The extract has previously been used to extend the shelf life of cosmetics oils and creams.
According to the Slovenia-based company, there is a growing demand for natural preserving systems that offer an alternative to synthetic antioxidants such as BHA and BHT, which are often used as preservatives in cosmetics and personal care products.
“This market is constantly searching products which maintain performance characteristics, but at the same time reduce environmental impact,” explained Dushka Dimitrijevic, technical sales director at Vitiva.
The company claims that internal studies have shown its rosemary antioxidants to be more effective at extending the shelf life of a product than many synthetic alternatives.
Adding Inolens 4 to natural soaps extended shelf life by up to 50 per cent in comparison to BHA or BHT (at 200 ppm), the results of the study showed.
Referring to the trials, Dimitrijevic said: ˜Inolens 4 has shown exciting results in extending shelf life of natural soap and shower gel with no influence on final product fragrance or color.”
While small amounts of the rosemary extract does not impact upon product smell, the company says that when used in higher dosages, the formula can be complementary to soap and gel fragrance.
Rosemary extracts are classified as natural flavours in the EU, and as spice extracts with GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status in the USA.
Although the cost of natural preservatives is higher than synthetic alternatives, Vitiva says that cost savings achieved through economies of scale and effectiveness of their proprietary extraction processes are passed onto customers.
Inolens 4 is available in both liquid and powder forms, is oil-soluble and can be made water dispersible to suit different formulations.
In addition to producing rosemary extracts with antioxidant properties for the cosmetics industry, Vitiva targets the food and nutraceutical industries with extracts that can be used in a wide variety of applications.