Aqueous cosmetic formulation often tends to attacked by microbes leading to spoilage of the end product.  Microbial contaminations change the efficacy and safety of formulation which will be achieved by addition of preservative agents in it.  Consequentially, product shelf life will also be increased.

There are varieties of preservatives that are being used in formulating cosmeceuticals. However, these added preservatives poses different health concerns such as allergy, effect on hormones etc.

Commonly used preservatives like parabens or formaldehyde releasing ingredients have adverse effects on health of end user.

There are few terms constantly used when it comes to explain safety of cosmetic formulations similar to Preservative free, PABA and fragrance free.

Nevertheless, when you say preservative free, that means formulations with no preservative which is impractical as aqueous cosmetic formulations are vulnerable to microbial attack.

For this reason, ultimately self preserving cosmetic formulations are highly desirable in cosmetic industry.

Ingredients with multiple functionalities are usually preferred for from cosmetic safety, efficacy and economic standpoint.  Synergetic efficacies of multifunctional ingredients are high on demand.

3-[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]-1,2-propanediol, is glycerin derivative  and so it’s better variation which acts as emmolient, humectant and  antimicrobial due to its surfactant property.

This Ethylhexylglycerin, finds usage in wide variety of applications from skin care, hair care, colour cosmetics to oral care.

1,2-Octanediol, also known as caprylyl glycol, It is a common component of many creams and ointments, where it is used as a skin conditioning agent as well as to modify product viscosity.

If preservatives are not used in cosmetic formulations then there are lots of other changes that would occur like destabilization of emulsion, appearance change, and decrease in pH or viscocity changes.

Ingredients like ethyl hexyl glycerin acts as antimicrobial action potentiators  for other preservatives present in formulation through decreasein surface tension thereby facilitating cell membranes disruption of microbes.

Regarding to chemical structure of the above mentioned preservatives containing glycerine and glycol, these ingredients function as humectants, moisturizing the skin associated with an emollient effect, respectively. Thus, they are regarded as multifunctional ingredients.

There is growing interest in preservative-boosting systems that use other combinations of antimicrobial choices, such as organic acids and aromatic alcohols. In many formulas, the efficacy of the core preservative has been supplemented by the addition of cosmetic ingredients with one or more specified functions and an added boosting effect on the preservative system.

The synergistic function of ethylhexylglycerin and caprylyl glycol to limit the growth of microbes will give good efficacy as a blend.

Kopcerin CG, manufactured by Kumar Organics Products Ltd, is a blend of Ethylhexylglycerin and Caprylyl Gycol and  used as antimicrobialstabilizer blend, mild humecatnt and emollient.

Accordingly, there are quite a lot of key benefits of this system as compared to other products for the demand of effective and safe preservative action and as effective alternative to parabens and formaldehyde donors as well!