| Aroma Waves uses the following Preservative System |
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Phenoxyethanol is created by treating phenol with ethylene oxide in an
alkaline medium. Each ingredient individually does not sound great, but when
they react it creates a broad spectrum, safe and effective preservative.
Individually many chemicals may harm you, but together they create a
beneficial product. For instance, lye alone is extremely dangerous, but after
it reacts with oil and water to create castile soap it is harmless and useful.
The MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) for a pure ingredient can cause undo
alarm. But as you consider other ingredients that are widely used and safe in
cosmetics you will find that the MSDS sounds alarming for them as well. For
instance commonly used ingredients like glycolic acid, lye, citric acid,
potassium sorbate and even essential oils have MSDS warnings that could be
misunderstood and deemed as too dangerous to use in cosmetics. However, we all
know that these ingredients are commonly used in cosmetics. The MSDS sheet is
designed to inform the end user of how to handle the ingredient properly in an
undiluted form.
Some companies claim that phenoxyethynol is derived from rose oil, sage oil,
minerals, plant derivatives and even coconut. But honestly, phenoxyethynol is
not even remotely related to these ingredients. It is, however, very safe. It
is not pH dependant and not a formaldehyde releasing agent. It is paraben
free. It does not react with other ingredients, air or light. It is very
stable. According to the CIR Expert Panel it is safe as a cosmetic ingredient
as it is currently used. It has been tested on the skin and eyes and it is non
irritating and non sensitizing at levels of 2.2% or lower. In the Cape Cod
Skin Treatment Line, phenoxyethynol is used at 1% or less. You may have seen
phenoxyethynol used in cosmetics in conjunction with other preservatives, such
as parabens. This is because phenoxyethynol is not a broad spectrum
preservative by itself. Through extensive research and testing, success has
been found in combining it with another commonly used and completely safe
cosmetic ingredient, Edta.
Tetrasodium Edta is derived from sodium salts. Edta is used as a chelating
agent. The Greek root of the word chelate is chele which means “to claw”.
The root of the word creates a great visual image of what Edta as a chelating
agent does. Edta “claws” or “binds” minerals, which are necessary components
for the growth of mold. For instance, Edta binds up magnesium which is
necessary for mold to grow. In cosmetics, Edta not only is a great additive to
create a stable product, but it also pulls heavy metals from your skin when
you apply the cosmetic. Edta is widely used for chelation therapy, which is
approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for lead and
heavy metal poisoning. An estimated one million people in America use
chelation therapy for this purpose. The NIH National Center for Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is currently funding a study to prove the
effectiveness of Edta chelation therapy for heart disease. Over 100,000
people per year use it in place of heart surgery. In chelation therapy, Edta
is injected intravenously. Once in the bloodstream, Edta latches onto lead
and other metals to form a compound that can be excreted in the urine. Edta is
also used in many foods, for instance mayonnaise and soft drinks, that include
ascorbic and sodium benzoate to reduce the formation of benzene (a
carcinogen). It is often used in household products. In household products it
is sent out into waste water and it binds up the minerals. While Edta is non
toxic in waste water it can impact the natural balance of minerals.
Some might wonder why preservatives are used at all. The water portion of a
product is the perfect breeding ground for mold, fungus, bacteria and yeast.
It is only a matter of time and all unpreserved cosmetics will go bad. What
is frightening is that the product might look and smell just fine, but be
filled with micro organisms that are dangerous for your skin and health. Some
products may look fine on the outside, but when they have been run through
micro tests, more often than not, the bacteria, yeast, fungus and mold count is
off the chart. Other times, the signs of contamination are more obvious.
Possible signs of a product going bad can be an off smell, separation and
visual evidence of mold. An unstable, unpreserved product can be contaminated
by the water in the product, spores in the air, even unseen contaminates in
your packaging and the germs on your hands. A good stable preservative system
can keep your product safe and free from these microorganisms for years.
A question often asked is, “Why does brand X not use any preservatives?”
Research at Essential Wholesale, where Aroma Waves purchases some of its base
products that contain the preservative system mentioned, has been extensive.
It has included testing many chemical, semi-synthetic and natural
preservatives on the market today. It has also included running tests on many
Brand X products. Essential Wholesale has found that there are five possible
answers to the question of how Brand X uses no preservative.
• One: is that there is a preservative system on the market with the
INCI (Industrial Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) name “fragrance”, which
does not disclose the ingredients and hides the preservative.
• Two: there are many products on the market that failed our challenge
tests and grew yeast, mold, bacteria and fungus quickly.
• Three: they do not fully disclose their ingredient lists evidenced by
the fact that their product does not fail micro testing and they do not have
any ingredients listed that have any preservative properties at all. That’s
odd, isn’t it…
• Four: they might be using ingredients that do not require
preservatives. For instance a product that does not contain water might not
require preservatives, only antioxidants such as Vitamin E.
• Five: they could be using extracts in one or two different methods.
Extracts in alcohol used at the right percentage create and effective
preservative. Many extracts are in a propylene glycol base and preserved with
parabens and urea. These used at high enough levels without fully disclosing
them to the other ingredients can create an effective preservative system.
* Information on this page derived from Essential Wholesale, where some of our base products are purchased
wholesale.