Let's Talk Preservatives!

Among our 11 products, 3 of them contain water – Aloe + Lemon Face Wash, Rose Water Toner and Witch Hazel Toner. While the word "preservatives" might be scary to some, we fully embrace the essential role they play in making skincare safe to use. It's important that our water-based skincare products are preserved to prevent microbial spoilage that would make them unsafe for customers. Preservatives kill microorganisms and water-borne bacteria, and prevent the growth of bacteria, mold and yeast. At NARLOA, we only use the gentlest and most natural preservatives.

Our Aloe + Lemon Face Wash uses a broad spectrum preservative (less than 1%) derived from natural sources. It includes a blend of Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydro Acetic Acid, Sorbic Acid Benzoic Acid which makes it effective against bacteria, mold and yeast. Of course it's crucial for us to follow guidelines regarding the amount of preservative to use; too much or too little could be potentially hazardous. That's why our Aloe + Lemon Face Wash is partially manufactured in a lab setting in the UK – the delicate nature of correctly balancing several complex ingredients should always be done safely.

Our Rose Water Toner is preserved using Polylysine. Polylysine is natural and vegan and is manufactured using an aerobic fermentation process using the non-toxic microorganism Streptomyces albulus. Testing has shown none of the unpleasant side effects that can occur with more standard preservatives.

Our Witch Hazel Toner has a natural constituent called Terpineol which acts a natural preservative so it actually has no need for anything to be added to make it safe. The Terpineol gives the Witch Hazel Toner a good shelf life if kept in ideal conditions (dark and cool storage).

All our other products are water-free and generally don't need to come into contact with water therefore they don’t require preservatives as they are not prone to microbial contamination.

If you'd like to know more or have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.