The Acticospack Project, developed by a consortium of companies and funded from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme, researched and developed the active packaging, using cosmetics preservatives in it rather than the product.
It works by a controlled release of preservatives from the packaging, which means that fewer preservatives can be used in the product, which has been a technological challenge in Europe.
Controlled release
The team behind the project claims that the product is still in an ideal condition due to the controlled release of preservatives from the active packaging, and says the packaging has been developed to shampoo, sun lotion and face cream.
"We have developed three specific prototypes of active packaging based on the use of different materials like PET, PE and PP,” says José Bermúdez, Acticospack Technical Manager and Project Manager of new materials and active packaging in ITENE, part of the consortium.
“The new active packaging has been specially designed and developed taking into account the specific properties of each type of packaging material and conservation requirements of each cosmetic.”
Along with the Packaging, Transport & Logistics Research Center (ITENE, the Acticospak project consortium includes the Spanish company Laboratorios Acento, the german Fraunhofer Institute, and also Italian firms like Induplast, Lameplast and GEPACK, in Portugal.
Luis Torró, Project Coordinator and Head of R&D at Laboratorios Acento, indicates that with the Acticospack packaging "the product is properly preserved and has actually achieved a reduction between 25% and 40% of preservatives used in cosmetics right now.”
Safety and quality
The challenge of using fewer preservatives in cosmetic products has proved to be a tough one, as cosmetics with fewer preservatives don’t have the same antimicrobial effect.
Luis Torró adds: "It was difficult to produce safe cosmetic products, with a technology that was not too expensive and, at the same time, be able to incorporate those active substances to ensure cosmetic safety".