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Polysorbate 80 and phenoxythanol
Hello everyone.
Am new here and new to formulating, so please excuse any dumb questions.
Would like to know if phenoxyethanol can be used as a preservative for a product that contains polysorbate 80.
I read that it destabilizes phenoxyethanol but I have seen quite a few products with the two together.
Looking forward to your reply -
7 Replies
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Concentration and formula dependent.
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Thank you! I shall make a stable formulation and return for more advice.
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The issue is not a ‘stable’ formulation with regard to physical stability but microbial stability
.If you want to play on the safer side, use ‘solvents’ such as glycols in your water phase to force phenoxyethanol out of the interface (i.e. the PEG-shell around the emulsion droplets). This however is not an exact science and glycols also tend to sit around the interphase… only a challenge test will tell if you’re on the right or wrong track. -
Wow.. there is so much to learn here! With stable formula, I meant, I was still struggling with the physical stability of it.
Thought I should get that right and then look into the preservative system. -
And since I have only purchased phenoxyethanol, I was hoping it would work in all formulas..but I realize that’s not going to happen.
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With my product and my experience, they can work well together.
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Oh! That is encouraging
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