Why Bensos’ products must not be diluted long before use?

A product made to be used a little at a time must be covered with preservative against microbes, as bacteria, yeasts and mould, attack, aimed to tranquility during use.

The choice of preservatives is important and it qualifies the product as or more than other ingredients. In products on the market it is possible to find not biodegradable and/or toxic preservatives; their little concentration in the product does not make them safe in itself, as they are widespread, so consumers are very exposed to them; moreover, according to the strength of their toxicity, little concentrations may be enough to give undesired effects, especially in the long term.

Among not or slowly biodegradable preservatives, we can see 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol(Bronopol), polymeric biguanide hydrochloride, triclosan. Among long-term toxic preservatives we can find the allergizing Bronopol, the genotoxic benzylisothyazolinone (BIT), the highly mutagen triclosan, the mutagen and teratogenic sodium dehydroacetate, the suspected endocrine disruptors parabens and others [References: Toxnet, Danish EPA, SCCS Colipa].

Some preservatives, as Bronopol or BIT (which we do not use, as they are concerning for environment and for human health), are so efficient against microorganisms that they allow, in general, the products to preserve even after dilution with water made by the end user; sometimes there are also strong and persistent perfumes, along with dyes and ingredients that make the product dull, non-trasparent in order to give the feeling of a perfectly preserved product, even if a microbial contamination has occurred.

Here is Bensos’ choice for its products: we do use neither opacifying agents nor dyes nor strong fragrances, which may hide the reals state of product preservation; we use reasonably safe preservatives, even if they are not extremely strong, which are able to act during the storing phase of the products, not being diluted. This choice fulfills Swedish Good Environmental Choice (Bra Miljoval) guidelines, our reference from the beginning. Then we recommend to dilute the products, if they need to (ex.: floor cleaners), only at the point of use, not many days before, in order to avoid to compromize preservatives efficiency.