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Review
. 2018 Jun 28;23(7):1571.
doi: 10.3390/molecules23071571.

Cosmetics Preservation: A Review on Present Strategies

Noureddine Halla  1   2 , Isabel P Fernandes  3   4 , Sandrina A Heleno  5   6 , Patrícia Costa  7 , Zahia Boucherit-Otmani  8 , Kebir Boucherit  9 , Alírio E Rodrigues  10 , Isabel C F R Ferreira  11 , Maria Filomena Barreiro  12   13
Affiliations
Review

Cosmetics Preservation: A Review on Present Strategies

Noureddine Halla et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Cosmetics, like any product containing water and organic/inorganic compounds, require preservation against microbial contamination to guarantee consumer’s safety and to increase their shelf-life. The microbiological safety has as main goal of consumer protection against potentially pathogenic microorganisms, together with the product’s preservation resulting from biological and physicochemical deterioration. This is ensured by chemical, physical, or physicochemical strategies. The most common strategy is based on the application of antimicrobial agents, either by using synthetic or natural compounds, or even multifunctional ingredients. Current validation of a preservation system follow the application of good manufacturing practices (GMPs), the control of the raw material, and the verification of the preservative effect by suitable methodologies, including the challenge test. Among the preservatives described in the positive lists of regulations, there are parabens, isothiasolinone, organic acids, formaldehyde releasers, triclosan, and chlorhexidine. These chemical agents have different mechanisms of antimicrobial action, depending on their chemical structure and functional group’s reactivity. Preservatives act on several cell targets; however, they might present toxic effects to the consumer. Indeed, their use at high concentrations is more effective from the preservation viewpoint being, however, toxic for the consumer, whereas at low concentrations microbial resistance can develop.

Keywords: antimicrobial synthetic agents; consumers’ protection; cosmetic preservatives; microbiological safety; preservatives efficacy; toxic effects.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Causes, consequences. and ways of preventing cosmetics contamination [10,16,17,28,29,30,31,32].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Preservative effectiveness testing comparison between the Japan, USA and European Pharmacopeias [38,108,109] where: B: bacteria, Y: yeast, M: molds, USP: United States pharmacopeia, JP: Japanese pharmacopoeia, EP: European pharmacopoeia, TSA: soybean-casein digest agar, and SDA: sabouraud dextrose agar.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structures of some preservatives used in cosmetics.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structures of some preservatives used in cosmetics.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structures of some preservatives used in cosmetics.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Steps followed in the analysis of cosmetic preservatives from the sample treatment to the analytical methods [137,159,160] where: µECD: microelectron capture detector; APCI: atmospheric pressure chemical ionization; APPI: atmospheric pressure photoionization; BA: benzoic acid; BRP: bronopol; BRX: bronidox; BzOH: benzyl alcohol; BZs: benzoates other than sodium benzoate; CE: capillary electrophoresis; CLD: chemiluminescent detection; DAD: photodiode array detection; DART: direct-analysis-in-real-time; DHA: dehydroacetic acid; EC (D): electrochemical (detector); EI: electron impact; ELISA: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; ESI: electrospray ionization; FIA: flow injection analysis; FID: flame-ionization detector; GC: gas chromatography; HLB: divinylbenzene/n-vinylpyrrolidone copolymer; HPCE: high-performance capillary electrophoresis; HPLC: high-performance liquid chromatography; ICP: inductively-coupled plasma; IPBC: iodopropynyl butylcarbamate; IU: imidazolidinyl urea; LC: liquid chromatography; MCI: methylchloroisothiazolinone; MEKC: micellar electrokinetic chromatography; MI: methylisothiazolinone; MIP: molecular imprinted polymer; MIPDI: microwave-induced plasma desorption ionization; MS: mass spectrometry; MWCNTs: multi-walled carbon nanotubes; PB: parabens; PhEtOH: phenoxyethanol; SA: salicylic acid; SOA: sorbic acid; TCC: triclocarban; TCS: triclosan; TD: thermal desorption; UHPLC: ultra-high performance liquid chromatography; UPLC: ultra-performance liquid chromatography; UV: ultraviolet; UV–VIS: ultraviolet–visible.
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References

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