Too often, the choice of the preservation system for cosmetics is done by default, avoiding raw materials that have bad press. For many players, this process has become complex and challenging. To make the choice easier for formulators and help them select the preservation systems best suited to their needs, Lonza Personal Care offers a new internet tool, FormulaProtect™.
FormulaProtect ™ is available via the website of Arch Chemical, the company acquired by Lonza in October 2011. Presented at In-Cosmetics in Barcelona, this online application is designed to facilitate the formulation work. "We wanted to provide our customers but also the entire profession with a simple, ergonomic tool (the tool is freely available, editor’s note), that would take into account the many constraints, be they technical, regulatory, image related...in connection with the choice of antimicrobials. Customers realize now better the issues at stake and rare are the ones who continue to overlook health or economic risks, or of image in connection with a microbial contamination. But as it has become increasingly difficult to understand the available solutions, we designed FormulaProtect™ to guide them. We would like to improve the image of preservatives," says Michèle Benhaim, Director of Personal Care Preservation.
Taking a quick look at the application is enough to realize that all the constraints linked to the choice of preservatives were taken into account. From the pH of the formula to the incompatibilities between ingredients, from the required spectrum of activities to the compliance with regulations including those related to repositories of natural and organic cosmetics, from the formula type to the preferences of formulators: everything has been carefully thought out to integrate the most varied requirements. It is for example possible to indicate that the product already contains alcohol, cationic compounds or lecithins, or that the pH is above 8 or any other differentiating characteristic. After that a selection of raw materials is proposed from the Lonza range of 20 preservatives encompassing 10 different chemistries. The only requirement to get more details on the performance of Geogard™, Glydant™, Mikrokill™, alone or in mixtures, is to provide one’s contact information.
The tool which has been very well received by the profession is also bound to evolve. "This is the first generation of FormulaProtect™ but regular updates will be made according to changing requirements, "concluded Michèle Benhaim.
