# Zinc cream turns purple



## GardenGirl (Sep 21, 2010)

So, I made an herbal salve.

I blend zinc oxide into this to make a zinc cream.

After about a week, the cream gets purple dots (mixed evenly, all throughout). 

The original salve that I set aside that does not have zinc in it has NO sign of purple.  Making me think that the purple dots can't be mold. 

Any ideas?

Thanks.


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## carebear (Sep 21, 2010)

first off, why can't it be mold?  you handled it further, so even more chance for the introduction of mold.

but this said, I haven't the foggiest idea!


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## krissy (Sep 21, 2010)

pictures??


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## Lindy (Sep 21, 2010)

Did you use a preservative?  If not it very well can be mold.....  Pictures would definately help...


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## soapbuddy (Sep 22, 2010)

Did you infuse any herbs? Is it possible they weren't completely dry?


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## agriffin (Sep 22, 2010)

You said you made a salve...but then a cream.  A cream usually has water.  So I'm confused as to what you made.  I would think it's mold.


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## GardenGirl (Sep 22, 2010)

It could be mold, yes.  It's not out of the realm of possibility.

I made an herbal salve (not a new thing for me - never had a mold problem with salves of all sorts.)  Salve = Herbal oils + coconut oil + beeswax + grapefruit seed extract + vitamin E oil.

I blended lanolin, zinc oxide powder & rosemary antioxidant into half of this salve to make a "cream".  No added water or water based stuff.

After one week, purple dots appear in the "cream" but none in the original salve.  Both have been left out in the open air.  The dots seem to be in the areas where there were unblended bits of zinc powder.  

We have since then done systematic batches eliminating each of the variables so we should know in a couple days what ingredient is the culprit.  

I know this sounds a bit far-fetched, but the purple dots are so beautifully purple and it is almost as if the zinc is acting as a ph indicator or something.   

I still have no idea how to attach pics.  I guess I need to get a freebie account with some photo place and upload them to there and then post a link, right?

If I can't get any satisfaction with my current test, I'll try to post pics.

Thanks, ya'll.


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## agriffin (Sep 22, 2010)

Oh wow..yes let us know.  

I guess I hear cream...and think water added.

Hmmm...never heard of anything like that so it will be interesting to see what it is.


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## soapbuddy (Sep 22, 2010)

Are you using the grapefruit seed extract as an anti-oxidant? It's not a preservative.


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## carebear (Sep 22, 2010)

sounds more like an anhydrous balm - but the zinc oxide would make it white and creamy looking, I guess.


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## dagmar88 (Sep 23, 2010)

carebear said:
			
		

> sounds more like an anhydrous balm - but the zinc oxide would make it white and creamy looking, I guess.



Yup; I've made anhydrous balms containing oil soluble zinc oxide, and although it tends so settle a bit on the bottom of the containers, it makes an off-white balm... Not purple  :?


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## Lindy (Sep 23, 2010)

carebear said:
			
		

> sounds more like an anhydrous balm - but the zinc oxide would make it white and creamy looking, I guess.



Same here - it is creamy white.....


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## GardenGirl (Oct 2, 2010)

Early returns are interesting on this.

It seems that the only batches that did not turn purple are the ones without the zinc (just the herbal salve + lanolin) AND the one without the Rosemary Antioxidant (salve + zinc + lanolin).

So, there appears to be some sort of chemical reaction (again, somehow I think it's got to be a pH type thing) between the zinc and the rosemary antioxidant.

Hopefully this will help someone else in the future.  Don't use zinc + rosemary antioxidant unless you want your product to be purple after a week or so.

We're still testing this, but so far, the purple ones are REALLY purple and the not purple ones are completely clear, so it seems like we've uncovered the issue.  Now to figure out the science . . .

Thanks for listening! 

I'll update more if anything changes . . .


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## COCONUTGAL (Mar 16, 2018)

Ok So I realize this post was written over 8 years ago, but I find it hilarious that you figured this out.....Mine does the same thing that has rosemary antioxidant too!!!!!!!!!!! Are you still on this forum??






GardenGirl said:


> Early returns are interesting on this.
> 
> It seems that the only batches that did not turn purple are the ones without the zinc (just the herbal salve + lanolin) AND the one without the Rosemary Antioxidant (salve + zinc + lanolin).
> 
> ...


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## SaltedFig (Mar 16, 2018)

COCONUTGAL said:


> Ok So I realize this post was written over 8 years ago, but I find it hilarious that you figured this out.....Mine does the same thing that has rosemary antioxidant too!!!!!!!!!!! Are you still on this forum??



Normally it is recommended starting a new thread (etc. obviously you've seen the sticky rules about linking back to an old thread) ... but!

What rosemary antioxidant did you use?
I've got a bit of zinc oxide and might grab some to have a go at making the purple 

PS. I haven't seen GardenGirl in years.


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