Dermasoft PEA eco (INCI: Phenethyl Alcohol) is used as a masking agent to cover the unwanted odour of other raw materials, and as a fragrance component due to its rose-hyacinth-like odour, according to Dr Straetmans.
According to the company, the Ecocert-certified ingredient can be used in any product concept, but is particularly suitable for use in natural products.
Antimicrobial properties
The ingredient can also be used to preserve cosmetic formulations due to its antimicrobial properties. Additionally, Dermasoft PEA eco is pH-independent, unlike many other antimicrobial ingredients, thus filling a gap in the market.
“Many of the suitable antimicrobials for natural product concepts are based on organic acids, thus depending on low pH conditions of the cosmetic product,” Wilfried Peterson, managing director of Dr Straetmans explained to CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com.
“This selection is extremely limited especially when you look for fungicidal active materials. Dermasoft PEA eco with its broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity over a broad pH range is filling this gap,” he added.
The company claims Dermasoft PEA eco can be used to preserve cosmetics formulations without the use of traditional preservatives, although certain product concepts may require that it is used in combination with another antimicrobial ingredient.
“In cases where the price or the smell of Dermasoft PEA eco does not allow the use of the necessary dosage of 1 per cent, Dermosoft PEA eco can be used in synergistic combination with Dermasoft GMCY. This allows the dosage to be reduced to as little as 0.3 per cent,” said Peterson.
Pure substance with ‘reliable and reproducible efficacy’
Dermasoft PEA eco is a pure substance with ‘reliable and reproducible efficacy’, the company claims, contrasting its performance with essential oils often used in natural cosmetics for alternative preservation that may have different qualities depending on the origin, date of harvest and extraction procedure.
The ingredient, which is water-soluble and can be used in aqueous formulations as well as in emulsions, is derived from the trees of the Pandanus Genus.
Following an enzymatic process, pure natural Phenthyl Alcohol is yielded
“The enzymatic process is the hydrolysis (cleaving with water) of the corresponding ester Phenylethylacetate into Phenylethylalcohol (INCI: Phenethyl Alcohol) and Acetic Acid by means of an enzyme called esterase,” said Peterson.
Dr Straetmans will be showcasing Dermasoft PEA eco at the upcoming in-cosmetics show in Paris on 13-15 April.