FAQ
This collection of frequently asked questions (FAQ) provides brief answers to common questions of ethylhexylglycerin based products.
How to minimise the amount of preservative actives in a formulation?
- Combination of preservative actives
- Addition of multifunctional actives to boost the antimicrobial effect
- Addition of chelating agents
- Combination of multifunctional actives to achieve self-preserving systems
Why using a booster?
In response to the increasing discussion about preservative actives, there has been interest in reducing the amount of traditional preservatives in cosmetic formulations. Therefore, methods to enhance the efficacy of traditional preservatives so that lower amounts of these substances can be used are of increasing interest.
How do chelating agents work?
Chelating agents can be used to increase the efficacy of antimicrobial substances. They remove multivalent cations from the cell membrane of the microbes by forming complexes, weakening the outer surface by decreases membrane stability and making them more vulnerable to biocidal attack.
What about safety of ethylhexylglycerin?
According to the CIR Expert Panel ethylhexylglycerin is considered as safe. Additionally, in 5 different product categories, the skin compatibility of the ingredient ethylhexylglycerin could be confirmed up to a content of 0.99%.
https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/ethylh122011finalx.pdf
Is ethylhexylglycerin REACH registered?
Yes.
https://echa.europa.eu/registration-dossier/-/registered-dossier/16725
What are the benefits of ethylhexylglycerin?
- Medium spreading emollient
- Improves skin feel of cosmetic formulations
- Effective against odour causing gram-positive bacteria
- Booster of cosmetic alcohols and glycols
- Enhancer for traditional preservative systems
- Boosting and fixating of fragrance ingredients
Additional literature
Ethylhexylglycerin - Highly Pure Quality By Patented Stabilisation
Dr. K. Weber , K. Stoffels
SÖFW 04/2015