Abstract
Ninety-six used personal care and topical OTC drug items collected from consumers in the USA were examined for the presence of microbial contaminants. Of the eye and face product type containing global preservative chemistries (i.e., acceptable for use in Japan without major restrictions), 55% yielded numbers of microorganisms in excess of 500 CFU/g (P < 0.1814). For the mascara products with global preservative chemistries, 79% yielded numbers of microorganisms in excess of 500 CFU/g (P < 0.024). Products containing global preservative chemistries accounted for 88% (n = 14) of the products that had microbial contents above 104 CFU/g (P < 0.001). Prominent contaminants were species of Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, Bacillus, Corynebacterium, and yeast. In general, under the stress of consumer use, products preserved with global preservative chemistries did not maintain as adequate preservation as products with non-global preservatives.
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Acknowledgments
The manuscript was derived from doctoral dissertation data. The senior author wishes to gratefully acknowledge the co-authors of this manuscript from the University of Oklahoma, Ralph Tanner, and Georgia State University, Donald Ahearn, for their mentorship and laboratory support. The partial support of the senior author by Constella Group, An SRA International Company, and the statistical analysis by Patrick Crockett, Director of Statistics, are gratefully acknowledged.
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Ravita, T.D., Tanner, R.S., Ahearn, D.G. et al. Post-consumer use efficacies of preservatives in personal care and topical drug products: relationship to preservative category. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 36, 35–38 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-008-0468-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-008-0468-9