With the increasing number of people with sensitive skin in modern times, people are increasingly expecting to have safer, less irritating, and hypoallergenic skincare products, which is the direct driving force for the birth of no-added cosmetics.
Which preservatives can cause allergies and irritation to our skin?
For example, preservatives such as Diazolidinyl urea, hydantoin, tris(hydroxymethyl) nitromethane, and parabens banned by the European Union, skincare products containing such preservatives have a very high sensitization rate, and after being absorbed through the skin, they will accumulate residues in the body and have potential irritation to the human body.
However, preservatives are necessary for the skincare products. The role of preservatives is mainly to prevent the growth of microorganisms, reasonably extend the shelf life of the product, and ensure that the product will not deteriorate due to contamination during use.
Preservation is so important, is there any alternative?
For example, glycol components: butylene glycol, pentanediol, hexylene glycol, caprylyl glycol, and ethyl hexyl glycerol, although these are used as moisturizer ingredients, but have an antiseptic effect.
At the same time, there are some natural plant ingredients, which are not preservatives but can also achieve the effect of inhibiting bacteria. Such as sophora flavescens, Coptis, cork, cloves, cinnamon, peony, paeonol, Scutellaria, etc. If these ingredients reach a certain concentration, it is not even necessary to add other preservatives. This can not only achieve skincare effect but also have antiseptic effects.
There are also some compounds extracted from plant ingredients, such as oxyethanol (from green tea), 4-Acetylphenol (from Artemisia spp.), antimicrobial peptides (from the fermented product), and so on.
However, natural plant ingredients and their extracts are usually very expensive, and the amount of additional required is relatively high. For many skincare companies on the market that seek to maximize profits, such expensive costs will not be considered at all.