I am trying to put together some ingredients for making my first batch of moisturizer (for the face). I want to keep the ingredients as natural and gentle as possible. After looking at preservatives I have found Cosmocil CQ and Optiphen. Could anyone who is experienced with these offer any suggestions in which one would be the most natural, but still eliminate the growth of yucky stuff. Also can liquid Lecithin be used in place of the Emulsifying Wax? Which is, again, more "natural"?
preservative question
- Thread starter awi
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Cosmocil CQ needs to be used in conjunction with another preservative as it doesn't fight yeast, mold or other fungus...... Optiphen is one of the milder ones, just make sure you use it at the full 1.5% recommended amount to actually hold your product.
I use optiphen in all of my scrubs and lotions. Though not natural, you can at least promote it as being paraben free. I like that there are no PH limitations and it can be used in water and oil based products. I wouldn't go below 1% and usually go a bit over.
Optiphen - Optiphen is a paraben and formaldehyde-free preservative. It consists of Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol. The Caprylyl Glycol is essentially a carrier base for the Phenoxyethanol. Optiphen is a clear liquid that has no pH restrictions and is safe for use at temperatures below 176 degrees. It is suggested for usage levels at .5 - 1.5% and can be used in water and oil based products.
Brambleberry.
Optiphen - Optiphen is a paraben and formaldehyde-free preservative. It consists of Phenoxyethanol and Caprylyl Glycol. The Caprylyl Glycol is essentially a carrier base for the Phenoxyethanol. Optiphen is a clear liquid that has no pH restrictions and is safe for use at temperatures below 176 degrees. It is suggested for usage levels at .5 - 1.5% and can be used in water and oil based products.
Brambleberry.
My next question is, how do you know if your preservative isn't working? Other than you may see mold in the container after a while? Where can you have it tested and how long after making it should you wait before having it tested?
I've used lecithin and beeswax together to help form an emulsion. They did hold the cream together and have stayed stable for several months. The downside is the lecithin turned the cream a dark tan color which isn't a problem since it was for me. But I didn't think it spread very well - kind of dragged when I spread it on my skin.
Has anyone tried the preservative from lotion crafter called Leucidal® Liquid? Looks like a fairly natural preservative. Just wondering if anyone out there had tried it and if it worked for them.
Thanks Hazel for telling me about the lecithin having a drag...that wouldn't be very ideal for a moisturizer, especially on the face!
Thanks Hazel for telling me about the lecithin having a drag...that wouldn't be very ideal for a moisturizer, especially on the face!
I think the drag was from the beeswax. But the way I understood it, I had to combine the lecithin with the beeswax to create an emulsion. I could be wrong. I'm not an expert at making creams.
You could use a small amount of lecithin as an additive. I've heard it helps to soften wrinkles if added in a cream or lotion. I'm not sure if this true but I thought it wouldn't hurt to try it.
You could use a small amount of lecithin as an additive. I've heard it helps to soften wrinkles if added in a cream or lotion. I'm not sure if this true but I thought it wouldn't hurt to try it.
I cant remember the link and have been searching for it but I think it was carebear that posted it a while ago .... there is a kit that you can buy that you put a small sample of your product on and in so much time it will either grow mold/bacteria or not...and that lets you know whether your preservative will work...
lecithin and beeswax are to be used as co-emulsifiers and not preservatives just so you know Its an AWESOME additive, and yes beeswax does provide a "stiff" kind of drag to the lotions, if your looking for a better emulsifier there are others out there, I m still experimenting, so far Ive been using emulsifying wax, and/or stearic acid to help thicken things up a bit...
Carebear is my personal guide for preservatives
lecithin and beeswax are to be used as co-emulsifiers and not preservatives just so you know
Its an AWESOME additive, and yes beeswax does provide a "stiff" kind of drag to the lotions, if your looking for a better emulsifier there are others out there, I m still experimenting, so far Ive been using emulsifying wax, and/or stearic acid to help thicken things up a bit... Carebear is my personal guide for preservatives
I didn't mean to imply that lecithin & beeswax were preservatives. I was saying I had used them for emulsifying. I don't use them anymore. I use ewax and I usually add some stearic acid for thickening.
lol yeah but your "tad" is like my library section lol
agriffin said:
I just ordered it - I will let you know what I think once it gets here....
Thanks for the link!
keep in mind that the test only looks to see if any viable bacteria or molds are in your product. what it doesn't do is test if your preservative will be able to hold up to contamination introduced by the user. In a perfect world you'd do challenge testing - where you test just that as well.
Thanks carebear - didn't know that. Is there a test available for that too that can be done by ourselves?
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