Preservative Requirement for Your Cream Formula

Yes, your cream formula definitely needs a preservative.

Here's why:

• Presence of Water: Your formula includes Wax Cream Maker, which is an emulsifier used to create cream textures. Emulsions typically contain both oil and water phases. The presence of water makes the product highly susceptible to microbial contamination (bacteria, mold, yeast).
• Ingredient Composition: Ingredients like Aloe Vera Oil (Infused) and other natural components can serve as nutrients for microbes.
• Insufficient Preservation from Alcohol: While Ethyl Alcohol has some antimicrobial properties, the amount used (10%) and the overall composition of the formula are unlikely to provide sufficient broad-spectrum preservation against all potential contaminants over the product's shelf life.

Without a proper preservative, your cream could quickly become contaminated, leading to spoilage, changes in appearance, odor, or texture, and potentially causing skin irritation or infection.

Recommendation:

Add a broad-spectrum cosmetic preservative to your formula at the recommended usage rate. Examples of suitable preservatives include NaturePreserve™ Ultra (Gluconolactone & Sodium Benzoate) or Mild Preserved™ COS (Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol), depending on your formula's pH and desired properties.

Important: Always perform a challenge test on your final formula to ensure the chosen preservative system is effective against a wide range of microorganisms and is suitable for your specific product.