Ciba readies new antimicrobial for European market

Speaking exclusively with CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com, Ciba’s global business head of hygiene, Klaus Nussbaum, said the ingredient has already been approved for most other international markets, where its recognition as an effective antimicrobial ingredient and preservative is growing.

“We have submitted a dossier to the SCCP to get Tinosan SDC​ on the cosmetic preservatives positives list and we are expecting a positive response in the first half of 2009,”​ said Nussbaum.

Support package validates efficacy​

The ingredient has been a number of years in the research and development pipeline, and the company says that it has just put the finishing touches to a support data package that will invariably form a vital part of its launch in Europe

Talking about the prospects for the ingredient in the European market, Nussbaum believes there is a growing niche that the company is expecting to serve once approval has been given by the European authorities.

“We are especially excited about the opportunities in the cosmetics market, where manufacturers are increasingly expected to deliver antimicrobial benefits without compromising the look and feel of the products,”​ he added.

Silver citrate complex ​

Tinosan SDC has been developed around a water soluble silver citrate complex that has helped give it active properties designed to kill a wide range of potentially harmful micro-organisms.

Clinical trials conducted by the company have shown that the ingredient has broad-spectrum activity covering gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, which includes strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, together with yeasts and moulds.

It is said to be ideal for a variety of hair and skin care applications, including liquid soaps, clear gels, shampoos, and skin care products such as cleansers, face creams and body care lines.

Highly water soluble​

For formulators, the ingredient has been developed as highly water soluble, making it easy to blend into the aqueous phase of gels, surfactants, and emulsions in a cold process.

Likewise, its strength means that dosing levels are extremely low, with a recommended level of 0.1 percent to 0.3 percent for leave-in and rinse-off formulations, making the ingredient an economic alternative.

The upside of this antimicrobial ingredient is that it eradicates a wide variety of pathogenic bacteria and micro-organisms in a variety of personal care formulation, while simultaneously providing sanitising and disinfecting properties that can protect against bacteria on skin, protecting against pimples and minor infections, according to the company.