Baby Diaper
Baby Pull Up Pants
Adult Diaper
Sanitary Napkin
Wet Wipes
Tissues Paper
Disposable Cotton Soft Towel
Pet Diaper
4. How to Evaluate Whether a Wet Wipe's Preservative System Is "Safe and Effective"
Judging a preservative system cannot be based solely on the presence or absence of certain ingredients. A comprehensive evaluation should consider the following five dimensions:
-
Whether a blended system is used: Single preservatives often cannot cover all microbial species. Excellent formulations typically use 2–4 preservatives with different mechanisms in synergy—such as the "phenoxyethanol + ethylhexylglycerin + potassium sorbate" combination—to achieve broad-spectrum preservation at low concentrations.
-
Whether preservative levels are within safe limits: The safe addition level for phenoxyethanol is typically 0.5%–1.0%; exceeding this range increases irritation risk. Potassium sorbate safe addition is 0.1%–0.2%. MIT is restricted to ≤10 ppm in the EU, and ≤15 ppm total (MIT + CMIT mixture) under Chinese standards. Purchasers should request addition level data and compare against regulatory limits.
-
Whether high-risk ingredients are avoided: If the target market is the EU, confirm that MIT (banned in leave-on products) and CMIT (restricted in rinse-off) are not present. For sensitive-skin positioning, formaldehyde releasers and isothiazolinones should be proactively avoided.
-
Whether the product has passed Preservative Efficacy Testing: The ultimate test of any preservative system is the Preservative Efficacy Test (PET) . This test inoculates the product with standard strains (E. coli, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, C. albicans, A. niger) and monitors colony counts over 28 days. Passing criteria typically require: bacteria reduction of >99.9% (log 3 reduction) within 7 days with no regrowth through 14 days; and fungi reduction of >90% (log 1 reduction) within 14 days. Products that pass this test with low preservative levels represent the ideal "safe and effective" option.
-
Whether the formulation aligns with target market regulations: The EU has the strictest preservative controls, listing permitted preservatives and their limits in EC 1223/2009 Annex V. The U.S. regulates preservatives under 21 CFR Part 330. For EU-bound products, also verify whether ingredients have been evaluated by CIR or SCCS for safety.
5. Procurement Recommendations
When evaluating wet wipe preservative systems, purchasers should request the following from suppliers:
-
Complete ingredient list with precise addition levels of each preservative (not simply labeled as "preservatives")
-
Preservative Efficacy Test report from a third-party laboratory (with specific colony count data)
-
Confirmation that addition levels simultaneously meet regulatory limits for the target market (especially EU EC 1223/2009 and U.S. FDA 21 CFR requirements)
A well-designed preservative system is the key to balancing "microbiological safety" and "skin safety" in Wet Wipes. By carefully evaluating through the above approach, purchasers can avoid customer complaints and returns caused by preservative issues, while delivering a truly safe and comfortable product experience to end users.