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How Do You Solve A Problem Like Methylisothiazolinone?

Posted by Chemlink in Chemlink Lab, Personal Care Products, Regulations | 0 comments

The preservative, Methylisothiazolinone (MIT) is being removed by a large portion of the cosmetic industry. This means that alternative preservative systems have to be used.

Technician in lab reformulating to remove MIT

If you don’t know what Methylisothiazolinone is, read our ‘What is Methylisothiazolinone’ blog here.

So how do you remove Methylisothiazolinone and come away with a formula that works? Well, you’ll need an alternative preservation system that will achieve the same results – this can be tricky. There are several alternatives and a large part of the market are attempting to move to organic acids, such as: benzoic, lactic or hydroxy acetic acids, for example.

Of course, switching to these acids means the pH of your formulation must be reduced for the  greatest preservative effect. Preservative effect rapidly reduces above pH 5.0, and these organic acids will likely put your formulation into the 4.5 – 5.0 pH range. As such, the pH changes can cause a variety of problems requiring a complete reformulation of your product.

Here are some of the problems which can occur at these higher pHs:

  • Polymers used to suspend scrub and insoluble particles may no longer work at this pH leading to drop out
  • Stability of emulsions may be adversely affected leading to separation
  • Dyestuffs may fade or change shade
  • Fragrances may change or disappear

 

Luckily the technical team at Chemlink are here to help. We have a thorough understanding of this particular formulation challenge, so we can help you reformulate without loss of functionality.

We have products that work at the required pH and have done extensive research on emulsions to solve some of the problems caused by removing MIT. We also have the expertise to help correct any discrepancies in colour and fragrance. And finally, we have alternative preservation systems which allow a higher pH to be maintained and help to prevent change to the current formulation pH.

Download our Methylisothiazolinone Removal eBook here for more information about the solutions that Chemlink can offer.

mit removal ebook cover

If you’re currently looking for ways to remove Methylisothiazolinones/MIT from your formulations, contact our team today.

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