Non-Natural Preservative Options

Paraban, Parabans, Parabans!!!!  The oh so "evil" Parabans!

First, are they really so bad?  Are people just being hypochondriacs and uneducated (not to be mean or derogatory)  people making accusations and/or jumping on the bandwagon?  Is this whole "organic" & "natural" trend a trend/fad ( with all the new commercialization and propaganda)?   Some 'natural" products are not natural or contain less than 5% natural ingredients.....and when small natural companies go mainstream, the formulations change.......I'm just saying( waving white flag, LoL).  

I personally try to stay away from them and follow the Curly Girl Do's and Don'ts, however, I'm no chemist, biological study person and I haven't went in any lab to test peoples hypothesis about the chemicals.  But what makes me stay away from parabens, "cones", etc is I noticed a different feel in my hair after I stopped using them.  My hair felt lighter and I don't have to wash every week, if at all (just co-washing) because of build up.  And the creamy crack........just watch the scene of Good Hair when Chris Rock interviews an actual chemist and a production company of relaxers.....I'm just saying. 

Anyhoo, I've digressed...again.  Here are some non-natural options to preserving your products:


Also, below are some interesting articles I found on the topic.  I understand their perspectives.  Sometimes you have to choose lesser of two evils and try to keep a good balance (natural vs unnatural preservatives).  The fact is, there has not been a broadly successful natural preservative to this date and if you want to sell your products, they must be safe and if it's just for your personal use, it still needs to be safe.

Some more food for thought is the fact that if you make your own products and use synthetic preservatives, etc, they will only count for less that 1% of your total formulations.  When you think about it, it's not really that much. ( just playing devils advocate)

Examples:


Germaben II

Germaben II is a convenient, ready-to-use broad spectrum anti-microbial preservative for personal care products such as shampoos, conditioners, lotions, creams, body sprays and other formulations. It is highly effective against gram positive and gram negative bacteria, yeasts and molds and does not need any additional preservatives. It is a clear, viscous liquid with mild odor. It is soluble in both oil/water emulsions and aqueous formulations up to a level of 1.0%. At 1%, Germaben II provides 0.30% Germall II, 0.11% methylparaben, 0.03% propylparaben, and 0.56% propylene glycol. Germaben II should be added slowly to your product under gentle agitation before the addition of fragrance oil.

Recommended usage rates are provided only as guidelines for proper preservation. All new formulations should be challenge tested to ensure preservative efficacy.

INCI Nomenclature: Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Methylparaben (and) Propylparaben

Germaben II-E

Germaben II-E was developed to protect formulations that contain ingredients that inactivate parabens. It is a liquid preservative system that contains 20% Germall II, 10% methylparaben, 10% propylparaben, and 60% propylene glycol. It is used to preserve water-in-oil and oil-in-water emulsions but should not be used in aqueous formulations. It is readily soluble at 1.0% and should be added to the emulsified product under gentle agitation before the addition of fragrance. Germaben II-E is a complete preservative effective against gram positive and gram negative bacteria, yeasts and molds. It is compatible with almost all cosmetic ingredients including surfactants and proteins.

Recommended usage rates are provided only as a guideline for proper preservation. All new formulations should be challenge tested to ensure preservative efficacy.

INCI Nomenclature: Propylene Glycol (and) Diazolidinyl Urea (and) Methylparaben (and) Propylparaben

LiquaPar Oil

LiquaPar Oil is a clear, liquid blend of isopropyl, isobutyl and n-butyl esters of para hydroxybenzoic acid. It is a very stable and effective preservative against gram positive and gram negative bacteria, yeast and mold. LiquaPar Oil is readily incorporated into various types of formulations, including anhydrous products, without heating. It is a good choice for salt scrubs and bath oils where no water is present but may be inadvertently introduced to the container during regular use. The recommended usage rate is 0.3 - 0.6% however, in complex formulations, 0.1% Germall II may be required for adequate preservation.

Recommended usage rates are meant as guidelines only. All new formulations should be challenge tested to ensure proper preservation.

Sources & Interesting Articles

The Hebarie
From Nature With Love
Natural Preservatives for Cosmetic Recipes
http://www.makingcosmetics.com/articles/01-how-to-use-preservatives-in-cosmetics.pdf
Texas Natural Supply
http://allnaturalbeauty.us/allnaturali.htm
Myth or Fact- Parabens & Cancer by Natural Haven
The Beauty Brains
Handling Diluted and Homemade Products

Enjoy!

Disclamier:  These posts are just the result of my research.  I make no claims on know all the answers or the best answers to your questions.  Use These posts as reference and do your own research.