Discover new Systems for the preservation of certified natural and organic cosmetics

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Read more about the specific challenge and how YOU can help Weleda on their journey to novel preservation of natural cosmetics.

Discover new Preservation-Systems for natural and organic cosmetics without using ethanol or synthetic material

Safety is a top concern for personal care consumers, and many conventional preservative systems have been criticised, especially within the natural cosmetics industry, due to the existing safety data.

According to ISO 29621:2017 ‘Guidelines for the risk assessment and identification of microbiologically low-risk products’, cosmetic manufacturers have two main responsibilities regarding the microbiological quality of each product. The first responsibility is to ensure that the product, as purchased, is free from the numbers and types of microorganisms that could negatively affect either the product quality or the consumer health. The second responsibility is to make sure that microorganisms which are introduced during normal product use will not adversely affect the quality or safety of the product use.

Most personal care products containing water require some form of preservation or microbiological stabilization. However, preservative-free and all natural claims for cosmetic products are on the rise although most personal care products require the addition of preservatives due to the water-based formulations. The same applies to most of the Weleda products. Being a Natrue® certified cosmetic manufacturer, the compliance regulations for preservatives in their products are even stricter than non-Natrue® certified ones. Currently, Weleda does not apply conventional preservatives but alternative preservation systems, like ethanol or polyols, to stabilize its water-based formulation. Nevertheless, Weleda has the need to optimize or substitute the currently deployed preservation systems, while complying with the ISO 29621:2017 guidelines.

*Natrue® - https://www.natrue.org/

Information on the Challenge

Within the search for novel safe preservation ingredients, systems or methods Weleda is striving for new innovative solutions. These should include, but are not limited to, potent ingredients that effectively inhibit the growth of critical (for stability and safety of cosmetic products) microorganisms (fungi or bacteria) within natural products following the ‘all-natural’ claims with a particular focus on Natrue® certified-cosmetic products within the categories ‘natural’ and/or ‘naturally derived’. All solutions fitting the claim to be ‘natural identical’, meaning synthetically made, are to be excluded from the range of solutions.

The aim is to discover solutions that further enable the product claim ‘preservation-free’ according to the cosmetic regulation EC 1223/2009 annex V.

https://health.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2016-11/cosmetic_1223_2009_regulation_en_0.pdf

Therefore, Weleda wants to explore new formulation technologies entirely omitting preservatives (such as ethanol or polyols), with simultaneously alleviating safety concerns by verifying safety claims and promoting a clear ingredient transparency (‘multi-beneficial’ claims).

Along with a preservative or microbiologically stabilizing function, the ingredient must have additional benefits ( e.g., moisturizing, strengthening the skin barrier, smoothing or softening the skin) and ideally can be used in different product forms such as emulsions, gels, tonics, etc., while not interfering with the overall product function and product stability.

Key Questions:

• Which natural, novel and safe unlisted preservation methods can be used in natural cosmetic products while complying with ISO 29621:2017?
• How can you ensure or prove the safety of your solution?
• How can the solution fit Weleda’s cost-structure and pricing strategy?  

More Information on the challenge's requirements can be found in the tab 'Important Details' as well as 'Submission'