What has happened with my preservative system?

GabyDGabyD Member
in Formulating
I posted a few weeks ago about having a problem with Microcare SB as people were reacting to it.  I was advised to add it at the hot phase.  I did this, however, this is the result (below).  I made 12 batches, all the same.

Would really appreciate some advice.  My heart is breaking.  Thanks.

Comments

  • bhaveshbhavesh Member
    hi
    when i fix cream concealer in the lead,then holes fall from hot bubbles.please show a solution.
  • ozgirlozgirl Member, PCF student
    Your preservative system has failed and to get a more helpful answer you will need to provide the formula.

    The Microcare SB preservative is based on organic acids and these acids are sensitive to pH so my initial thought would be that the pH is too high. Have you checked the pH?

  • GabyDGabyD Member
    Hi ozgirl, thanks for your reply.  The pH is always below 6.  Here is the formula:

    INGREDIENTS (%):

    Water - 64.4

    Aloe Vera Powder 0.5

    Solagum Tara - 0.3

    Coconut Oil - 18

    Olyvoyl Emulsifier - 3.8

    Shea Butter - 8

    Floraesters K100 - 2

    Vegelane - 1

    Soya Lecithin - 0.5

    Microcare SB - 1

    Lavender EO - 0.5

    Citric Acid to pH 5.8.

  • natzam44natzam44 Member
    Hi Gaby,

    It would seem to me that the reason you are experiencing bacterial/fungal growth on your product is that your preservative is simply inadequate.

    You have plenty of "natural" ingredients in your formula which are breeding grounds for bacteria and fungus. Preservatives like Microcare SB are often too weak to deal with these sorts of formulations (despite the fact that it is a preservative found in many "natural" high-risk formulas).

    I would recommend using a more effective preservative such as parabens. If you don't like using parabens then you could try one of the many phenoxyethanol blends available or other preservatives such as Germall Plus which are generally more effective.

    P.S. It should be noted that no preservative is better than another and the most effective preservative will always vary from formula to formula. 

    Hope this helps.
  • GabyDGabyD Member
    Thanks Natzam. Unfortunately I am limited in what I can use as it's an organic palm oil-free product. 

    Has anybody used Microcare DB before?  It's Dihydroacetic Acid & Benzyl Alcohol.
  • GabyDGabyD Member
    Could it be because I am adding the Microcare SB to the hot phase?  I am doing that because it was causing irritation and I was advised that, if I added it to the hot phase instead of the cool phase, that would help.

    It did help.  But now the preservative is not working.

    Grateful for any insights - thank you.
  • MarkBroussardMarkBroussard Member, Professional Chemist
    @GabyD:

    Eliminate the Soy Lecithin from your formula ... that is probably what is causing the microbial contamination which is most certainly yeast/mold.  That will help considerably.  Adding the preservative hot or cold will not make any difference whatsoever.

    If eliminating the Soy Lecithin alone is not sufficient, you will have to add a fungicide to bolster the preservation ... Phenethyl Alcohol or Naticide should work well in this formula.  It would also help if you added a chelating agent ... Dissolvine GL47S would help boost your preservation.
    Chemist/Microbiologist formulating in the Organic & Naturals arena under ECOCert/Natural Products Assn/Whole Foods/National Organic Program guidelines focused skincare & haircare products. 

    See website for details www.desertinbloomcosmeticslab.com
  • GabyDGabyD Member
    Thanks Mark. I added the Soy Lecithin for stability. Do I not need that then? Or should I use something else?

    So if I'm using 1%  Microcare SB or DB, how much Naticide should I use please?

    Thanks so much for your help!
  • MarkBroussardMarkBroussard Member, Professional Chemist
    Just use Xanthan Gum instead of Soy Lecithin as your stabilizer ... Lecithin is extremely difficult to preserve.

    No, you do not need Lecithin in your formula.  You can use 0.6% Naticide to compliment you Microcare.
    Chemist/Microbiologist formulating in the Organic & Naturals arena under ECOCert/Natural Products Assn/Whole Foods/National Organic Program guidelines focused skincare & haircare products. 

    See website for details www.desertinbloomcosmeticslab.com
  • GabyDGabyD Member
    Thanks Mark. I am going to switch to MDB as MSB was causing a reaction. Do you have any experience of Microcare DB? If so, would you mind sharing your view on it? Thanks.
  • GabyDGabyD Member
    Sorry, just seen the bit about Xanthan Gum. I am already using 0.3% Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, which has Xanthan Gum in it. 
  • MarkBroussardMarkBroussard Member, Professional Chemist
    You might want to rethink Microcare ... Benzyl Alcohol is an irritant so I never use it.  If you are trying to stay all natural, you might consider Caprylhydroxamic GG available from Making Cosmetics.
    Chemist/Microbiologist formulating in the Organic & Naturals arena under ECOCert/Natural Products Assn/Whole Foods/National Organic Program guidelines focused skincare & haircare products. 

    See website for details www.desertinbloomcosmeticslab.com
  • GabyDGabyD Member
    Thanks Mark, I can't use Caprylhydroxamic GG as it's not guaranteed palm oil-free. God, this is so hard  :'( 
  • MarkBroussardMarkBroussard Member, Professional Chemist
    @GabyD

    There are plenty of other options that are both palm oil-free and don't irritate your skin.  And, are you certain that any of the ingredients in the Caprylhydroxamic GG mix are indeed derived from palm-oil?  Perhaps that's not the case.
    Chemist/Microbiologist formulating in the Organic & Naturals arena under ECOCert/Natural Products Assn/Whole Foods/National Organic Program guidelines focused skincare & haircare products. 

    See website for details www.desertinbloomcosmeticslab.com
  • ngarayeva001ngarayeva001 Member
    @MarkBroussard, apologies for off-topic, is it true for all forms of lecithin? I don't like xanthan gum very much and use siligel instead (just like the texture). Sounds like it too would cause preservation challenges..
  • MarkBroussardMarkBroussard Member, Professional Chemist
    @ngarayeva001:

    Yes, that is correct ... it is harder to preserve products when you use Siligel as opposed to straight Xanthan Gum ... I try to avoid using anything with Lecithin in it.  And, if I do have a multicomponent ingredient with one being Lecithin, I know immediately that I'm going to have to use Phenethyl Alcohol in the preservation system.
    Chemist/Microbiologist formulating in the Organic & Naturals arena under ECOCert/Natural Products Assn/Whole Foods/National Organic Program guidelines focused skincare & haircare products. 

    See website for details www.desertinbloomcosmeticslab.com
  • ngarayeva001ngarayeva001 Member
    Thank you Mark! Good to know.
  • PharmaPharma Member, Pharmacist
    BTW at which temperature do you measure pH? If you do measure/adjust it when the product is hot, pH will rise upon cooling.
    If you're adding it to the hot product, your preservative will diffuse into the oil phase and that's why it fails. Adding it could (depending on the formula) will result in more preservative in the aqueous phase and hence a better preservation.
  • GabyDGabyD Member
    OK, I'm going in.... 

    -  Remove Soya Lecithin
    -  Microcare DB at 1%
    -  Naticide at 0.6%.

    Wish me luck please guys! 
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