Aptar expands its Irresistible range to address the success of natural cosmetics

V.G.

21 June 2016

With consumers increasingly suspicious about synthetic preservatives, and with increasingly stringent regulations, it becomes essential to protect cosmetic formulations with packaging solutions offering an effective barrier againts bacterial contamination.

For Aptar beauty + home, there’s no doubt about the current trend: preservative free cosmetics (or, at least, cosmetics with a reduced concentration of preservatives) are booming! "According to figures from Mintel, over the period 2011-2015, the occurrence of the paraben free claim reaches 25% in Europe," says Florence Roullet, Skin Care & Color Cosmetics Laboratory Director at Aptar. "And today, the United States are overtaking Europe."

**Aptar is declining the Irresistible system in all the usual sizes intended for face products, with the addition of 20 ml, 30 ml and 50 ml sizes.**

Furthermore, consumers’ suspicion is finding its way to regulations with public authorities, both in Europe and in the United State, attempting to pass more restrictive regulations on these issues. And sometimes, brands voluntarily decide to ban certain ingredients from their own formulations.

"Ultimately, this situation results in a shortened list of preservatives that are permitted in cosmetic products. Such a situation is highly challenging for formulators, but also for safety assessors, because a preservative-free cosmetic product is obviously more fragile and more likely to be contaminated by microorganisms," adds Florence Roullet. “It is therefore important to adopt a global approach of the formula protection, which includes the use of a suitable packaging.”

To address this demand, Aptar launched in 2010 a dispensing system named Irresistible, which associates two successive barriers against external microbial contaminations.

– The first barrier protects the product from bacteria in the air. The pump uses 0.2 micron sterilizing filters that can stop the smallest bacteria. The technology is derived from the pharmaceutical industry, specially from nasal preservatives-free sprays.
– The second barrier protects the product from retro-contamination via a contact of the user’s fingers with the tip of the pump. The “Irresistible” pump features a shut-off valve, a needle embedded in the actuator which makes any product return impossible in the distribution channel and seals the actuator’s orifice.

With over 20 million units of the Irresistible range sold since its launch (with customers such as Yves Rocher, Melvita, L’Occitane, Stanhome, Sothys, Lionel de Benetti), Aptar is now the leader in this highly promising segment of the dermo-cosmetic category. To provide brands with an enlarged choice, the French supplier is declining this system in all the usual sizes intended for face products, with the addition of 20 ml, 30 ml and 50 ml sizes to the 40 ml bottle launched in 2010.

Brands now have access to a full range of protective packaging !