Hello there,

We understand your concern for the use of certain preservatives, and have been acutely aware of the need for alternatives to this type of preservative. We address this and similar issues in the following:

http://www.seventhgeneration.com/ingredients/trace-materials#preservativ...

This explains thoroughly the reason we came to use the preservatives we do, and the implications associated with its usage. We are currently in the process of replacing this preservative, and will be communicating this update when we expect it to be on shelf.

Why not consider

Polyaminopropyl biguanide (PAPB)

which is used in a lot of contact lens solutions as
an antimicrobial.

It has a unique method of action: the polymer strands are incorporated into the bacterial cell wall, which disrupts the membrane and reduces its permeability, which has a lethal effect to bacteria. It is also known to bind to bacterial DNA, alter its transcription, and cause lethal DNA damage.[1] It has very low toxicity to higher organisms such as human cells.

If it's harmful to bacteria, it's also harmful to people (most processes in the human body are taken care of by bacteries).

That said, the next logical thing is to use the least harmful chemical.

So should Seventh Generation, or any other manufacturer for that matter, continually switch the chemicals they use in their products to less and less harmful chemicals, or should they stick with what they have for now while working on the best solution possible?

Here's where business models come into play. Changing a product mixture is time consuming and expensive (from a labor stand point) and it compounds each time you do it because of the down time on the equipment. If Seventh Generation, or any other manufacturer, continually changes their mixtures to get less and less harmful product, they'll then be spending more time and money on retooling than they will in researching the best solution and producing.

You can't run a business by not producing anything!

Also, as someone who graduated chemistry with a D, even I know that "very similar to benzene" doesn't mean squat.

Case in point: Hydrogen Peroxide will oxidize (burn) anything containing carbon, including living flesh. It's very similar to water.

Most bacteria will not grow at pH levels below 4.6. That is why 5% Vinegar kills most bacteria (ph < 3), a simple reason you don't need a toxic pesticide to kill most bacteria. I don't remember the last time vinegar killed people. To say that prokaryotic (bacterial) cells and eukaryotic (animal) cells react the same way in the presence of antimicrobial agents is naive. To give another example, 3% hydrogen peroxide readily oxidizes bacterial cells, but human cells protect themselves by producing an enzyme called catalase. Catalase converts the peroxide into pure, safe oxygen bubbles (the foam you see) and water.

I would hope that a company whose business model is to create the most natural and least environmentally-damaging products
would want to look into more natural alternative such as two I have mentioned above.