There are just now some new preservatives coming onto the market that offer an alternative to the parabens, etc. that we have had to use in the past.
I hate to give away my "trade secrets" but in this case, I think this will benefit all of us including our customers.
I've been using Optiphen, which I personally feel more comfortable using than the old preservative systems. I can attest to it's efficacy. I have a jar of body cream made with Optiphen that's almost 14 months old sitting in my bathroom closet, and it's still clean of any mold, etc. Of course I cannot do a bacteria test here since I don't have a lab, but the makers of Optiphen have done such tests, which I feel are reliable.
Although Optiphen is not "natural" in any way, after reading the scientific data, I feel more comfortable using this preservative in my products. Right now, this product, is as good as it gets. Also Optiphen has not been shown to mimic estrogen in the body like the parabens do, which is a huge plus for me.
Optiphen:
Optiphen is a unique liquid preservative formulation which consists of phenoxyethanol and an emollient base. The combination of these ingredients provides optimized protection against microbial growth from bacteria and yeast while giving the finished product exceptional feel. It can be used alone and functions synergistically with other preservatives. Optiphen is applicable for use in a variety of personal care preparations such as aqueous and anhydrous systems as well as emulsions.