Optiphen PLUS - your experience

[idlehands]

Hi friends!
I'm currently trying to perfect my toner recipe before I put it on the market. The way I see it, I have too options when it comes to preserving this product.

One, high alcohol content. I'm seriously on the fence about this because there is so much information out there about how bad alcohol is for your skin! I would have to have to formulate it at 20% of my recipe to properly preserve it - correct? I look at company's like Burt's Bees. Their all natural toner has alcohol listed as the second ingredient. So it is all natural, but at what cost? People are pretty well informed these days about the effects that alcohol have on their skin. No only that, but when I research the market, all the toners are branded "Alcohol-Free!"

Two, I do my best to find an environmentally friendly preservative. Upon researching, Optiphen PLUS looks pretty good on the surface. It hasn't been linked to cancer, it's paraben free, and not a formaldehyde releaser. Information on the suppliers website says that it can used at .75 - 1.5% of your products recipe. This seems appealing compared to the 20% that is suggested with alcohol.

What are your opinions or experiences with this preservative? Would you use a product containing that high of an amount of alcohol? Do you believe this preservative is a good option to be able to market toward my customers who prefer all natural products?


Looking forward to hearing from you!

 

[Dahila]

Hi I am using it for everything and I am very happy with it. Some of my lotions are like a year old and still good. I use it in 1%. I like it It seems the safest one on market now. It is also easily obtained.

 

[idlehands]

What about Vegecide? That seems like it could be highly marketable!
Or PhytoCide? Ingredients to die for are marketing both of these as
naturally derived preservatives. Any experience with them?

 

[Dorymae]

I think it is a good choice but I do want to point out that it is alcohol based. The ingredients are phenoxyethanol, which is an ether alcohol, sorbic acid, and caprylyl glycol. So although I think it would work fine, I don't think you could call it alcohol free.

 

[elmtree]

I think it is a good choice but I do want to point out that it is alcohol based. The ingredients are phenoxyethanol, which is an ether alcohol, sorbic acid, and caprylyl glycol. So although I think it would work fine, I don't think you could call it alcohol free.

But it's certainly not the same kind of alcohol that people mean when they ask if there's alcohol in it. I would say its alcohol free in that there is no denatured or ever clear type alcohols as in other products. I certainly don't tell people there is alcohol in my products when I use optiphen plus.

 

[Dorymae]

True you don't tell them it's there but you don't tell them it's not there either I hope.