​EXPERIMENT AND REPORT: Testing Four Natural Preservatives

We are often asked which natural preservatives are most effective. So, in this experiment and report, we put four natural broad-spectrum preservative blends to the test! The results will help you choose effective, natural preservatives for your formulations.

We sent four lotions, identical in every way except for the preservative they contain, for professional Preservative Efficacy Testing (PET) and in this report we will share the results with you so you can discover which ones passed.

Preservatives are added to cosmetic products to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms in order to extend the shelf-life, as well as protect the product and consumer. In order to effectively preserve a cosmetic product, broad-spectrum coverage is required. This means the preservative is effective against gram-positive bacteria, gram-negative bacteria, mold and yeast. Broad-spectrum preservation is required in all cosmetic products that contain water. For a product to be sold, the efficacy of the preservative must be experimentally verified using a Preservative Efficacy Test (PET).

Several natural broad-spectrum preservative blends are available which are permitted by
natural and organic standards such as COSMOS.

In this experiment we tested:

• Preservative Eco/Geogard ECT (INCI: Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, Sorbic Acid).
• Geogard Ultra (INCI: Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate).
• Geogard 221 (INCI: Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol).
• Euxyl K 712 (INCI: Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Aqua).

Download the report to discover which preservatives passed the test! Included within the report are US $700 worth of test results.

We tested the same lotion with three Leucidal preservatives in our Testing Leucidal Preservatives report. So for a complete set of results showing which of the seven preservatives tested were effective be sure to check out that experiment, too.

Not a member of the Club? Join now and use your first month's credits to access the Testing Four Natural Preservatives class, plus another 25-credit class of your choice.

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