healthy problems. It’d be much worse if cosmetics didn’t contain preservatives at all. But of course, if they’d find out effective preservatives that have no potential side effects at all, that’d be great.
All Women Stalker, thanks, I’m glad you find the post helpful. Exposure to light could spoil your products and make them go bad, so it’s best to avoid see-through packaging whenever possible.
Some people use vitamin E as a preservative and it works to some extend. Whenever I have an all-natural moisturizer, I make sure to keep it in the fridge.
Dao, Vitamin E works by preventing the fats of oils in the product from oxidizing, thus making it last longer. However, being an antioxidant, it goes bad if exposed to light and air, so while it works, products that contain it don’t last as long as those that contain parabens. But if you’re fine with that, it’s a good natural alternative. And keeping natural products in the fridge is a good idea
Hi gio,
Very interesting post. Of course, natural is better than synthetics but there are its pros and cons as well, just like you have laid out.
Hence, be an informed consumer and choose wisely based on our skin needs and what one believe in and are ready to pay for. Natural may cost higher then synthetics, but can be vice versa too.
.-= Vonvon´s last blog ..Clinique Juiced Up Color Collection Spring 2010 – Eyeshadow Duo Swatches =-.
Vonvon I think both natural and synthetic ingredients have their pros and cons. And I agree with you. Products with natural preservatives have a shorter shelf life and can end up being too expensive in the long run, but if you’re aware of that and prefer natural preservatives over synthetic ones, then it’s alright to buy them. As long as you know their benefits and faults and make an informed decision, that’s the main thing.