# Paraben free



## pepperi27 (Jul 6, 2008)

Whether you make these items for yourself or own a business, how important is providing paraben free items?  Needless to say if you make most products then you have the option of allowing parabens into your itmes or not. Me I know how to make a few things from scratch but not everything. I would love to make lotions but testing and such is expensive! So how important is this to you?


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## busymammaof3 (Jul 7, 2008)

I have currently been using phenonip from Brambleberry, mainly because I bought a lotion making kit from them. I was so overwhelmed with the thought of making lotion and wanting it to come out perfect the 1st time...so i could ge a feel for how to do it, the right way. So, I decided to buy a kit. It included the how to book, with a basic recipe. It also included all the ingredients needed. Phenonip was the preservative they offered in the kit. I used the suggested percentage in my formula. It came out wonderful! And quickly got me over the fear and anxiety of all those unknowns and doing it for the 1st time. Since then, I have made a dozen or so batches (only been a few months since my 1st one) and they have all come out great. Each one a little different. The 1st one got me over that hump. And now I play around, using the SoapMaker program to help me keep track of my different lotion batches.

I really struggled with whether to use preservatives or not. From what I read and heard from trusted friends and experienced soap/lotion makers...if I didn't use any preservative...then I had to make butters instead. Because lotions are water based. Butters are not. Lotions, due to the water will eventually (and usually quite quickly) turn rancid and go back without a preservative. I wanted to sell the lotions I made. Although, ideally, I wanted to sell my lotions and advertise 100% natural-preservative free lotions...I realized that I had to make a choice. And the only way i was able to find the best of both worlds for my needs and the needs of my business...was to sell lotions with the smallest, recommended amount of preservative...and list it as so. Making sure that customers understood the product had a small amount of preservative in it, necessary to keep the product from going bad. So, on my site, where I explain my business in more detail, I comment on how we strive to bring our customers products that are natural. And that we do not use any synthetic ingredients in our products...unless when absolutely necessary.

Hope that helps! Or at least gives you more to think about.


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## digit (Jul 7, 2008)

Busymammaof3 - That was great advice. Thanks.

Pepperi27 - When making them for yourself, you could simply make small amounts and store in the refrigerator. 

Sometimes I think folks nix the use of products (such as preservatives) based on information that is skewed. Many compounds are bad for you in excess, but in small amounts, are not truly an issue. I have not investigated parabens for myself, so I can not honestly say that much about their use.

Sometimes it is more of a risk vs benifit issue. Especially in business. You have to protect your business. I see that many use preservatives in scrubs because of the risk of water introduction by the customer. It could also depend on your particular customer base and what they are looking for.

Hopefully someone who uses the paraben free preservatives will pop in soon and comment.   

Digit


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## busymammaof3 (Jul 7, 2008)

Paraben free? I am new to the whole subject anyway. What paraben free ones are out there? Or you can just point me in the right direction. That's fine too!


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## pepperi27 (Jul 7, 2008)

Oh i'm not afraid of making certain things from scratch! I recently made sugar scrubs with preservative so I got the hang of weighing precisely LOL. But I'm talking about having the lotions tested and also some preservatives contain parabens which "they" say are bad for your skin. Being that we intake anything and everything we put on our skin? Me personally I'm not going to go crazy trying to make paraben free this or that, which btw Kangarooblue sells some. I think NDA sells a whole line of them but they are pricey.


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## digit (Jul 7, 2008)

busymammaof3 said:
			
		

> Paraben free? I am new to the whole subject anyway. What paraben free ones are out there? Or you can just point me in the right direction. That's fine too!



Here are few to start you off:
Optiphen & Optiphen ND - www.cosmeticsbusiness.com/story.asp?storyCode=1070
Tinosan SDC - www.ciba.com/index/ind-index/ind-home_f ... sansdc.htm
Cosmocil CQ - http://www.archchemicals.com/Fed/PC/Pro ... ocilCQ.htm

You can find several others, depending on your formulation needs. The Herbarie, Lotion Crafter, and quite a few of the vendors carry them.   

Digit


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## pepperi27 (Jul 7, 2008)

Thanks digit!


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## garland68 (Jul 7, 2008)

I use Optiphen and I love it.  I started out wanting a paraben free preservative because I read too much  I read many articles on the why parabens are bad...or suppose to be bad for you.  I have also read where they are not bad.  I decided to go non-paraben because of this fight.  I also was swayed by what my people want.  They unfortunately read too  so now I use the Optiphen family of preservatives and I am happy.  They are finicky though.  But once you work the bugs out everything is good.


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## garland68 (Jul 7, 2008)

PS if someone asks me why I use preservative I always tell them that botchulism and mold are natural too  And you don't want them in your product...do you? 

Then I tell them benefit so of using a preservative like Opitiphen and the lost risk in using it.


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## digit (Jul 7, 2008)

garland68 said:
			
		

> PS if someone asks me why I use preservative I always tell them that botchulism and mold are natural too  And you don't want them in your product...do you?
> 
> Then I tell them benefit so of using a preservative like Opitiphen and the lost risk in using it.



I LOVED that statement on your site.    So true. Sometimes you have to see something from several angles, not just one dimensional. 

I hear people say they will NOT use anything not "natural". Gently shown the numerous artificial copounds in their lives can be very eye opening. Natural things can be dangerous. 

Digit


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## garland68 (Jul 7, 2008)

I would love to take credit for it but I read that statement on some skin care forum.  Just not sure which one;-)


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## mcleodnaturals (Jul 7, 2008)

garland68 said:
			
		

> I use Optiphen and I love it.  ...  They are finicky though.  But once you work the bugs out everything is good.



Just curious why Optiphen is 'finicky'...I have some sitting here and I'm just not sure how to use it or what to put it in.  I've made a few lotions just for myself, but didn't put preserv in it because it was used up fast.


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## garland68 (Jul 7, 2008)

When you add it at cool down it is lossen that lovely thick cream you just made.  But it will stiffen back up as it cools further.  It also does not like Aloe Juice. for some reason when I use Aloe Juice I get De-emulsification in about a week...  This could just be me though.


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## digit (Jul 8, 2008)

garland68 said:
			
		

> When you add it at cool down it is lossen that lovely thick cream you just made.  But it will stiffen back up as it cools further.  It also does not like Aloe Juice. for some reason when I use Aloe Juice I get De-emulsification in about a week...  This could just be me though.



I also have some Optiphen that I have not used. Thanks for the tip!!

Digit


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## lsg (Jul 8, 2008)

I use OptiphenPlus with good results.  Wait until the temperature of mixture is below 170 degrees F before adding the preservative.

Here is a description from Loition Crafters:

"Optiphen™ Plus 
ISP’s second globally approved preservative in the Optiphen family developed as an alternative for personal care formulations requiring a paraben and formaldehyde-free preservative system, particularly within lower pH systems. Optiphen Plus performs best in formulations below 6.0 pH, but is also proven effective at pH levels above 6.0. 
Recommended use levels: 0.5 – 1.5%. 
Appearance: Clear liquid "


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## SweetBody (Jul 10, 2008)

Yes. I, too, use Optiphen. It's SOO important to me to not use paraben in my products.


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## eden (Jul 13, 2008)

Optiphen Plus !!  This product has resolved many of the issues you had to worry about with the original Optiphen ...I think it's the biggest reason I got into making bath products ...to avoid parabens & other harsh or synthetic ingredients ...you can't avoid them all, but we can sure make a superior product with the knowlege we have & ingredients we have available to us 

...and please everyone!!  If you are selling your product - please have your product lab tested - it's very important to know your preservative is doing its job, especially if you are selling.  It isn't all that costly for the peace of mind it gives you.  And if you are making your product in your family kitchen ( which, to my knowledge, is a no-no ...except for soap ...but I'm sure more of us do this _than_ don't ...and I'm not asking, by-the-way   ) ...even if you are diligent about sanitizing ...the family kitchen has contaminates everywhere ...sorry if I sidetracked this too much!


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## mcleodnaturals (Jul 13, 2008)

eden said:
			
		

> Optiphen Plus !!  This product has resolved many of the issues you had to worry about with the original Optiphen ...I think it's the biggest reason I got into making bath products ...to avoid parabens & other harsh or synthetic ingredients ...you can't avoid them all, but we can sure make a superior product with the knowlege we have & ingredients we have available to us
> 
> ...and please everyone!!  If you are selling your product - please have your product lab tested - it's very important to know your preservative is doing its job, especially if you are selling.  It isn't all that costly for the peace of mind it gives you.  And if you are making your product in your family kitchen ( which, to my knowledge, is a no-no ...except for soap ...but I'm sure more of us do this _than_ don't ...and I'm not asking, by-the-way   ) ...even if you are diligent about sanitizing ...the family kitchen has contaminates everywhere ...sorry if I sidetracked this too much!



just curious where you get your testing done?  how much does it cost??
thx!


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## eden (Jul 13, 2008)

I had mine done through To Die For/Aroma Alternatives, you could email them & they could get you pointed in the right direction - let me know if you need a link.  I believe I paid somewhere around $85. Not a big investment for 1 formula, but it does add up if you are testing 5 or 6 ...I'm mostly concerned with anything conatining water ...


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## Lane (Jul 14, 2008)

I think you can also get testing kits from Snowdriftfarm.com


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## digit (Jul 14, 2008)

eden said:
			
		

> I believe I paid somewhere around $85. Not a big investment for 1 formula, but it does add up if you are testing 5 or 6 ...I'm mostly concerned with anything conatining water ...



Wow, thanks Eden!! You just found me more experimentation money! In my "Grand Plan" I budgeted $200 for testing of each formulation...if I can just figure out what the final ones will be.    

I must find out where I got that number.  :roll: 

Digit


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