The consumer demand for natural ingredients in personal care and cosmetic products continues to drive formulators away from traditional preservatives. However, formulating with natural and naturally derived preservatives present unique challenges which must be considered in order to achieve optimal protection of your products. This article will guide you on how to formulate using LAE® based preservatives, a COSMOS Approved alternative solution to traditional personal care preservatives.
What is LAE®?
LAE® is a naturally derived preservative based on ethyl lauroyl arginate for personal care and cosmetic formulations. NEOLONE® Bio G preservative from LANXESS is based on LAE® and provides excellent preservation for personal care and cosmetic products when formulated with compatible ingredients.
About LAE®
INCI: Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate HCl, LAE®
Chemistry profile: A preservative derived from natural raw materials
Formula: C20H41ClN4O3
CAS No.: 60372-77-2
EINECS/ELINCS: 434-630-6
MW: 421 g/mol
NEOLONE® Bio G, LAE® preservative, offers broad-spectrum antimicrobial protection and is approved for use in leave-on and rinse-off applications, such as creams, lotions, micellar water, and conditioners.
Why you should consider using NEOLONE® Bio, or LAE® preservatives, in your formulations
Safe
Accepted
NEOLONE® Bio G is nonirritating and nonsensitizing at recommended use levels for cosmetic applications
Wide range of global regulatory approvals for use in leave-on and rinse-off applications
Naturally Derived
Effective
NEOLONE® Bio G meets the ISO 16128 definition of a naturally derived ingredient and is COSMOS raw material approved
Strong antimicrobial activity against mold, yeast, and gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria
How to formulate with LAE® preservatives
LAE® preservatives can help you meet the growing consumer demand for natural personal care products while maintaining the desired level of antimicrobial protection and shelf life. However, formulating with LAE® is often not a drop in replacement for traditional preservatives. There are three important aspects to consider while formulating with LAE® to maximum preservation and avoid incompatibilities.
Avoid or reduce hydrolysis
LAE® preservatives are pH sensitive and undergo rapid hydrolysis when added to high-pH solutions. Here are a few things to consider while formulating with LAE® to avoid hydrolysis:
Keep the final product pH below 6 to minimize LAE® hydrolysis and maintain performance.
LAE® addition may result in a reduction of pH. You might need a pH adjustment after the addition of the preservative.
If increasing the pH is necessary, use a mild base (e.g., diluted NaOH, sodium gluconate, triethanolamine). A strong base (pH>10) will result in rapid hydrolysis of LAE®.
In cases where the base formula pH is higher than 10, adjust the pH to 7 before introducing LAE® (e.g., lactic acid is easier to work with).
Order of Addition
LAE® is an emulsifier and prefers to participate at the emulsion interface. For effective preservation, the following should be considered:
Avoid addition in the water phase before emulsification: if LAE® is added to the water phase before emulsification, it will act as an emulsifier, resulting in decreased LAE® availability in the water phase.
Avoid addition in the oil phase before emulsification: addition into the oil phase may change the oil characteristics, and LAE® will not be available in the water phase comprising the preservation efficacy.
Avoid the addition of LAE® to a hot emulsion which will result in LAE® at the interface, decreasing the preservation effectiveness.
Solution: NEOLONE® Bio, LAE® preservative, is best added postemulsification when cooling to ~45°C. This will minimize its partition at the emulsion interface. Viscosity reduction may occur after the addition of LAE® and may require adjustment using thickening agents.
Avoid incompatible ingredients
Ingredient Type: Thickening/Rheology
Avoid
Substitute with
Anionic/Base Thickeners
Examples:
Polyacrylic acid (PAA) based polymers: e.g., carbomer and acrylate copolymers
Cationic surfactants: e.g., long chain or dialkyl quats
Isostearic acid and stearic acid should be avoided, but they can be used in LAE® formulations if the pH is maintained at 4.5 to 5.0 and they are not the major or only emulsifiers in the formulation.
Other skincare ingredients that are compatible with NEOLONE® Bio, or LAE® preservatives:
Skincare Actives
Anionic Preservatives
Sodium hyaluronate* and sodium lactate*
Sodium benzoate*, potassium sorbate*, and sodium dehydroacetate*
Amphoteric Active Ingredients
Emollients
Betaine*
Shea butter
Enhancing NEOLONE® Bio G Performance in Personal Care and Cosmetic Applications
Several ingredients can be used to enhance the activity and antimicrobial efficacy of LAE® preservatives:
High-HLB liquid surfactants: they act as solubilizers to enhance the partitioning of LAE® into the aqueous phase at low dosages (from 2:1 to 1:2). Examples of high-HLB surfactants are:
PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, HLB 12.5
Polysorbate-20,
HLB 16.7
Caprylyl glucoside*,
HLB 13–14
Soft preservatives/Organic acids and salts:
Sodium benzoate*
0.3%–0.5%
Dehydroacetic acid*
0.1%–0.3%
p-anisic acid*
0.1%–0.3%
Cinnamic acid*
0.025%–0.050%
Benzyl alcohol*
0.33%–0.65%
Multifunctional ingredients:
Glyceryl caprylate*
0.3%–0.7%
Hydroxyacetophenone
0.1%–0.3%
1,2-Hexanediol
0.5%–1.0%
Chelators: e.g., gluconolactone* at 0.1%–0.3%
Days
2
7
14
21
28
Unpreserved Control
Bacteria
Fungi
Neolone® Bio G 1.5%
Bacteria
Fungi
Neolone® Bio G 0.5% & Sodium anisate 0.3%
Bacteria
Fungi
Neolone® Bio G 0.5% & 1,2-Hexanediol 1%
Bacteria
Fungi
Neolone® Bio G 0.5% & Hydroxyacetophenone 0.3%
Bacteria
Fungi
* Ingredients suitable for COSMOS-compliant formulations
To summarize, NEOLONE® Bio G is an excellent addition to your preservative toolbox, especially if you are developing your formulations with natural ingredients. However, NEOLONE® Bio G is not a drop-in preservative, as it requires considering the formulation ingredients and the order of addition to achieve the desired microbial protection against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeast, and mold.
Ensure formulation is not too basic before LAE® additions pH < 7
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