Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Potassium Sorbate Yellowing in Wet Wipe

  • PhilGeis

    Member
    August 17, 2023 at 3:29 pm

    Change preservative system.

    • Kriggs

      Member
      August 17, 2023 at 4:25 pm

      Hi Phil,

      Thanks for the response. This project is for a “clean” phenoxyethanol-free baby wipe and I am currently using sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate as the preservative system. Would you have a recommendation for this system replacement?

      • PhilGeis

        Member
        August 17, 2023 at 5:02 pm

        I understand. What is pH? “Clean” in context of baby is a risky proposition. what is your challenge test?

        • Kriggs

          Member
          August 22, 2023 at 12:02 pm

          I appreciate your willingness to help.

          I fully concur that “clean” is a very subjective word and fleeting. The current pH is 4.5-5 in order to accommodate the current preservative system (sodium benzoate + potassium sorbate). This pH would be able to be adjusted but I would not like to go above 6 as this would not be beneficial for use on a baby’s skin and its own pH.

          -intended PET: USP 51 and PCPC M5

          • Kriggs

            Member
            August 22, 2023 at 12:23 pm

            Apologies, the current preservative system is sodium benzoate + potassium sorbate + Ethylhexylglycerin

  • DRBOB@VERDIENT.BIZ

    Member
    August 18, 2023 at 3:05 pm

    Suggest 1%GEOGUARD ULTRA

    • PhilGeis

      Member
      August 19, 2023 at 9:35 am

      No!

  • DRBOB@VERDIENT.BIZ

    Member
    August 19, 2023 at 10:23 am

    Have you tried it?

    • PhilGeis

      Member
      August 19, 2023 at 10:30 am

      Quite famliar with the components - an organic acid and a weak chelator stabilized with gluconic acid. You don’t even know the pH and your offering that silly combination that, under the best conditions, has nothing for Gram negative bacteria.

  • DRBOB@VERDIENT.BIZ

    Member
    August 19, 2023 at 10:41 am

    not true Have passed many Otc challenge tests which include gram negative organisms.K sorbate is known to yellow at low PH as it exists as sorbic aid-eventualy goes dark brown-poor choice

    • PhilGeis

      Member
      August 19, 2023 at 10:53 am

      Bull - must be aware of the pH dynamics of benzoate and the development of wipe preservative systems. A known weak system on its face - just benzoate - passing equally weak USP 51, prob with juice, as an excuse to market - is a profoundly flawed approach to wipes preservation.

      Pity your consumers.

  • DRBOB@VERDIENT.BIZ

    Member
    August 19, 2023 at 10:57 am

    the proof is in the pudding-show me your data!!!!

    • PhilGeis

      Member
      August 19, 2023 at 7:20 pm

      The proof is in the consumers hands. Show me your in-use data - it is your claim and responsibility. And please not just USP 51 of the juice.

      Please understand, USP 51 is borrowed from pharma and has no validition for cosmetics - passing does not mean it’s effective in plants and more importantly in the hands of consumers - the actual purpose of preservation. Inexperienced folks take it as gospel - and such folks typically consider testing the juice qualifies the wipe product. The big variable is the substrate that operates as a chromatographic medium. Esp. for tub fill, the preservative will be in the top wipes and not the others.

      Proper testing uses the finshed wipes - top and bottom of tub fill.

      Benzoic acid is not effective against pseudomonads at any pH. Are you aware of the pH dynmaic for orgnaic acids? That it passes as juice - even with complete kill means little to the world of pseudomonads. The ATCC isolate used in USP 51 is a lab creature - isolated ~60 years ago from a lesion and it carries no resistant plasmids.

      Using that crap preservaitve systemn for a baby wipe is a terrible idea.

  • Kriggs

    Member
    August 22, 2023 at 12:14 pm

    I appreciate everyone’s weigh-in and am open to implementing a new preservative system under the potential pH range of 4.5-6. Ideally this preservative system would be as “clean as possible” and phenoxyethanol-free.

    (PET would be USP 51 but I do not find that challenge test robust enough with true substantiation, especially when it comes to high aqueous content in conjunction with the product being a saturated non-woven).

    Having said that, it is extremely frustrating trying to find an efficacious and broad-spectrum preservative system that is considered to be “clean” by the consumer , while being robust enough to pass the PCPC criteria. I am hoping to gain at least one of the following:

    1) Find an ingredient/s that can reduce or eliminate the potassium sorbate yellowing given the parameter that the target pH range is 4.5-5.5

    2) If Sodium benzoate + potassium sorbate is not a sufficient preservative system on its own, what additional “clean” preservative system or ingredient should be added? (pH 4.5-5.5)

    3) A “clean” preservative system replacement for the SBPS with a broadening of the pH range to 4.5-6.

  • PhilGeis

    Member
    August 22, 2023 at 1:28 pm

    M5 - excellent!!!

    86 the sorbate; hold pH and benzoate; consider phenylethyl (note rose odor), diols (pentylene , octane); a little ethanol 4% can help, need a chelator (EDTA, GLDA , worry at stability for gluconolactone), no unknown mixtures (Leucidal, EO’s and extracts).

    Product - what surfactants (some effectively increase benzoate pKa); tub/sachet fill or online conversion? any heat in process? package open to consumer in use or single sheet pull out?

    Good luck - appreciate your prefessionalism.

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