La preservazione dall’inquinamento microbico dei prodotti cosmetici, con particolare riferimento ai cosmetici “naturali”

The increased interest in cosmetic products made up with natural substances leads to study innovative cosmetic formulations. As it is not possible to use many of the preservatives listed in Annex V of Regulation 1223/2009, one of the most critical point of “natural” cosmetics is their preservation from the microbiological spoilage, which could shatter the quality, safety and efficacy of the product. Through the control of water activity, which is the water available in the formulation for microbial growth, the type of microbiological contamination more likely to affect the product can be evaluated. Thus, the quality and the quantity of the most suitable preservative can be determined to develop formulations that have a low value of water activity, reducing the risk of microbiological spoilage.