Germaben II versus Phenonip?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Me again, the newbie, with more questions.

I am now considering using preservatives in my products. I make lip

balms, lotions, massage bars, solid perfumes, and bath bombs. How do

I know which of these products NEED preservatives?

..

For the Germaben II it says:

Germaben II - If you are making lotions, and you wish to keep your

lotions nice and creamy without mold and other nasties growing in

your creations, you need Germaben II. Germaben is a mixture of

propylene glycol, diazolidinyl urea, methylparaben, and

propylparaben. It is meant to be used as .3 to 1.0% of the total

weight of your lotion.

and for the Phenonip it says:

Phenonip - A liquid preservative to inhibit a full range of microbial

growth in your cremes, lotions, salt scrubs, dusting powders and

liquid soap bases. This preservative is more suitable than Germaben

II for products that are manufactured at higher temperature ranges.

Phenonip is not a formaldehyde donor. Use at a rate of .5 -1.0% of

the total weight of your product.While volume vs. weight measurements

vary, these measurements may help you if you don't have a scale

handy:

0.1 oz. = 3 ml

So, the only difference I can see in these descriptions is that the

Phenonip is better for products manufactured at higher temperatures.

This confuses me because all of my products are made at basically the

same temperatures.

Can anyone tell me why one would be better for certain products (and

what they are) and why? I would like to get some new batches of

lotions and lip balms going, so I am specifically interested in which

of the preservatives would be better for each of those.

I have a feeling I didn't need to buy them both, as they seem to do

the same thing? If anyone could enlighten me even a little, I would

be very grateful. Like, does lip balm even need a preservative if I

am already putting Vitamin E oil in it?

Also, when I use these preservatives, is there a " Shelf life " of the

product that I need to share with my consumers?

I have done my own research but just end up more confused so I am

looking to this group for some personal exerience and knowledge.

PLEASE HELP

Smiles,

Angie