Lately, you may have noticed an alarming trend of skin care and beauty brands being called out for mold growth in their products. I heard one recently episode of Gloss Angeles where hosts Kirbie and Sara mentioned a Beauty Independent article titled: “Is the beauty industry suffering from a product quality crisis?”
This really got me thinking—as the Head of New Product Development at my company, it has always been my responsibility to ensure the safety and quality of our products. I’m no stranger to microbial growth or instability issues occurring during product testing, this is par for the course. It’s normal for these issues to arise during the R&D stage, and when they do, it’s no big deal! We can work it out. But when a product is already on the market and starts showing these kinds of issues, it’s a whole other story.
With that in mind, I thought I’d delve into how mold ends up in skin care products, how it can be prevented, and why we may be seeing this problem more often than in the past.
What causes mold to grow on skin care products?
Take any skin care product out of your vanity and look at the ingredient list – chances are water is a top ingredient. Water is the primary vehicle used in all skin care formulas (with the exception of some anhydrous forms). For the most part, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a skin care product that doesn’t contain H2O.
What does this have to do with mold, you ask? Microorganisms like mold, yeast and bacteria rely on water to live as long as we do. Essentially, the presence of water in a skin care product is a pretty big indicator that it could be at risk of microbial contamination.
Contamination during manufacture
The FDA requires all personal care products to be safe and not harmful to customers in any way. Although this requirement may sound vague, the majority of Brands and manufacturers follow a set of established guidelines called good manufacturing practices to make sure their products meet the FDA’s safety criteria.
Most laboratories know that when they produce products, they must consider the presence of bacteria, yeast or mold in the manufacturing equipment. Labs are not completely sterile environments and manufacturing is a very fluid process. even the aforementioned dry skin care takes a lot of water to do! It’s something you can’t get over. This is why it is incredibly important for manufacturers to follow proper safety and cleaning procedures to prevent contamination.
The reality is that traces of yeast, bacteria and mold can be found in almost all skin care and beauty products. I know this sounds gross, but it’s really nothing to worry about. The key is to keep these microorganisms at harmless levels and prevent them from multiplying — that’s where preservatives come in.
Contamination at home
Skin care products continue to be exposed to moisture even after leaving the lab. This could be from your shower, your bathroom sink, your hands, or even moisture in the air. This is why it is so important that products are configured with a proper maintenance system. You can minimize the risk of contamination by washing your hands before dipping into jars, keeping products in a dry environment and keeping them away from excessive heat or direct sunlight.
Ultimately, however, it is up to the brand and manufacturer to ensure that your products have been thoroughly tested, maintained and stabilized. As long as a product is manufactured in a clean environment following proper guidelines, preservatives keep harmful microorganisms under control and at levels that are not dangerous to humans. This is the reason clean beauty products that skip traditional preservatives are at higher risk of mold and other contamination.
Why do we hear more often about mold in beauty products?
It seems all too often lately that we hear about companies recalling a skin care or beauty product due to possible mold contamination. Why is this? It’s hard to say exactly, but the way I see it, there are two possible culprits.
One is, as I mentioned, the clean beauty movement. This movement has abused certain ingredients (such as preservatives), which has created unnecessary fear among consumers. Because consumer preference is such a strong, driving force, we have seen more widespread use of less studied and less effective preservative methods being chosen over traditional preservatives.
Another reason we may be seeing mold in products more often is the increasing pressure on companies to keep up with trends. Thanks to Instagram and TikTok, skincare and beauty trends come and go faster than ever. In some cases, brands are scrambling to keep up with these trends in order to capitalize on them before it’s too late. This can sometimes lead to cutting corners when it comes to product safety testing.
How can you tell if there is mold in your skincare?
The good news is that it’s not hard to tell when your produce is growing mold.
Mold usually has a very distinct appearance and is either dark in color or a white, fuzzy appearance. Most of the time it emits a smell as well. In fact, a change in smell, color, or consistency will often let you know that a product is in progress long before you start seeing mold. It’s definitely worth keeping an eye out for any changes and noting the expiry date of your skincare products. (Here how to determine the expiration date of a product;.)
What are the dangers of mold in skin care products?
If you have a healthy immune system and a strong skin barrier, you probably won’t experience any side effects beyond redness, irritation, or mild burning of the skin. You may not even know where these side effects are coming from if your product shows no signs of contamination.
However, those who are immunocompromised should be careful, especially if applying products to broken skin. It is also important to be careful when applying eye products, as contaminated products can serve as a breeding ground for eye infections. So again, if your product doesn’t look or smell right, or if it’s just past its expiration date, it’s always best to throw it out.
The growing importance of product testing procedures
As the Head of New Product Development at my own company, I am very happy that there is a growing awareness of this issue in the beauty community. A deluge of recalls and manufacturing defects lately has left people wondering – and rightly so.
In a company, quality is everyone’s responsibility, but it starts first with leadership. There are a lot of moving parts and pieces involved in bringing a product to market, and it’s possible for things to fall through the cracks. Research and development of new products is not easy and takes some time. Take my new creation, Better than Balsam, as an example. It took over two years to perfect this formulation, but every trial and error led me to the safe, effective, award-winning product we have today. As frustrating as the build and test process can be, it’s important not to rush it.
In my opinion, it’s also extremely important to establish good communication with your labs so you can make sure they put your products through all the necessary testing parameters. This includes Preservative Effectiveness Testing (PET), which is part of the Good Manufacturing Practices I mentioned earlier. This is the test that ensures your products can withstand microbial contamination, including mold.
I want to add that the majority of brands are responsible when it comes to these manufacturing practices. The last thing any brand wants is to put their customers and reputation at risk. Mold contamination is still quite rare, but it is possible. As a consumer, it is good to be armed with the necessary knowledge so that you can identify this issue should it arise.
Celebrity Esthetician & Skin Care Specialist
As an esthetician trained in cosmetic chemistry, Renée Rouleau has spent 30 years researching skin, educating her audience and building an award-winning line of products. Her hands-on experience as an esthetician and trusted skin care expert has created a real solution — products designed to nine different skin types so your face will have exactly what it needs to look and feel its best. Trusted by celebrities, editors, bloggers, and skincare enthusiasts around the world, her vast real-world knowledge and constant research is why Marie Claire calls her “the most passionate skin professional we know.”
