Ingredient glossary / Preservative
Colloidal silver
On the label: Colloidal Silver · Preservative
What it is
Silver particles in water, marketed as antimicrobial. The FDA has acted against colloidal silver sold with health claims.
Preservatives: Preservatives stop bacteria and mould growing in a product that contains water; every water-based product needs one.
In the research
63 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Effects of chlorhexidine gluconate and alternative cleansers in pediatric skin cells in vitro: Are there less toxic alternatives? · American journal of infection control, 2026
- Colloidal Silver · , 2006
- Innovative Therapeutic Strategies for Chronic Ulcer Healing · Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other preservatives
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.