ISCA Iscaguard®


Preservatives available from ISCA


Today, perhaps more than ever before, the safety of the consumer has to be one of the most important concerns when developing personal care products. For this reason alone it is essential that cosmetics and toiletries are protected from the unsightly and potentially hazardous effects of microbial spoilage.


This is why ISCA offers a range of preservation solutions based on tried and tested individual actives and preservative blends.


This range includes: • Parabens and their sodium salts • 2-phenoxy ethanol • Benzyl alcohol • Imidazolidinyl and diazolidinyl urea • Dimethyl dimethylol hydantoin (DMDMH) • Chloromethyl/methyl isothiazolinone • Liquid blends developed to optimise the complementary properties of the individual actives.


Parabens and their sodium salts


The antimicrobial efficacy of the esters of 4-hydroxy benzoic acid was first discovered and patented in the 1920’s. Since that time they have become the most frequently used, and, it is widely believed, safest preservatives for personal care products.


The parabens are also available as their sodium salts, which have the benefit of increased solubility in cold water.


The list of benefits of the parabens includes; • Broad spectrum of activity against bacteria and fungi • Low order of toxicity • Effectiveness at low concentrations • Stability over a wide pH range • Biodegradability at environmental concentrations • Global acceptance in personal care formulations


Preservative Blends


The paraben range available from ISCA is highlighted below: Iscaguard® Iscaguard® Iscaguard® Iscaguard® Iscaguard® Iscaguard® Iscaguard®


M - methyl paraben E - ethyl paraben P - propyl paraben B - butyl paraben


MS - sodium methyl paraben ES - sodium ethyl paraben PS - sodium propyl paraben


Regulatory Status Paraben esters and their sodium salts are permitted for use in personal care formulations in the US, Europe (total paraben concentration maximum 0.8%) and Japan (total paraben concentration maximum 1.0%).


Using paraben esters Paraben esters may be added at any time during the manufacturing process but it may be preferable to add prior to any heating stage in order to facilitate good mixing. They are more easily incorporated if pre-dissolved in a solvent, such as propylene glycol. The sodium salts can be added directly to cold aqueous mixes, but it is important to subsequently adjust the pH, where appropriate, as they exhibit a high pH.


Table 1


Solubility of paraben esters (% w/w @ 25°C) Solvent Water


M E P B MS ES PS 0.25 0.11 0.04 0.02 33 50 50


Propylene glycol 26 20 29 49 ND ND ND Ethanol


ND = no data


Table 2 Antimicrobial activity of paraben esters Microorganism


32 41 50 68 ND ND ND


2


Minimum inhibitory concentration (%) M E P B MS ES PS


Pseudomonas aeruginosa 0.20 0.12 0.08 0.015 0.25 0.13 0.09 Escherichia coli Proteus vulgaris


Staphylococcus aureus Enterococcus faecium Bacillus cereus


Candida albicans


0.12 0.08 0.045 0.015 0.17 0.09 0.05 0.20 0.075 0.045 0.01 0.24 0.09 0.55


0.16 0.12 0.045 0.015 0.20 0.14 0.05 0.15 0.10 0.06 0.015 0.20 0.10 0.06 0.13 0.075 0.045 0.01 0.17 0.085 0.035


0.10 0.06 0.025 0.015 0.14 0.075 0.035


Saccharomyces cerevisiae 0.08 0.045 0.025 0.015 0.11 0.05 0.025 Aspergillus niger


0.085 0.045 0.035 0.025 0.10 0.055 0.04


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