Preservatives are chemicals that kill bacteria, fungi and molds. They are commonly present in ANY product that contains water. For this reason, oil-based skin care products and anhydrous (water free) skin care products, do not need preservatives.

However, creams, lotions and any other product where water is present, require adding a preservative.

If you do NOT use a preservative, or if you decide to believe the hype and try out a ‘natural’ preservative (such as grapefruit seed extracts), then you are putting yourself, and your skin, at RISK.

The only way you can avoid using preservatives is if you make your products FRESH every week, and store them in the refrigerator. This is what we, at BulkActives, do.

We have now started carrying three preservative systems. None are formaldehyde releasing, but they do contain other chemicals that have been getting a bad name (phenoxyethanol and the paraben family).

Let me repeat, if you make your products FRESH every week, and store them in the refrigerator, then, and ONLY then, can you avoid using preservatives.