ABSTRACT
Preservative-free and self-preserving cosmetic and drug products are not new. Many products have been marketed for years, often without conscious thought as to why they did not require use of much, if any, chemical preservatives. Products such as antidandruff shampoos with salicylic acid at a pH of 3, sterile eye drop solutions, and antibiotic ointments may have no preservatives. These products are satisfactorily preserved as a result of their physicochemical composition and/or packaging, and experience has shown that this approach is a successful means of delivering safe, uncontaminated products to consumers.
