YES water based natural lubricant uses two different preservative systems, sodium benzoate and phenoxyethanol. 

But why!?

Unfortunately, preservatives of some kind will always be necessary in water-based products. Water is the basis of all life, and that includes bacteria, fungi and moulds. Products without preservatives have a very short shelf life, even if refrigerated (think of milk or orange juice). Products that are not properly preserved, even if made in a very clean environment, will become a health risk when exposed to the microbes present in life. And as registered Medical Devices, all YES products also have to meet strict preservation standards. So YES preserve their products to give them a decent shelf life and to ensure they are hygienic – to protect you.

YES tested all commercially available natural preservation systems and found that none were secure, reliable and safe enough to meet their criteria. For instance, grapefruit seed extract is a known eye irritant at low concentrations. YES finally chose a combination of natural and synthetic preservatives for YES water based lubricant to deliver the performance required.

To date, YES have found no naturally occurring preservative package that is safe, non irritant and effective. Used correctly (not above 1%) both sodium benzonate and phenoxyethanol do a brilliant job without being skin irritants or having any other concerns associated with them. And unlike ingredients like propylene glycol, they are not pulled through the skin into the bloodstream. YES products contain NO penetration enhancers.

YES has to buy the synthetically produced versions of these products as they don’t use animal body parts and cannot find commercially available plant extracted sources. They are approved by the FDA and UK/EU bodies for food and/or cosmetic applications, as well as by the Soil Association.

All YES products are certified organic by the Soil Association in the UK, this supports their ingredients policy, to use certain approved (gentle) preservatives (e.g. no parabens).

Ingredients

YES water based personal lubricant is made from:

• organic aloe vera, a renowned skin food
• organic flax extract which is particularly beneficial for the mucous membranes
• three synergistic plant based gums – guar, locust bean and xanthan, all of which contribute to the deep velvety texture
• food grade preservatives (more in additional info)
• citric acid to buffer the pH