What's your favorite preservative?

[Guest]

I figure an antioxidant would be useful in soap, especially soap superfatted at over 5%.

So far I've only actually used the rosemary extract for my peppermint lip balm, which came out nicely

 

[Barb]

i personally don't use any preservative or extra anti-oxident in bar soaps. i do add vitamin e to my oils when i first purchase them. not even those that have food items in them. i think the lye pretty much kills anything that might cause a problem in soap.

as far as things like body butters and balms, unless there is the potential for water to be introduced to them, vitamin e or roe is enough.

now emulsified body butters ( those that have water, aloe juice ) lotions and such need a preservative system. i use several different preservatives depending on the product. i like phenoip for my gm lotions because it isn't so temperature sensitive and i can divide it up between the water portion and the oil portion and i think it handles the milk protein better. but i have used it in my emulsified body butter at times or at times have use germaben without a problem.

 

[Guest]

i personally don't use any preservative or extra anti-oxident in bar soaps. i do add vitamin e to my oils when i first purchase them. not even those that have food items in them. i think the lye pretty much kills anything that might cause a problem in soap.

I agree, but I'm thinking about using rosemary extract as an anti-oxidant in soap to defend against rancidity, not micro-organisms!

 

[Bigmoose]

I have always used Germaben 2 in my lotions. I had my lotion lab tested and the results were great. A bonus is the lab tech has purchased 5 bottles of lotion from me since testing it for me and could not be happier with it. I am using up the last bottle from my first batch made now and there are no signs of any trouble. I have also tested my lotion at home going thru tempature extremes and again no trouble. For me if it is not broken, don't fix it. I will not switch.

Bruce

 

[IanT]

germaben is synthetic though right?? are there any non synthetic options for preservatives???

 

[JuBean]

I have always used Germaben 2 in my lotions. I had my lotion lab tested and the results were great. A bonus is the lab tech has purchased 5 bottles of lotion from me since testing it for me and could not be happier with it. I am using up the last bottle from my first batch made now and there are no signs of any trouble. I have also tested my lotion at home going thru tempature extremes and again no trouble. For me if it is not broken, don't fix it. I will not switch.

Bruce

Germaben 2 was on my list to try. I totally agree, don't change if it works for you. I still may end up trying it.

I am just so over whelmed with how many different types of perspectives are available. I know I would be complaining if only a few were available.

I was planning on testing for temperature extremes too. I know I always have a lotion or cream in my car. It stays in there year round. Mind you it is not the same bottle all year long. I use way to much to be able to do that. But I would love to see what happens to my lotion and/or cream if I were to leave it in those conditions.

 

[rszuba]

i am on the wall about the whole preservitives thing. the lady(thesoapbarn.com, tina) who taught me to make soap uses optiphen because it is what is used in baby products. that made sense to me, if you gotta use one. then there is the whole potassium sorbate (used in food and cosmetics)which is fda approved as the only safe preservetive. then i read about aubrey organics and he uses grapefruit seed extract and antioxidants. i'm still in study about the whole thing.

sorry for all the link, just various info, to confuse everyone like me. lol


http://www.beautypedia.com/Brand/Aubrey ... cs/55.aspx
http://www.studentformula.com/aubrey_organics.htm
http://www.organicanews.com/news/article.cfm?story_id=5


this has what aubrey considers preserves for products.
http://www.aubrey-organics.com/custom.aspx?id=45

you can find his books on this site

http://www.aubreyorganics.com/custom.aspx?id=41
http://www.texasnaturalsupply.com/tns_046.htm
http://www.skinessentials.us/cosemeticsingredients.html

 

[beachgurl]

I prefer Germall

 

[barefootbody]

I use the Grapefruit Seed Extract in my soaps, along with Tocopherol, which I pretty much use in everything I make. No preservatives in soap, or any product that liquid will not be introduced to, such as body butters, lotion bars, etc.

With products that will be introduced to water, I use either Tinosan SDC, from Texas Natural Supply, it is a natural perservative, or I use Optiphen sometimes (synethic), & with anything containing salt I use LiquaPar Liquid (very synethic) because of the high PH.

I haven't tried the rosemary yet but want to, but I would not trust it as a preservative. Does it have a scent to it?

 

[Guest]

I haven't tried the rosemary yet but want to, but I would not trust it as a preservative. Does it have a scent to it?

Rosemary extract isn't a preservative; it's an anti-oxidant. It has a very mild, woody smell to it, but such a small amount is necessary that the scent wouldn't come through in the finished product. It does have a dark green color.

 

[barefootbody]

Thanks Danielito, that's exactly the info I was looking for, smell & color. I was interested in it as an antioxidant, not preservative.

 

[I love soap!]

But remember synthetic is not exactly great. What you put on your skin will go into the skin and into the blood. Why put a chemical on you if you can avoid it?