Why natural care needs to be well preserved
By Jeremy Fain, founder of Restelys. Updated 17 October 2026. 2 sources cited.
An open bottle in a warm, humid bathroom is an ideal place for microbes. The safety of a care product starts with its preservation.
Any product containing water can be contaminated by bacteria or moulds in use. The EU cosmetics regulation only allows assessed, listed preservatives, at fixed maximum levels.
To check that a formula holds up, laboratories carry out a “challenge test” under ISO 11930: micro-organisms are deliberately introduced and their elimination is measured over the following weeks.
Our care products will pass this test, with preservatives compatible with natural cosmetics labels. It is also one of the advantages of the sealed bottle: nothing gets in before it is opened.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Annex V.
- ISO 11930:2019, evaluation of the antimicrobial protection of a cosmetic product.
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