-
Phenoxyethanol and ethoxylated surfactants
I keep finding reference to the fact that Phenoxyethanol can be lose its effectiveness if there is a large percentage of ethoxylated surfactants present in a formula. I can’t seem to find information on what is considered a “large”amount. I want to use 5% Peg 6 in a micellar cleansing water and wish to use Optiphen Plus as the preservative.
My question is …will a formula with 3-5% ethoxylated ingredients (PEGS/Polysorbates) be effectively preserved with Optiphen Plus?Thank you -
2 Replies
-
I’ve seen that mentioned before but never seen an article cited. Could try contacting the company or Schulke to ask for more information- maybe their studies could give extra insight.
Any of us can guess but I think you won’t be able to tell without challenge testing your specific system. Surfactants (surface-active-agents) affect surface tension which could help mitigate some contamination issues even if the preservative isn’t performing as well. -
Thank you for your response.
Log in to reply.