Organic Acid Preservative System for Personal Care
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal care products face challenges in finding preservative systems that are inexpensive, non-irritating, environmentally friendly, and effective against microbial growth, particularly in oil-in-water emulsions, as traditional preservatives can be costly, toxic, and irritating, and existing mixtures are difficult to formulate.
Innovation Solution
A preservative system comprising citric acid, lactic acid, and gluconic acid, either in free or salt form, is used in personal care compositions to provide broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity without the need for traditional preservatives like quaternary ammonium compounds, parabens, or halogenated diphenyl ethers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional preservative agents (parabens, quaternary ammonium compounds, halogenated diphenyl ethers) are used, then microbial growth is effectively inhibited, but consumer health risk and environmental impact increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of preservative agents by replacing traditional synthetic preservatives (parabens, quaternary ammonium compounds, halogenated diphenyl ethers) with organic acid-based preservatives (benzoic acid, sorbic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, gluconic acid). This parameter change maintains antimicrobial effectiveness while reducing consumer health risk and environmental impact, as organic acids are generally recognized as safe and biodegradable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs inexpensive organic acid-based preservatives that can be easily formulated and applied, replacing expensive and potentially harmful traditional preservatives. The organic acids provide sufficient preservative action for the product lifecycle without requiring complex or persistent chemical structures, aligning with the principle of using simpler, safer, and more cost-effective alternatives.
2Reliability
If mixed preservative systems are used to broaden spectrum of activity, then antimicrobial robustness improves, but formulation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple organic acid-based preservatives (benzoic acid, sorbic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, gluconic acid) in a unified preservative system. This merging approach broadens the spectrum of antimicrobial activity against different microorganisms while maintaining relative formulation simplicity, as all components are based on similar organic acid chemistry and can be formulated together without complex compatibility issues.
3Reliability
If high concentrations of preservative agents are used to ensure effectiveness, then microbial growth inhibition improves, but skin irritation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical nature of preservative agents from traditional synthetic compounds to organic acids, which inherently provide effective preservative action at lower concentrations. Organic acids work by lowering pH and disrupting microbial cell membranes, allowing effective preservative performance with minimal concentrations, thereby reducing skin irritation potential compared to higher concentrations of traditional preservatives.
Data Source
AI summary
Discloses a preservative system for personal care products comprising citric acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid and gluconic acid, and compositions and methods of preserving personal care compositions using said system.