Synthetic parabens and formaldehyde releasers are falling out of favour, but keeping creams safe from microbes remains a challenge. The global shift toward “clean-label” cosmetics has left formulators scrambling for milder preservatives. A Research Paper led by Dr Trapali (University of West Attica, Greece), now offers a drop-in solution: the simple pairing of Lavandula angustifolia hydrosol with its own essential oil.
Using standard O/W emulsions, the researchers challenged products with high loads of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. After 12 weeks at 25 °C and 40 °C, emulsions containing 0.05 % hydrosol + 0.05 % essential oil kept counts below 10 CFU/mL—well inside European Pharmacopoeia limits. In contrast, an unpreserved control passed 10⁵ CFU/mL within four weeks.
Six O/W emulsions were stored at 25 °C and 40 °C for 12 weeks. Products containing 0.05 % lavender essential oil plus 0.05 % hydrosol remained below 10² CFU g⁻¹, while an unpreserved control exceeded 10⁴ CFU g⁻¹ by week four. The authors also provide a rapid GC-MS protocol to ensure consistent linalool levels across lavender chemotypes.
The work is the first to document a true synergy between lavender hydrosol and essential oil, outperforming either agent alone.
Journal of Dermatologic Science and Cosmetic Technology
Experimental study
Not applicable
Evaluation of the efficacy of lavender formulations as preservative agents in O/W (oil-in-water) emulsions
26-May-2025
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this article.