ALTERNATIVES TO COSMETICS PRESERVATION 117 during the consumer-use study (Tables VII and VIII). System V preserved effi ciently the shampoo and shower gel (Figure 1d, Tables IV and VId). O/W formulations, besides the conditioning cream, were not completely protected against A. niger with system V, since in the cases of anticellulite cream, cleansing milk, and peeling cream only criterion B of E. Ph. was fulfi lled (Figure 1d, Tables IV and VId). The relative activity exerted previ- ously by system V against the three bacterial strains did not seem to affect this fungus in the emulsifi ed formulations tested. A population of about 103 cfu/g was counted at the end of the challenge test (Figure 1d), whereas recovery was observed following three weeks of use (Table VIII). The addition of p-anisic acid (system VI) or levulinic acid (systems VII and VIII) inhibited the growth of the mold in the O/W formulations, i.e., the anticellulite cream, cleansing milk, and peeling cream, and criterion A was achieved in the challenge test. No contamination of the mold was detected either in the intact product or following use (Tables V, VII, and VIII), when systems VI, VII, or VIII were utilized. Anticellulite cream Cleansing milk Peeling cream Experiment Experiment Experiment TAPC* TAPC* TAPC* (log cfu/g) (log cfu/g) (log cfu/g) No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# 5.33 5.32 5.37 5.34 5.52 5.59 5.63 5.58 5.37 5.3 5.29 5.3 1.92 1.96 1.97 1.95 1.92 1.96 1.97 1.95 1.85 1.91 1.94 1.9 0.93 0.94 0.98 0.95 0.71 0.7 0.69 0.7 0.85 0.92 0.93 0.9 0.85 0.93 0.92 0.9 0.48 0.51 0.51 0.5 0.85 0.92 0.93 0.9 0.85 0.93 0.92 0.9 0.37 0.41 0.42 0.4 0.82 0.91 0.82 0.9 Anticellulite cream Cleansing milk Peeling cream Experiment Experiment Experiment TAPC* TAPC* TAPC* (log cfu/g) (log cfu/g) (log cfu/g) No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# 5.4 5.45 5.65 5.5 5.49 5.49 5.52 5.5 5.81 5.82 5.77 5.8 3.9 4.1 4 4 3.4 3.55 3.55 3.5 3.85 3.95 3.91 3.9 3.12 3.25 3.53 3.3 3.38 3.39 3.43 3.4 3.35 3.42 3.45 3.4 3 3.25 3.05 3.1 2.8 3 3.2 3 3.1 3.35 3.15 3.2 2.95 3.1 2.95 3 2.5 2.8 3.1 2.8 2.95 3.05 3 3 Table VId (cont’d) Table VIe (cont’d)

JOURNAL OF COSMETIC SCIENCE 118 Table VII Microbiological Analysis of Intact Products in Triplicate Tonic lotion Shampoo/shower gel Conditioning cream Preserv. system Microbiological analysis Microbiological analysis Microbiological analysis TAPC* Ident. TAPC* Ident. TAPC* Ident. (cfu/g) Micr. (cfu/g) Micr. (cfu/g) Micr. No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No. I 10 10 10 10 Abs. No. II 10 10 10 10 Abs. No. III 10 10 10 10 Abs. No. IV 10 10 10 10 Abs. No. V 10 10 10 10 Abs. 10 10 10 10 Abs. No. VI No. VII No. VIII * TAPC = total aerobic plate count. # MV = mean value. Candida albicans. System I fulfi lled marginally criterion B in the case of the tonic lotion in the challenge test (Table IV). Systems II–IV were effective against yeast in the tonic lotion during the challenge test (Table IV) and in the in-use study (Tables V, VII, and VIII). Systems V (Figure 1e, Tables IV and VIe) and VI (Table IV) were active against Table VIII Microbiological Analysis in Triplicate Following Three Weeks of Use Tonic lotion Shampoo/shower gel Conditioning cream Preserv. system Microbiological analysis Microbiological analysis Microbiological analysis TAPC* Ident. TAPC* Ident. TAPC* Ident. (cfu/g) Micr. (cfu/g) Micr. (cfu/g) Micr. No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No.1 No.2 No.3 MV# No. I 9500 9500 11000 10000 A.Niger No. II 10 10 10 10 Abs. No. III 10 10 10 10 Abs. No. IV 10 10 10 10 Abs. No. V 10 10 10 10 Abs. 10 10 10 10 Abs. No. VI No. VII No. VIII * TAPC = total aerobic plate count. # MV = mean value.