Holistic Health

"HOW DO YOU PRESERVE YOUR
PRODUCTS ?"   

EFFECTIVE SAFE NATURAL PRESERVATIVES

WHY DO WE NEED PRESERVATIVES IN OUR PRODUCTS?

Well, most importantly it is vital to avoid Microbial contamination of products which can cause: -

• Loss of product viscosity

• Drop in pH

• Emulsion breakdown

• Cloudiness and visible growth

• Loss of colour

• Bad odour (a “gone off” acrid smell)

• Health problems via bacterial growth on the skin, mouth, eyes and transmission by mouth into bloodstream causing a myriad of serious bacterial infections in the body

• Skin problems of every description from minor irritations to eczema, rashes and eye infections

WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE PRESERVATIVE SYSTEM?

The ideal preservative system should have the following attributes:

• Broad spectrum activity against bacteria, yeast and moulds

• Cidal rather than static activity

• Sufficient speed of kill to satisfy accepted challenge test criteria

• Be stable and effective over the anticipated shelf life of the product

• Be safe to handle and preferably liquid

• Be safe at use concentrations

• Be effective over the pH range of the product

• Not be deactivated by other ingredients

• Be odourless and colourless

• Be readily soluble with a partition coefficient favouring water

• Be heat stable at the mixing temperature of the product

• Be cost effective

• Have approval for use in all the intended product markets and, for those of us who manufacture organic products, include APPROVAL BY ORGANIC CERTIFICATION BODIES .

With today’s increasingly growing emphasis on HEALTH AND SAFETY issues and safety issues in skincare production, it is an anomaly that chemical and possibly toxic substances are being added to many product compositions INCLUDING natural and organic skincare products and cosmetics. It seems that many natural/organic skincare companies simply don’t reveal their full Ingredients List (INCI listing). It takes just a quick glance at a label by an experienced cosmetic manufacturing chemist to know exactly what a company is putting into products to preserve them. In many cases the owners of skincare companies are honest and ethical people but have their products made by a third party and are not being told what is going into their products at the manufacturing factory. With the introduction of the new Consumer Protection Act of South Africa (April 2011), it is no longer a company’s prerogative to withhold any ingredients and all labels legally must reveal everything that goes into a product.! From what we currently see in the market place, very few are bothering to do so.

Hereunder is a list of common natural raw materials and natural preservative systems which offer some basic preservative properties and which are accepted by Organic Certification bodies for use in natural and organic skincare products.

• Ti Tree essential oil

• Thyme essential oil

• Biovert

• D-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Vit E)

• Citrus Aurantium

• Peptides

• Silver Chloride

• Geogard

• Tinosan

• Potassium Sorbate

• Grapefruit Seed extract (cannot work on its own but needs to be bound with a synthetic preservative)

• Colloidal Silver (usually not powerful enough without being used in high quantities which, because it is water, liquefies the product)

• Citrofresh

• Rosemary Leaf extract

• Black Willow Bark

• Citric Acid

• Benzoin Gum

In addition to the above many essential oils offer anti-oxidant and preserving properties, are anti bacterial, anti viral and anti fungal. However, they would need to be used in very high quantities (5-10%) to offer adequate preservation, and are known skin irritants when used in larger quantities. Citrofresh for example, is a good preservative but many people react severely to it. We do use essential oils in our products but in our opinion (and that of many experienced manufacturing chemists) they still do not offer a good enough preservative system to maintain a stable, healthy, clean product.

We currently use two Natural Preservatives

• Pentane-1. We have used this ingredient before in its old formulation but it has now been reformulated as a Natural Preservative and is used in our CREAM AND LOTION products
• Geogard Ultra It has not been tested on animals and is non GMO. It is used in our WASH OFF / SHAMPOOS/ HAND WASH products.

Both preservative systems are multifunctional specialty additives for cosmetics and toiletries. They are accepted by Organic Certification bodies as Natural Preservatives. As a unique blend of gluconolactone, sodium benzoate and calcium gluconate, this preservative system has been designed to offer broad spectrum protection in personal care and cosmetic formulations. It is a naturally derived, broad spectrum protection, globally accepted product. It is also known to improve skin moisture content. Geogard Ultra is non-sensitising and non-irritating.

Our products are made with love and care by our team of experienced bio chemists well versed in the art of creating Natural and Organic skincare products to international standards.   We are registered with the *CTFA of South Africa (Cosmetic Toiletries and Fragrance Association and The Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa, Our products are approved by Beauty Without Cruelty.
*Note: The Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association of South Africa is the industry's voice committed to maintaining the high quality and safety of cosmetic products. The CTFA guides members on the Self-regulatory Codes of Practice & Standards to ensure that the South African cosmetic industry flourishes.

Meander Through The Victorian Garden | History – The Victorian Era | The Victorian Garden Collection – Product List/Prices| The African Indigenous Collection – Product List/Prices | The Royal Tudor Collection – Product List/Prices | Full Ingredients Listing on All Products | Natural and Organic | “Going Organic? “- Essential Organic Information | Interesting Links | Outlets stocking our products | Holistic Health Topics | e-mail us