Benzyl Alcohol, 100 ml

Benzyl alkohol is a preservative blend of benzyl alcohol and propanediol, which enhances its efficacy. It protects water-containing cosmetic products from the growth of bacteria, yeasts and moulds. It is chosen by manufacturers who need a preservative free from parabens, formaldehyde and its donors, effective across a wide pH range and acceptable for most formulations with ecological certification.

It suits home manufacturers and smaller brands looking for an easy-to-dose and mild preservative. According to the manufacturer, it is also suitable for use in children's cosmetics, in care for the eye area, lips or oral cavity.

Key benefits

• Broad spectrum of action – active against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, yeasts and moulds.
• Wide working pH range – effective in the range of pH 3.0 – 9.0, handling both acidic tonics and surfactant-based products with a higher pH.
• Headspace protection – benzyl alcohol is slightly volatile, so it also protects the air inside the packaging above the product, not just the product mass itself.
• Enhanced effect from propanediol – propanediol in the blend increases the efficacy of benzyl alcohol.
• Free from controversial ingredients – contains no parabens, formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing substances, and is readily biodegradable.
• Accepted by ecological certifications – according to the manufacturer, it meets the requirements of most ecological labels for cosmetics.

How it works as a preservative

The active substance is benzyl alcohol; propanediol enhances its action. According to the manufacturer's tests, the blend inhibits the growth of common test strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans and Aspergillus brasiliensis at concentrations as low as 0.4 – 0.5 %. The recommended dosage is therefore set with a margin above these minimum values.

The mild volatility of benzyl alcohol is particularly practical for creams in jars and wet wipes, where the product is in prolonged contact with the air inside the packaging.

Use in formulation

The recommended dosage is 0.7 – 1.1 % of the blend, equally for leave-on and rinse-off products. The upper limit of 1.1 % is also the maximum permitted for this blend by the European cosmetics regulation and must not be exceeded. The correct dose for a specific formulation must be verified by a challenge microbiological test of the finished product, as efficacy depends on the type of formulation and the other ingredients.

The blend is partially water-soluble (up to approximately 1.2 %) and fully miscible with glycols such as propanediol. At normal dosage levels it dissolves in the water phase, but more slowly at low temperatures. It is added to the water phase or to the finished emulsion in the final stage at a temperature below 80 °C.

In hot-process emulsions it is advisable to add the preservative only to the cooling emulsion to limit the evaporation of benzyl alcohol. In cold gel and surfactant formulations it is added directly.

Suitable for products such as

• Creams and lotions – O/W emulsions, where it protects the water phase as well as the headspace in the jar.
• Shampoos and shower gels – surfactant systems with a higher pH.
• Tonics and water-based serums – light aqueous formulations with a low pH, where the benefit is efficacy from pH 3.0.
• Deodorants and antiperspirants – aqueous and gel forms with long-term use of a single pack.
• Wet wipes – products with repeatedly opened packaging and a high water content.
• Lip, eye area and oral cavity products – where a preservative with a mild profile is required.
• Children's cosmetics – according to the manufacturer's assessment, also suitable for products for children under 3 years of age.

A preservative is not needed in purely anhydrous preparations such as oils, balms or anhydrous butters. In these, stability is addressed with an antioxidant, not a preservative.

Good to know

Benzyl alcohol is among the fragrance allergens that must be declared in the product's ingredient list under European regulations. Since it is present in the product as a preservative, it is always listed in the ingredient list, so this obligation requires no additional special steps.

The blend is compatible with most common cosmetic raw materials. The required dose varies, however, depending on the type of formulation and the other ingredients, so a challenge test of the finished product is more important than the dosage value itself.

Frequently asked questions