Guest guest Posted October 1, 2003 Report Share Posted October 1, 2003 There have been many heated discussions on many list regarding preservatives and what is natural and what is hype and a lot of you who have been making toiletries for some time know of what I speak. Rather than get into one of those heated discussions I would only advise those of you who are going to sell your products to please do some serious research into the pros and cons of using preservatives in your products. A lot of damage can be caused by a bad skin infection and I really think this is something that needs much consideration. Don't take just anyone's word for what is a preservative unless that person is qualified and by that they should have a background which you feel qualifies them to give you advice. There is a lot of misinformation going around so be careful and do research and then do some more. It also amazes me what some people call natural too. If you are making products for your own use then you refrigerate your product for a while. You can't see bacteria, you can see mold. I do use preservatives in my products and I do sell these products and I would never buy any product except for soap, that did not contain a preservative. When I first started making salt scrubs I didn't add a preservative and then after reading some things and using the scrub myself I thought that was not wise because in the shower or tub I dipped a wet hand into the scrub even though I do have a scoop attached I doubt many people use it all the time and even if they do I wonder where they put the scoop after use. Gwen D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 4, 2003 Report Share Posted October 4, 2003 So what do you guys use for preservatives and what do you use it in? _________________________________________________________________ Instant message in style with MSN Messenger 6.0. Download it now FREE! http://msnmessenger-download.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2004 Report Share Posted January 21, 2004 Before you stock up I would suggest you do some research on preservatives and use one in your lotions. Do you have insurance? Do you want to risk have someone have a terrible skin infection or systemic infection from the use of your lotion? I know you do not want these things to happen. Please find all the information you can on preservatives so that you can make a decision based on knowledge. Vitamin E is not a preservative, it is an antioxidant which helps prevent rancidity in your oils. Bacteria can grow in lotions without your being able to see them. There really isn't a natural preservative at this time. If you are not going to use a preservative you should warn your customers and they should refrigerate the lotion and any other product you have which contains water, and have a discard date on the container. I do not mean to sound harsh but this subject has been argued on list over and over and I see the wrong information being given all the time and not just about preservatives. Please do your research on all matters so that you are able to make decisions backed up by the proper information. Gwen D. Preservatives > Hi- I started making lotions last year & will be adding them to my > crafting business this year. I have come up with a lotion that I am > happy with except for the preservative part. Some of the lotions I > have made seem to mold after a month or 2. I usually use Vitamin E. > Is this the best to use or is there something better (and what > amount to use in proprtion to other ingredients). I would > greatly appreciate the help since I am going to start stocking up for > the upcoming season. Thanks, > -Jen E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Do you want to risk have someone have a terrible skin infection or systemic infection from the use of your lotion? I know you do not want these things to happen. Please find all the information you can on preservatives so that you can make a decision based on knowledge. Vitamin E is not a preservative, it is an antioxidant which helps prevent rancidity in your oils. Bacteria can grow in lotions without your being able to see them. There really isn't a natural preservative at this time. Hi Jen - Gwen is right about needing to preserve lotions or anything containing water. If you do an internet search on preservation there is just a wealth of information out there. I have been making and selling lotions for five years and the preservation issue is just not as complicated and intimidating as it may seem initially. Just educate yourself. The internet has become my cosmetic library. I will try to post some links when I have time:) Sunny Imhof Lizardhead Natural Products Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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