When we think about skincare, we often focus on textures, scents, and results. But there’s a hidden part of the story that rarely gets the attention it deserves: preservatives.
Why Preservatives Exist
Consider the journey of a typical skincare product. From the moment it’s manufactured, it might spend:
- Months in storage waiting for distribution.
- Weeks in transit to warehouses and retail shelves.
- Even longer sitting in your bathroom cabinet before you finally use it up.
This process can take a year or more. During all that time, the product needs to remain stable and “safe”, meaning no mold, yeast, or bacteria growing inside the jar or bottle.
Why is this such a concern? Water.
Most lotions and creams list water (aqua) as their very first ingredient. And while water is life-giving for us, it also creates the perfect environment for bacteria and other pathogens to thrive. Any product that contains water must include a preservative to stop microbial growth.
The Problem With Preservatives
Here’s where the issue lies: the reason a preservative is used is to kill bacteria, that's it's purpose. When that product, which contains the preservative (even a natural preservative) is put onto our skin, it kills the very bacteria that is there to protect us.
“It is important to understand that the efficacy of preservatives relies, by definition, on their ability to kill live cells; in other words, their toxicity is an unavoidable component of their reason of being.” — Maria Tadiello
Read that again. Preservatives work because they kill bacteria. We NEED the beneficial bacteria on our skin to keep our bodies and skin healthy.
When we apply creams, lotions, or serums filled with water-based formulas and preservatives, we’re applying chemicals designed to kill life directly onto our skin. And our skin isn’t just a surface; it’s our body’s largest organ, capable of absorbing what we put on it and carrying those substances into our bloodstream.
Why This Matters
What's more, the preservatives found in many conventional skincare products, parabens, formaldehyde releasers, phenoxyethanol, and more, are linked in studies to hormone disruption, skin irritation, allergic reactions, and even long-term health concerns. And yet, because water-based formulations dominate the beauty industry, preservatives are everywhere.
This is especially concerning when these products are used on children, whose smaller bodies are more vulnerable to chemical buildup over time.
What’s the Alternative?
At Sans Skincare, we’ve taken a completely different approach. We formulate without water, which means:
- No need for synthetic preservatives.
- Highly concentrated products. Every ingredient serves your skin, not shelf life.
- Gentler formulas that nurture rather than disrupt your skin’s natural microbiome.
By avoiding water, we remove the need for preservatives altogether and that changes everything about how safe and effective your skincare can be.
🗝️ Key Takeaway
Preservatives are necessary in water-based products because water breeds bacteria, but their “reason for being” is to kill cells, and our bodies are made of live cells. Choosing water-free skincare means choosing safety.
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