A synthetic or natural component called a cosmetic preservative is added to personal care products to prevent unneeded chemical changes and deterioration brought on by microbial development. The rising cost of personal care products is what primarily drives the global market for cosmetic preservatives. 

Global cosmetic preservatives sales were $472.9 million in 2024 and are expected to surpass $847 million by 2034, according to Precedence Research. By product, the phenol derivatives segment is projected to have the largest market share from 2024 to 2034. By application, the conditioners and shampoos segment is projected to have the largest market share from 2024 to 2034. 

How will your firm be impacted by market trends? Several industry experts (featured alphabetically by company name) took time to chat with Happi about the latest developments in preservatives for 2025 and beyond: 

Sabrina Behnke PhD, director, marketing and growth for personal care preservatives, Arxada

Nicholas A. Arellano, regional sales manager, California, Coast Southwest, Inc.

Pat Lutz, microbiologist and general manager at Lincoln Mfg-USA, a part of Barentz

Happi: What are today’s preservative customers looking for in their ingredients and why?

Sabrina Behnke: Personal care brands are focusing their attention on preservative options that resonate with consumer demands. Next to mildness and safety, sustainability is a key element that more and more companies focus on. This goes beyond the use of naturally-derived materials: we are now assessing a suite of sustainability parameters such as carbon footprint, traceability of raw materials and effects on the environment (biodegradability, aquatic toxicity). Interestingly, while consumers are often willing to pay a premium for sustainable products, the manufacturers are more conscious about increasing formula costs and demand competitive pricing compared to conventional preservative ingredients. 

Nicholas Arellano: Preservatives are essential for preventing microbial contamination. However, they also come with regulatory, health and consumer perception risks. It’s a balancing act between science, safety and consumer trust. Finding preservatives that have a happy marriage of safety, efficacy and are cost-efficient—that’s the holy grail that our personal care customers are looking for when they evaluate preservative alternatives. 

Clean, “free of” beauty is still a priority, with a continued demand (and in some places regulatory requirements) for paraben- and phenoxyethanol-free ingredients. However, we do sense a subtle shift on the part of formulators to prefer preservative systems that they familiar with and know work, so when a new advance in preservative technology comes along, they invest the time to really understand how that works, too. We find that our customers look to us more than ever for product education and hands-on help with testing new ingredients in their formulas for new and existing products.

Pat Lutz: Customers are looking for domestic manufacturing companies offering natural, sustainable, biodegradable alternatives to preservatives.

This is why Lincoln Mfg-USA, a Barentz company, has a new line of natural sustainable multifunctional protectants called LinaturalMAX based around natural butylene glycol, naturally derived Ethylhexylglycerin and other natural raws. 

Happi: What are the newest preservative technologies available from your company? Share with us the benefits and why these are great options for formulators.

Sabrina Behnke: Arxada embraces the industries’ need for more multifunctional ingredients which allow formulators to select ingredients beyond traditional preservatives to produce their formulations. Recent launches include Geogard Boost PGC (INCI: Propylene Glycol Caprylate) and Geogard LA (INCI: Levulinic Acid, Aqua) which are naturally derived multifunctional ingredients. Together, both ingredients can build a broad-spectrum system for the protection of emulsions, surfactant systems as well as wipes. Geogard LA is an organic acid and a great alternative to synthetically derived organic acid such as sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Geogard Boost PGC is a great alternative to synthetically derived Multifunctionals such as Caprylyl Glycol. 

We continue to build our internal expertise on sustainability by growing the number of sustainability ambassadors for all our departments and investing in tools that allow for the assessment of ingredients produced by Arxada globally. 

Another focal point is microbiome expertise, specifically with regards to preservatives and multifunctionals. In our microbiology labs, we established a suite of microbiome methods that allow us to test our ingredients for their influence on the microbiome balance of the skin as well as the impact of materials on microbiome diversity.  

Nicholas Arellano: The AquaVita platform is the world’s first vitamin-based multifunctional preservation platform with skin health benefits. AquaVita uses the synergistic power of Niacinamide and carefully selected compounds, transforming Niacinamide into a mild, safe and sustainable antimicrobial preservation solution. Niacinamide has been a popular active ingredient in cosmetic use for several years to help brighten and protect the skin. 

The AquaVita platform delivers a synergistic effect, including improving skin texture and barrier function, reducing the appearance of fine lines, and providing hydration and antioxidant protection. Waterless and biodegradable, AquaVita is eco-friendly and sustainably produced. This revolutionary multifunctional platform, with preservation efficacy supported by published studies, delivers that, plus anti-aging benefits, hydro-solubility and cost-efficiency. It can be used in a wide range of formulations without regulatory restrictions.

Pat Lutz: Linatural Max is a patent-pending, natural multifunctional alternative against microbial biodegradation of formulations. These sustainable ingredients are domestically manufactured and readily biodegradable. They are also phenoxyethanol free.

HydroGuard Max is another multifunctional protectant. It is a preservative alternative.

Happi: Are there any regulatory issues of note that are impacting the category?

Sabrina Behnke: In the US, we are seeing some activity on the state level with regards to preservatives that are no longer widely used (e.g. formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers). The biggest impact on the preservative landscape comes from ingredient-scoring websites and apps which shape the perception of today’s consumers. 

 Likewise, ingredient misinformation is quickly spread through social media which makes fact-based and science-based education so crucial especially for the field of preservatives. As an advocate of safe and effective preservation, it is my goal to keep examining ingredient-related myths and promote evidence-based understanding.
Nicholas Arellano: Our customers must navigate a complex, but well-defined regulatory landscape to ensure safety and marketability. This reality is complicated because each major market has its own rules. AquaVita, for example can be used in a wide range of formulations without regulatory restrictions.

Pat Lutz: Though tariffs are not a regulatory issue, they are certainly impacting the US in manufacturing certain items.

Lincoln MFG being a US-based company has had very little impact from tariffs and has increased its production volume. 

Happi: What are future trends to look out for in the development of preservatives for 2026 and beyond?

Sabrina Behnke: We will continue to see a development of multifunctional ingredients which are consumer-preferred over classic preservatives. The goal is to give formulators a palette of ingredients to choose from depending on the application, pH and other compatibility considerations. The days of single ingredient, broad-spectrum solutions are in the past, which is why formulation-specific recommendations and product combinations are so important. 

Nicholas Arellano: Formulators are looking for clean and safe preservative systems that can be used in all types of formulas. For example, they don’t want to buy one preservative for leave-on products and a different one for rinse-off. Look for an emphasis on multifunctional preservatives that do more than preserve. The demand will be for preservatives that are free of all the no-no’s, appease both R&D and marketing from the standpoint of label, claim and shelf-space.

Pat Lutz: Lincoln Mfg invested in new ribbon powder mixers for expanding its powder preservative line.  Also, Lincoln Mfg has invested in strategic global labs and warehouses.