Among the many things I try to cram into my schedule is a newsletter for people with sensitive skin. I am not very successful at doing this I am afraid, and I don’t get the newsletters out very frequently. But despite this I get a steady stream of people talking to me about their issues […]
Colour Codes For Preservatives Read More »
Cosmetic Design Europe is reporting that the Danish Environment Minister Kirsten Brosbøl has called for methylisothiazolinone or MI to be banned across Europe. I have to say I think this is a really bad idea, but I do see how she came to that conclusion. Compared to other preservatives, MI does have a greater potential to cause
No Denmark, Methylisothiazolinone Should Not Be Banned Read More »
I have just had someone get in touch to tell me that Ecover Wipes have just changed their formulation to include methylisothiazolinone (MI) as the preservative. I haven’t been able to confirm this myself so I will have to treat it as hearsay for now. If you know the facts please let me know. But
Why Would A Company Switch To MI? Read More »
There was a lot of interest in hypoallergenic products back in the eighties when I first started as a formulator. Back then the perception was that natural ingredients were the problem. Like a lot of popular ideas it corresponded to prejudice rather than evidence. But few of us, scientists included, trouble to check our beliefs
How to make a Hypoallergenic Product Read More »
An interesting question from Patricia that I think might interest some other people. I have sensitive skin and always look for cosmetic products which are free of harsh chemicals. I was not aware of the m1 preservative until today when a report was made on the breakfast show and will in future try to find
Oregon Soap Trail on Twitter asks a question. ‘In reading your beauty pages, I wonder, what is your opinion on the current phthalate controversy?’ This took me back a few years because this was something that was a bit of a hot topic in the UK about 6 or 7 years ago. I remember having
Phthalates in Personal Care Products Read More »
The Daily Mail has published an article by Kate Lock drawing people’s attention to how bad cosmetics are. Kate Lock asks Are Your Beauty Products Killing You? I had never heard of Kate Lock before, so before responding I have tried to find out a bit about her online. She seems to be a journalist.
Kate Lock – confessed Ecoshopper Read More »
All cosmetic products that contain large amounts of water need to be preserved from micro-organisms. If they aren’t preserved the go mouldy. For years the most widely used preservatives have been the esters of para-amino benzoic acid. These are known collectively as parabens. The most useful is methylparaben. This is often used in combination with
What’s wrong with parabens – and a possible alternative Read More »
