Preservatives prevent food from spoiling quickly. There are both natural and synthetic varieties available.
Choose fresh fruits and vegetables, minimally processed meats, unflavored yoghourt and cheese that hasn’t been heavily processed as your groceries from the bulk section. Multidose bottles offer added protection from eye contamination. Read labels carefully as lubricating drops often contain BAK (benzalkonium chloride).
Food
If you want to eat without preservatives, your grocery store purchases need to reflect this goal. Avoid packaged foods like canned fruit and vegetables, processed deli meats, bottled dressings and soda, in favor of fresh produce, dried legumes, grains like quinoa and buckwheat, plain yogurts without fruit flavors and cheeses that don’t contain artificial colors and flavors, plain cheeses.
Carefully consider the ingredients listed on a food label. According to FDA regulations, food manufacturers are required to display an ingredient list on products they sell. Any chemical preservatives will also be listed, along with their intended purposes; ascorbic acid may be included to help preserve color or sulphur dioxide may prevent rotting.
Other options for healthy food consumption include purchasing unroasted and unsalted nuts and seeds as well as minimally processed dairy. You could also source eggs from chickens that have been raised naturally on pasture and grass, and try cooking at home rather than opting for restaurant or prepared meal services.
Medicine
Preservative-free glaucoma medications have become more widely available in the U.S., leading to better patient outcomes. Ophthalmologist Gregory Katz reviews why preservative-free solutions may be preferable when treating your glaucoma patient. Watch Interventional Mindset to gain more insight.
Timoptic 0.5% Ocudose (timolol without preservatives, Cosopt), and Iyuzeh (preservative-free latanoprost), three of the most popular glaucoma eye drops available, can all be administered via single unit-dose pipettes without added preservatives, making them less toxic to cornea.
These preservative-free formulations do come with some drawbacks. As they are non-generic products, patients pay more than for preserved preparations due to higher prices; third-party payers rarely cover them either. Furthermore, small containers may present challenges to some patients with limited dexterity, and Na et al found that bottle-type dispensers were associated with greater overconsumption compared with single unit-dose pipettes; yet no difference in OSDI scores or TBUT scores was noted between groups; and significantly more preservative-free group members reported no inconvenience when managing drugs than preserved preparations did for patients using preserved preparations TBUT scores indicated; no difference was detected between groups when using single unit-dose pipettes (OR D I scores or TBUT score between groups despite no difference found.) Furthermore, many preservative-free group participants reported no difficulty managing medications than did preservative groups when using bottle dispensers than single unit dose pipettes but reported greater overconsumption when using bottle dispensers than single unit dose pipettes reported greater drug overconsumption than single unit-dose pipettes when managing medication administration; this study reported greater drug overconsumption than single unit-dose pipettes alone as regards OSDI scores or TBUT scores or TBUT scores were similar). Furthermore significantly larger proportion of preservative free group in both sets reported that no container type caused inconvenience with regard to drug management for drug management of their case studies per protocol sets reported not making use of container type than prior.
Contact Lenses
This buffered, preservative-free saline solution contains no chlorhexidine, thimerosal or other mercury-containing compounds; making it suitable for daily use by those with sensitive eyes and no adverse impact on natural tear film production. Perfect for contact lens rinsing as well as cleaning lens cases before insertion; its gentle formula doesn’t interfere with tear production either – making this an excellent solution.
Multipurpose solution may disinfect contact lenses, but it does not sterilize them, which requires additional steps that kill all vegetative microorganisms and their spores. To sterilize, the solution must be boiled in an appropriate container for several minutes under specific guidelines established by regulatory agencies.
Some lens wearers cannot tolerate the preservatives found in multipurpose solutions, prompting them to seek safer options like daily disposable lenses, hydrogen peroxide systems and heat-based disinfection. No matter which option is chosen, wearers must take proper care and follow any necessary recommended schedules of examinations or cleanings.
Personal Care
Natural ingredients have quickly become an integral component of many beauty products, with consumers preferring organic, clean products for health and wellness reasons. Numerous personal care brands have responded by creating preservative-free lines as a response to consumer demand.
Preservative-free cosmetics typically contain natural antimicrobial ingredients such as organic acids like benzoic acid, levulinic acid, sorbic acid and sodium benzoate – these substances are safe at low levels while being effective against mold, yeast and bacteria.
Optiphen(tm) BSB-W is another natural preservative with impressive broad-spectrum efficacy against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeast and mold. This mild blend meets the requirements of ECOCERT, COSMOS and NATRUE certification programs; it can be used in O/W emulsions or W/O emulsions or anhydrous formulations and suitable for sensitive skin; its wide array of essential oils and raw materials also makes it suitable. EC Cosmetic Regulation lists it as an approved preservative in cosmetic products sold under EU regulation.
