About the concept of no additives Polyol system preservatives used in wipes liquid

As consumers pay more and more attention to the safety of personal care products, traditional preservative systems are facing unprecedented challenges. Especially in wet wipes products, "non-irritating", "hyposensitive" and "preservative-free" have become the mainstream trend of product promotion. In order to meet this market demand, polyol system preservatives with no additive concept are gradually entering the public eye and becoming a more gentle, safe and efficient alternative, and add to wipes liquid.

1. In wet wipes liquid, What is a "no additive concept" preservative?

"No additive" does not mean that there is no preservative ingredient at all, but does not use strong chemical preservatives in the traditional sense, such as parabens, isothiazolinones (MIT, CMIT), phenoxyethanol and other ingredients that are widely concerned by consumers.

The preservative system without additive concept usually has the following characteristics:

❌ No traditional preservative ingredients

✅ Ingredients are natural

✅ Mild and low sensitivity

✅ Can achieve antibacterial or microbial control functions

✅ In line with the European and American "clean beauty" concept

2. What is a polyol system preservative?

**Polyol** is a moisturizer and solvent widely used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Common polyols include:

Glycerin

Butylene Glycol

1,2-Hexanediol

1,2-Pentylene Glycol

1,2-Octanediol

Some polyols, especially diols with a carbon chain structure above C6, have good antibacterial properties at high concentrations, can inhibit the growth of microorganisms, and do not affect skin tolerance.

3. Advantages of polyol system in wipes liquid

Wet wipes are a product with high water content (usually above 90%), which is very easy to breed bacteria and mold, so it has extremely high requirements for the wipes liquid preservative system.

The advantages of using polyol system mainly include:

✅ 1. Mild and non-irritating

It does not contain traditional preservatives such as MIT, and parabens, and is suitable for infants and people with sensitive skin.

✅ 2. Moisturizing and preservative two-in-one

Polyols such as 1,2-pentanediol and 1,2-hexanediol have both moisturizing and preservative functions, which improves the simplicity of the formula and sensory experience.

✅ 3. Clean Label

It is easy to label "no preservatives", "natural origin", and "no additives", which is more popular in the market.

✅ 4. High compliance

It complies with the regulations and market trends of preservative-free cosmetics in markets such as Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea.

4. Examples of common combination solutions

Ingredients Function Recommended content

1,2-Pentanediol Antibacterial, preservative

1,2-Hexanediol Antibacterial, synergistic preservative

Ethylhexyl glycerol

Certain plant extracts (such as chamomile, green tea，tea, aloe vera, centella asiatica, increased selectivity) Natural antioxidant, microbial inhibition 0.1–0.5%

Can be used with slightly acidic pH (5.0–6.5) system to enhance the antibacterial effect.

The comprehensive ratio after mixing is 0.5-1.0%

5. Precautions

The antiseptic ability is not as good as the traditional system

In products with high contamination risk, such as baby wipes or open-cap products, wipes liquid microbial challenge tests need to be done well.

Slightly higher cost

The price of polyol raw materials is generally higher than that of traditional preservatives, and both cost-effectiveness and market positioning need to be taken into account.

Not equivalent to "sterile"

The polyol system is "antibacterial" rather than "sterilizing", and requires a good production environment and packaging sealing.

6. Conclusion

The application of polyol system preservatives represents an important shift in the concept of preservatives for personal care products: from "strong bactericidal" to "mild antibacterial". In wet wipes products, combined with market demand and regulatory trends, the use of a polyol wipes liquid preservative system without additives can not only enhance product competitiveness, but also better meet consumers' expectations for safety and naturalness.

In the future, with the advancement of formulation technology and the enrichment of raw material types, this type of "preservative-free" wet wipes product may become a new favorite in the mainstream market.