Preservative stability and preservative systems.
Synopsis The stability of cosmetics must be examined from a chemical, physical and biological viewpoint. Biological stability is dependent on many factors including preservative effectiveness, preservative stability and the levels of initial and in-use contamination. Bronopol, a highly active preservative with less than ideal stability in alkaline systems, may be usefully combined with more stable preservatives whose activity is generally lower at high pH. Some consequences of preservative decomposition are discussed.
Toler
J C
JC
The Boots Company Plc, Nottingham, NG2 3AA, UK.