Potassium Sorbate has been used for a long time in the industry but has recently gained more attention in green beauty products. Often these products have some kind of natural or toxin free philosophy to them and so they look for what they perceive to be “natural” for their preservation of choice.
How natural is the potassium Sorbate used in cosmetics?
Potassium Sorbate is the potassium salt of Sorbic Acid. Sorbic acid was originally found in the Rowan Berries from the Rowan Tree. The name for Sorbic Acid comes from the Latin name for the Rowan Tree. Sorbic Acid is an unsaturated fatty acid and as such is subject to oxidation , therefore the use of an antioxidant like Vitamin E is recommended when you are using it in formulas.
The potassium Sorbate in your cosmetic products however is synthetic and is a “nature identical” synthetic molecule. The potassium Sorbate used in cosmetics is synthetically produced and any company selling you Potassium Sorbate who declares it is natural, I would be asking for “proof”. I have yet to find a natural potassium Sorbate supplier. Whether a chemical is synthetic or natural in origin makes no difference to the way it functions or performs. There are many who would like you to believe that the natural source is better metabolized and recognized by the skin. This is not true by any means. Many mistake the fact that organic cosmetics contain Potassium Sorbate, therefore it is a natural source. This is incorrect. Organic cosmetics are allowed synthetic preservatives in them. The synthetic preservatives are approved by the organic certification body, so you can’t just put any preservative in and get it approved. It needs to be from their list of approved synthetic preservatives.
