Restrictions ramp up on cosmetic preservatives

Abstract

It has been a slow war of attrition. For the past decade, environmental groups have called out a growing number of cosmetic preservatives as suspected endocrine disruptors, cancer-causing agents, and skin irritants. Regulators have examined the claims and in some cases enacted restrictions on widely used preservatives. Now the list of useful preservatives is down to a handful, say cosmetic formulators and suppliers. And because of the high cost of developing new preservatives and strictures against animal testing, few qualified alternatives are in the offing. Without a preservative, often used at less than 1%, skin creams, makeup, and shampoos can become contaminated with mold, fungi, and bacteria. Some contaminants can spoil the appearance and smell of cosmetics. Others can lead to skin, scalp, and eye infections, or even worse. Bad actors include Staphylococcus aureus, a gram-positive bacteria that can cause skin infections, and Escherichia coli, a gram-negative bacteria that can