Herbal-Active® - natural preservation for cosmetics

We get a huge number of inquiries from cosmetic manufacturers looking to replace parabens, benzoates, GSE and other chemical or non-natural preservatives with natural and even organic shelf life extenders.

Luckily, Herbal-Active® can do just this although there is a method of use which is (just) a little more complex than throwing in a chemical and stirring the pot.

We recommend taking the view that Herbal-Active® is a sanitizer and so it gets added to the ingredients with the highest microbial loads first at a concentration of 1 to 2% of the final product weight. This exposes the actives, thickeners, acidifiers, stabilizers and other ingredients to a high level of Herbal-Active® in just a small amount of purified water. More water is added and if an emulsion is being made as in creams and lotions, then the oil can be introduced and shear-blended to mix the different liquid phases.

Some consideration needs to account if high temperature blending is used as the volatile components in Herbal-Active® can be affected by heat. In this case, the natural antimicrobial is best added on cooling along with or mixed into any fragrances used.

100% oil based products can utilize our Herbal-Active® in oil (olive oil, canola or whatever is your choice). The oil based product, like our water soluble formulation, Herbal-Active® at 1% does have a fragrance but this is appealing or can be easily masked.

Additionally, Organic Food Chain Pty Ltd has an organic system for the approved use of Herbal-Active® in organic products.

If you want more information about anything in this article or for more details on using Herbal-Active® in cosmetics, please email us.