Emulsified sugar scrubs (newbie)

[BlackBoar]

So I made some tests for my first emulsified scrub recipes and I'm not really sure if I'm succeeding

edit: just to clarify what I'm actually looking for, it's mostly what amount of fragrance *should* I be looking to hit. I don't want to go too high or too low. I read 1-2 percent of the total weight was good.

My hands feel great after just using it, but then i get really dry and irritated and I don't know if it's from the fragrance or the over cleaning of my hands while making them. The scents stay on my hands very well.

Can liquid germal plus cause skin irritation, or e wax, stearic acid or cetyl alcohol?

I'm doing 113 gram test batches with no more than 2 ml of fragrance. I used coconut lime verbena for one, and then for the other peppermint and lavender essential oil (probably ended up being less than 2 ml total). I'm also putting in ROE.
I'm using about .8 percent preservative so it's on the high end but that's what other people have used.

I've never bought a sugar scrub before so I have no idea how it's supposed to be.

 

[Dahila]

well it does not look like it emulsified, what emulsifier did you use? I found the answer e-wax. I do not think Germal can irritate if you keep it 0.5% of it, but not sugar. I use phenonip for sugar scrubs. It seems that you had visit Susan blog, but just in case http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ca/search?q=sugar+scrub
Would be nice if you put everything in percentage what you put there. I do not go over the limit with the preservative. I keep weighing everything and the percentage of preservative is easy to count. I think it is still usable the sugar scrub

 

[shunt2011]

I've only ever used emulsifying wax with stearic and I also use a bit of beeswax, oils and butter. I use 1-2% Fragrance and optiphen plus for preservative. Have never felt dry after using. Actually feels really good.

 

[BlackBoar]

1.93% beeswax
2.89% stearic acid/cetyl alcohol 50 50
3.85% e wax (http://www.candorasoap.ca/product/emulsifying-wax)
5.78% babassu oil
24.07 % oils (2 parts apricot oil, 1 part safflower oil, 1 part camellia seed)
2% fragrance
57.76% sugar
.85 % preservative
ROE 2-4 drops

The texture is thick but not like...gelled. Not like a lip balm. When it hits the water it does turn into lotion like the video says.
If feels oily when you touch it and rub it on at first. I was expecting it to be more like lip balm in texture. Maybe increasing the thickening agents?
edit: is there any use in adding things like aloe vera extract? I have quite a few extracts sitting around.
used these videos as reference:
Note: Actually the peppermint I used 50/50 cetyl alcohol and stearic acid and the CLVerbena I used 100 percent stearic and a little bit more than what I have listed here. Although it's nice and stiff now in the jar the texture is different, the stearic acid only one is more like a thick paste while the 50/50 slides across and is more oily feeling. It's softer and more spreadable.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQQWO50M1Gg[/ame]
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8q-bm60EtXM[/ame]

When I make it, I put the ewax, beeswax, stearic acid, cetyl alcohol in one beaker, all of the oil in another, melt them and then add them together. As they cool they become cloudy and like a gel and then I add the preservative, fragrance colour sugar and ROE.


Edit again: I tried it with walnuts and it was only like...23 percent walnuts
so the rest of the recipe was pretty much double in percentage

 

[kchaystack]

Sometimes peppermint eo can irritate people. I've never made scrubs, but that might be the problem.

 

[BlackBoar]

Sometimes peppermint eo can irritate people. I've never made scrubs, but that might be the problem.

Thank you! I just needed somebody else to say it. I just took a shower with the other and feel fine.

I have looked at the link again for swift crafty monkey and it says that liquid germall is basically like adding nothing in anhydrous products. But what I'm confused by is that... if the product wouldn't need preserving if it didn't come into contact with water, wouldn't it as soon as it did come into contact with water (when it would need to be preserved) be activated anyway?


I'm also thinking that apricot oil may be a bad choice for longevity since it's got a shorter shelf life but was hoping the ROE would help.

"we have to use a preservative suited for anhydrous products. This means we have a limited selection, including Phenonip, Liquipar Oil, or Optiphen. Using a water soluble preservative like my favoured liquid Germall Plus is on par with using no preservative at all, so please make your choices wisely."

googled and found more info on it being stuck in the oil and thus unable to migrate to the water that enters it. I'll try optiphen.