# Best Lotion Preservative?



## KimW (Sep 18, 2020)

I've made the below lotion in small quantities for myself for years.  It's lovely and unless you go camping when it's 98 degrees out, it stays perfectly emulsified.  Now, my bestust friend has started begging/nagging me to send her some saying she doesn't care if it's not preserved.  Well - I care, silly girl.  What would be the best preservative for this lotion?  I use Grapeseed oil for the liquid oil and Mango or Shea Butter for the solid oil.  My notes say pH is "between 6 and 7", but I don't have noted what I used to determine pH.
I call it "Sam's Lotion" because it's a recipe posted on a site (that no longer exists) by a lady named, you guessed it, Sam.  FYI - It passed a microbial test done monthly as is, at 1 month through 12 months, using this type of kit: (Microbial Test Kit), but I've never sent it in for full spectrum testing.

Sam's Lotion
rose water 
vegetable glycerine
liquid oil 
solid oil or butter
beeswax
Make it like mayonnaise except adding the rose water to the oils versus the other way around, blending constantly until cool.


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## Arimara (Sep 18, 2020)

I haven't made lotion in a few years and I've only used two preservatives- Optiphen Plus and Phenonip. Optiphen Plus(it has a different name now) Doesn't have the parabens that are in Phenonip and Germall II but it may require another preservative as the Optiphens are known to not be broad spectrum.


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## lsg (Sep 19, 2020)

I use Liquid Germall Plus.


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## KimW (Sep 19, 2020)

Thank you both!  I researched Leucidal some years ago but didn't go with since it wasn't a broad spectrum preservative - that's what my notes say anyway.  Now, I see they have Leucidal Liquid SF and AMTicide Coconut.  Ugh.  I wonder if anyone's tried these...


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## Lakshita (Dec 8, 2020)

Arimara said:


> I haven't made lotion in a few years and I've only used two preservatives- Optiphen Plus and Phenonip. Optiphen Plus(it has a different name now) Doesn't have the parabens that are in Phenonip and Germall II but it may require another preservative as the Optiphens are known to not be broad spectrum.



So by usimg optiphen plus what would generally be the shelf life of lotion ?


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## Arimara (Dec 8, 2020)

Lakshita said:


> So by usimg optiphen plus what would generally be the shelf life of lotion ?


Without testing, I would not know. I would assume at least two years if all precautions are taken.


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## Lakshita (Dec 8, 2020)

Arimara said:


> Without testing, I would not know. I would assume at least two years if all precautions are taken.


Can BHT preservative be also used in lotions ?


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## Arimara (Dec 9, 2020)

Lakshita said:


> Can BHT preservative be also used in lotions ?


That I really don't know the answer to that. I've never tried it and I don't know if it would work all the same.


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## DeeAnna (Dec 9, 2020)

BHT is an antioxidant, which means it inhibits the reaction of fats with oxygen and thus slows the development of rancidity. It's not used as a microbial preservative in the sense that it directly prevents micro-organisms from growing. Yes it can be used in lotions.


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## marehare (Dec 10, 2020)

KimW said:


> I've made the below lotion in small quantities for myself for years.  It's lovely and unless you go camping when it's 98 degrees out, it stays perfectly emulsified.  Now, my bestust friend has started begging/nagging me to send her some saying she doesn't care if it's not preserved.  Well - I care, silly girl.  What would be the best preservative for this lotion?  I use Grapeseed oil for the liquid oil and Mango or Shea Butter for the solid oil.  My notes say pH is "between 6 and 7", but I don't have noted what I used to determine pH.
> I call it "Sam's Lotion" because it's a recipe posted on a site (that no longer exists) by a lady named, you guessed it, Sam.  FYI - It passed a microbial test done monthly as is, at 1 month through 12 months, using this type of kit: (Microbial Test Kit), but I've never sent it in for full spectrum testing.
> 
> Sam's Lotion
> ...


How much of each ingredient do you put into your lotion?


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