Zinc lactate and heptandiole: two new interesting multifunctionals

Multifunctionals as a replacement for listed preservatives are more and more used in modern and sustainable cosmetic formulations to ensure the microbial stability. There is a longer list of different organic acids, glycols, esters and extracts – pH-dependent or pH-independent.

Two of these pseudo preservatives are zinc lactate and heptanediol and both are naturally derived. The first one is a combination of the zinc cation and lactic acid. It’s a real multifunctional due to its antimicrobial properties and to its usage as an active. The second one is mostly used as a booster for other multifunctionals and its advantage is that it’s independent from the pH value. A combination of both multifunctionals is conceivable.