Tannic acid and Gallic Acid as Alternative Compounds for the Application as Preservatives in Cosmetic Products

Introduction: Tannic acid and gallic acid have been known as natural compounds with antibacterial activity. In this work, the antimicrobial efficiency of tannic acid (TA) and gallic acid (GA), as well as their mixtures, was tested. Method: During the research, the minimal inhibitory concentration, minimal bactericidal concentration, and fractional inhibitory concentration were defined. Based on them, for further study, mixtures of TA/GA in ratios 50:50 and 80:20 were chosen as a preservation mixture applied to the cosmetic emulsion. Results: The obtained cosmetics emulsions were analyzed for the total mesophilic aerobic bacteria count and the total combined yeast count. The preservation efficiency test was performed according to the ISO 11930 standard. A stability test for cosmetics formulation was also carried out. Conclusion: The preservation mixture of TA/GA in an 80:20 ratio incorporated in the cosmetics formulation showed good preservation efficiency and could be considered a natural origin preservative.