February 2005
Dear Paula,
I'm a little confused about your recent high praise for Prescriptives' Redness Relief Gel. You wrote that it contains no preservatives, and I thought your position was that though preservatives might be irritating to some people, they were certainly better than nothing. Can you clarify this?

Lynn, via email

Dear Lynn,
There is no question that in a water-based skin-care or makeup product a good preservative system is essential to controlling microbial and bacterial growth during the shelf life (and use) of the product. A product without preservatives runs a high risk of becoming contaminated and deteriorating long before it would have if preservatives were present. In the case of Prescriptives Redness Relief Gel, I double-checked the ingredient statement I have on file against the product packaging, and the formula is indeed preservative-free. I am not sure how they accomplished this since this product contains water, but I suspect the rosemary extract exerts a small amount of antibacterial activity. Interestingly, Prescriptives does not market this product as being preservative-free. I mentioned the preservative-free attribute in my original review of the product because it is meant for someone with easily irritated, reddened, or rosacea-prone skin. As essential as preservatives are to a product?s stability, there is also the issue that, for some people, they can be a source of irritation. For those dealing with rosacea and its particularly intense sensitivity, a preservative-free product might be what?s needed to prevent undesirable reactions. If you fit this description and decide to try Redness Relief Gel, try storing the product in the refrigerator to prolong its shelf life. If the idea of applying a cold moisturizer is not appealing, dispense a small amount of the gel into a separate airtight container, and keep the unused portion refrigerated until needed.