Did curiosity ever lead you to read a cosmetic product label? Of course, we all do it. Here are some of the preservatives you would have seen:
#Tocopherol Acetate
#Propylene and Butylene Glycols
#Disodium and Tetrasodium EDTA
#Diazolidinyl and Imidazolydyl Urea
#Parabens
#Phenoxyethanol
#Methylisothiazolinone
#Ascorbyl Palmitate
#Benzoic Acid
#Benzyl Alcohol
These preservatives are needed to kill the microbes (bacteria, yeast, and mold) present in your shampoo or face serum. Moreover, if your product has water or comes into contact with water, it needs a large array of preservatives to prevent contamination. But in today’s stressful times and in the pursuit of having a daily beauty routine, we tend to ignore the ingredients found in our personal care products.
Let’s understand the toxic and non-toxic preservatives found in skincare and haircare products.
- Toxic Preservatives
Toxic preservatives, such as parabens, are used to kill bacteria found in beauty products. Let’s look at the three common toxic ingredients:
Parabens
Parabens are widely found in cosmetics and even in food. They help extend the shelf-life of these products. While they do keep the microbes away, parabens are said to cause reproductive toxicity, endocrine disruption, skin irritation and rashes, and cancer. Your product may have other forms of paraben, such as:
#Methylparaben
#Ethylparaben
#Propylparaben
#Butylparaben
#Isobutylparaben
Benzisothiazolinone
Benzisothiazolinone is a powerful chemical that kills harmful microorganisms. Also known as MIT, you can find this preservative in your daily household and personal care items. MIT is known to cause irritation to eyes, lungs, and skin.
The other names of the preservative are:
#1,2-benzisothiazol-3 (2h) -one
#1,2benzisothiazol3 (2h) one
#1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one
#Benzisothiazolin-3-one
#Proxel pl
#Proxel xl 2
Diazolidinyl Urea and Imidazolidinyl Urea
Diazolidinyl urea and Imidazolidinyl urea release cancer-causing formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is used to preserve the skincare product from microbial attack. Both the preservatives are found in shampoos, cleansers, foundations, moisturizers, and so on.
- Non-toxic Preservatives
Unlike toxic preservatives, non-toxic preservatives don’t prevent the microbial attack. They just create an unfavorable environment for microbes to survive. Let’s explore the three common non-toxic ingredients:
Naticide
Naticide is a natural preservative that is extracted from vegetables. It smells like vanilla and almonds. While it appears as ‘parfum’ on your personal care product, Naticide is used to stall microbial formation.
Glyceryl Caprylate
Glyceryl Caprylate is another naturally derived preservative used to protect the skincare product against microbes. Derived from refined vegetable oils, the preservative can be found in your cosmetics and personal care products.
Benzyl Alcohol and Dehydroacetic Acid
Both Benzyl Alcohol and Dehydroacetic Acid are organic preservatives. They are widely used in natural cosmetics such as cream lotions, wet wipes, sunscreens, shampoos, etc.
Now that you’ve got acquainted with the key preservatives used as aids in personal care products, do you still want to apply the products daily? Free yourself from all the nasties and be a #fooolnomore. Amrutam offers 100% natural personal care products for your beauty and health. Get a free travel pack on all purchases above Rs. 2500.
References
https://www.cedarandstone.com.au/blogs/all-blogs/understanding-preservatives-in-skincare
https://www.sharecare.com/health/daily-skin-care/what-preservatives-skin-care-products
