Green Beauty Ingredients: The Skinny On Preservatives

The hot word in the green beauty space right now is “preservatives.” Everyone is talking about it; but what’s not being said is how vital natural preservatives are in products applied to the hair and skin. It’s important to understand the facts and navigate the miscommunication and confusion; my intention here is only to share my point view. ~ Greg

It’s True: Even “Green Beauty” Products Require Preservatives.

Did you know Innersense is a Made Safe Ingredient Supporter?

Did you know Innersense is a Made Safe Ingredient Supporter?

Preservatives are important to maintain shelf life, but the bigger purpose is to protect products against, bacteria, mold, yeast and other contaminations that cannot be seen or smelled. The reality is products that contain any level of water as part of their formula require preservatives to protect them, and you.

Joanne and I spend an abundant amount of time working with our formulating team to deliver clean, pure, organic products. We also work tirelessly to ensure the natural preservative systems that we work with are effective and safe. The preservatives we use meet NSF 305 assessments for safety, and meet the safety standard established by the FDA and required by the ever-strict EU certification process.

This is not to say that we aren’t continually seeking new alternatives. Green beauty chemistry is rapidly evolving, and along with it, so are new alternative natural preservative systems. We are at the forefront of this exploration and work in tandem with our supply chain partners. These new systems require months of micro and challenge testing to ensure they meet safety assessments and formula compatibility.

In our vow of transparency, Innersense Organic Beauty fully lists the naturally-derived preservatives we use with each of our products (You’ll find them in a separate tab with each product in our e-store). Words like Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol and Sorbic Acid do not sound pretty, but they serve a critical function. Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate and Citric Acid are common in green beauty products; used at low levels, the combination of these ingredients provide the full spectrum protection needed to ensure a product does not become contaminated. There is no data to suggest these ingredients pose any health risks.

It’s worth noting that when an ingredient gets a bad rap, some green beauty brands will respond by simply changing to preservatives with names that are not recognized by the consumer, rather then spending the time to educate the how’s and whys. Unfortunately, consumers assume safety without the knowledge to back it up or questioning whether the ingredient has passed through rigorous safety standards.

As I said before, misunderstanding is fueling mis-information. Ingredient decks can be confusing, even when green beauty brands like ours are utilizing natural ingredients and derivatives and cutting-edge green chemistry. My advice: Read the label. If you do have a concern or question, call the brand. If the brand is truly transparent, they’ll take your call and answer your questions. Joanne and I do it all the time. You can also email us, too.

PS: Arm yourself with knowledge: The Think Dirty app alerts consumers to potentially harmful chemicals in cosmetics. Download it today to shop clean tomorrow!

8 Comments

  • Angela says:

    Hi, I purchased a hair gel that contains potasium sorbate and citric acid. Would you know if these two ingredients will strip my keratin treatment and fade my hair color. Not sure if they are salt.Thank you,
    Angela

    • Innersense Tribe says:

      Hello, Angela! Thank you for reaching out. Those ingredients will not strip your keratin treatment or affect your hair color. All of our ingredients are 100% naturally derived and gentle on the hair. Sending you lots of happy hair love!

  • Rebecca Bush says:

    Just opened a 22 jar of Innersense Whipped cream texturizer there was no packaging seal on it and to my surprise there was black mold. Showing on the white creamy product

    • Ari Schwartz says:

      Hi Rebecca,

      Thanks for reaching out! The product shelf life unopened and unused is 36 months, once it is opened and used the shelf life is 12 months. If you purchased the product directly from our website we certainly apologize and would be happy to resolve this with you. Please email [email protected] to get in touch with our customer service team. If however, you purchased the product from a retailer or salon we strongly recommend that you get in touch with them. We hope that they are not selling used or expired products.

      Thank You and apologies for any inconvenience that this has caused.

  • Silke says:

    Hello, i have questions, is liquid plastic in your products.Also polymere, i read sdium pca, i heard is like microplastic?
    Sorry for my bad english i am from austria.
    Thanks for information
    Silke Reisinget

    • Innersense Organic Beauty says:

      Hi Silke,
      No, we don’t use any plastics in our products. Sodium PCA is a derivative of naturally occurring amino acid proline; we use a non-synthetic version that is plant derived. If you have any more questions feel free to email us at [email protected] or call M-F 8:30am-5pm PST 925-952-9700. Sending you lots of happy, healthy, hair love!

  • Looking for. Good shampoo, short hair,81 yr old female, bothered by sodium potassium sorbate and
    Sodium P A. It cuts off my breathing g and having to wear a mask really magnifies it. Please help me find a
    Shampoo that does not affect my lungs.
    Also a hair spray. Paul Mitchell nearly did me in.

    • Innersense Organic Beauty says:

      Hi Barbara! Thank you for your interest in Innersense Organic Beauty! If you have a preexisting medical condition, please speak to a healthcare professional before trying new products! On our website, all of the ingredients are listed for every product to provide full transparency for our customers! Check out the product page for our versatile hairspray called I Create Finish! I hope this helps! Sending you lots of happy, healthy hair love!

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