Organic and natural cosmetics

Because of dermocosmetic and bio trends, consumers are more and more looking for preservative-free care products or for the ones containing a low concentration of them. Preservatives are nowadays no longer welcomed, even the authorised ones with a proven safety record like phenoxyethanol or even parabens,” explained the management at Aptar Beauty + Home.

It is true that figures speak for themselves. During the first half of 2010, 14% of launches on the face care segment claimed to be “preservative-free” or with “a low concentration,” against only 11% over the same period last year.

According to the Aptar group, currently available alternatives to traditional preservatives are not fully satisfactory. “In response, we have been looking for the breakthrough packaging solution that would guarantee both the absolute impossibility of product contamination and the sensory texture of the formula.

Two types of barriers

The "Irresistible" pump uses the Ultragate technology that combines two types of barriers against external contamination:

A first barrier against possible contamination of the product from bacteria in the air: This pump uses 0.2 micron sterilizing filters that can stop the smallest bacteria. The technology derived from the pharmaceutical industry, specially from nasal preservatives-free sprays, has finally been implemented for a cosmetic pump.

A second barrier exists to avoid the retro-contamination of the product via a contact of the user’s fingers with the tip of the pump. The "Irresistible" pump features a "Tip Seal" shut-off valve, (a needle embedded in the actuator which makes any product return impossible in the distribution channel and seals the actuator’s orifice.

In order to develop and validate the protocols for certification tests, Aptar collaborated with external partners, the Zwisler Laboratorium GmbH (Laboratory of Microbiology), for the tests, and SRC Consulting, for regulatory affairs.

The "Irresistible" pump comes in two versions: An atmospheric version and an airless version, both of them being FEA 20 compatible.