Why Preservatives Have a Place in Thoughtful Skin Care

Preservatives can sound like something a gentle product should avoid.

But for many water-based cosmetic products, effective preservation is an important part of responsible formulation.

Water can support the growth of microorganisms. During normal use, products may also be exposed to hands, air, moisture and the surrounding environment.

An appropriate preservation system helps protect a formula from microbial contamination throughout its intended shelf life and use.

This is why Matera does not use ‘preservative-free’ as a goal in itself.

Instead, we ask a more useful question: does the formula need a preservation system, and if it does, what is appropriate for that formula?

Our current formulas use preservation ingredients including phenoxyethanol and, depending on the product, ingredients such as sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, ethylhexylglycerin and 1,2-hexanediol.

Phenoxyethanol is one ingredient mothers may recognise from online discussions. The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has assessed phenoxyethanol as safe for cosmetic use as a preservative at concentrations of up to 1.0%.

That does not mean a preservative should be discussed without context.

A finished product is more than one ingredient. Safety and performance depend on the complete formula, the amount used, how the product is applied and whether the product is manufactured and preserved appropriately.

Matera uses preservatives for a clear reason: to help protect the integrity of the formula.

And because transparency matters to us, we list them openly.

Thoughtful care is not about removing every ingredient with an unfamiliar name.

Sometimes it is about understanding why that ingredient needs to be there.