Preservative hidden in cosmetics

Suspected preservative

Like preservatives used in foods, the role of preservatives in skin care products is primarily to prevent microbial growth, to reasonably extend the shelf life of the product, and to ensure that the product does not deteriorate due to various contaminations during use.

It should be noted that the maintenance ingredients in skin care products are mostly natural organic substances such as amino acids, proteins, sugars, vitamins, vegetable gums, etc., and all of them are excellent environments for bacteria and microorganisms. Therefore, preservatives have also become skin care products. A component that is commonly added during the process. China's cosmetics hygiene standards stipulate 67 preservatives that can be used in cosmetics and their use limits. The preservatives currently used most in cosmetics are parabens. However, in recent years, with the emergence of skin care brands with the concept of “no added”, the preservatives that everyone used to become a potential beauty killer hidden in skin care products overnight. Under the promotion of some brands, the long-term use of preservative-containing skin care products will not only reduce the skin care effect, but also prematurely penetrate the skin to accelerate the skin aging.

So, is the preservative really so terrible? Wang Qun, a dermatologist from the People’s Hospital of Guangdong Province, told reporters that, theoretically, under the premise of the same effect, the less ingredients added to skin care products, the chance of allergies The lower. From this point of view, it is of course better to have no preservatives, because the preservative itself has no skin care effect on the skin and most preservatives contain some toxicity. But this does not mean that the preservative will definitely cause damage to the skin. “Although a small amount of preservatives may take a long time to chemically react with the active ingredients in skin care products, which may affect the skin care effect and even cause irritation to the skin, this condition generally does not occur within the shelf life period.” Wang Qun believes As long as it is a good preservative, and the added concentration is within the limits set by national standards, it will not cause damage to normal skin even if it is used for a long time. In his view, the reason why many people now talk about preservative discoloration is largely the result of over-rendering of some brands for marketing purposes.

Preservative-free, is it really possible?

It is undeniable that, in terms of vision, “preservative-free” is indeed beneficial to the skin. Today, in the era of green environmental protection, “preservative-free” is obviously more in line with people’s pursuit of “more natural”. It's no wonder that people are now rushing to “no added” skin care products that are “preservative-free”. However, it is really possible that the counter beauty consultant and the product description claim "preservative-free".

If some skin care products contain "preservative-free" on the packaging, but the shelf life is marked for 2 or even 3 years, then you have enough reason to suspect that the so-called "preservative-free" is just a gimmick. Think about it, let a bottle of skin care products filled with various active ingredients that are easy to breed bacteria and microorganisms last for a long time without deterioration. How can it be achieved without preservatives? Wang Qun also told reporters that most of the so-called " "Preservative-free skin care products" actually contain no preservatives listed on the label listed by the cosmetics regulatory agency, or reduce the amount of preservative added, while using some essential oils or natural extracts. To the extent that it replaces the role of preservatives.