KEEPING THE NATURAL BALANCE OF THE SKIN MICROBIOME USING MULTIFUNCTIONALS

Microbial protection and preserving the balance of the skin microbiome with Cosphaderm® Multifunctionals

Cosphatec helps customers choose the right preservation strategy to effectively protect their cosmetics products from microbial deterioration. Bacteria, yeasts, and moulds can cause formulations to change their colour, consistency or odour or, in the worst case, even pose a health risk for consumers.

We offer microbially effective Multifunctionals for this purpose, which inhibit the growth of potentially pathogenic germs besides also fulfilling several other functions for the skin and/or the formulation. But not all microorganisms are “bad” – on the contrary, some of them are even an essential part of a healthy skin microbiome.

The skin microbiome comprises the sum of all microorganisms on the skin, which include different bacteria and yeasts. Healthy skin is governed by a specific balance of these microorganisms. But if this balance is disrupted, this may be accompanied by skin damage. For this reason, it is important to apply products to the skin that largely leave the integrity of the microbiome undamaged and preserve the skin’s natural balance.

In recent years, microbiome-friendly products have developed into a real trend in the cosmetics industry. These are formulations that have few effects on the composition of the skin microbiome, or none at all.

To guarantee this, products from our portfolio – Cosphaderm® Zinc Lactate natural, Cosphaderm® Magnolia Officinalis 98, Cosphaderm® Sodium LAAS and Cosphaderm® Capo – were examined in terms of their compatibility with the skin microbiome.

This involved evaluating the parameters of vitality and diversity in the organisms of the skin microbiome, as well as skin protection.

Did you know?

The evaluation of the individual parameters results in an overall assessment, which is summarised in the following table.

Compatibility with the skin microbiome
MultifunctionalsEvaluationInterpretation

Cosphaderm® Zinc Lactate natural
1,94Good
Cosphaderm® Magnolia Extract 981,55Very good
Cosphaderm® Sodium LAAS1,66Good
Cosphaderm® Capo1,63Good
Compatibility with the skin microbiome 1,19Very good
Very good compatibility 1,0 -1,5
Good compatibility 1,5 -2.0
Restricted compatibility <2,0

The results determined that all Multifunctionals tested are compatible or even very compatible. They are therefore an excellent choice for protecting cosmetic products against pathogenic germs while preserving the healthy balance of the skin microbiome.

A modern cosmetic formulation must both meet the high demands of consumers and satisfy the requirements of microbiological stability. This stability can be threatened by microbiological contamination, which on the one hand can take place during the product’s manufacturing process, but on the other is mainly brought about by consumers themselves, such as by dipping their fingers in creams. To prevent contamination and ensure preservation, a so-called Preservative Efficacy Test is mandatory for the approval of cosmetic products. Cosphatec, in partnership with external microbiology laboratories, offers implementation of the two most commonly used methods for Preservative Efficacy Tests in Europe.

The choice of test depends on individual factors.Whether a KBT according to ISO 11930 or Ph. Eu. 5.1.3.- Cosphatec supports here and offers the direct commissioning of Challenge Tests.