Using Preservatives

Natural products are wonderful.  I love the way they feel on my skin, how they smell, how they look, and I especially love the process of creating them.  Making natural products for yourself is relatively simple.  Make small batches, use them up quickly, and take care not to contaminate anything.  When you plan on sharing your creations with others the situation can grow a little more complex.  Because you cannot be sure how your product will be handled or how quickly it will be used once it leaves your hands, adding a preservative may be a necessary step.

Formulas that contain only oils and waxes are fairly stable on their own.  An average balm, or water free body butter will last several months to a year before going rancid.  Some formulators choose to add an antioxidant such as Rosemary Oil Extract or Vitamin E (T-80) to protect the shelf life of the oils contained in the formula.  Preservatives are not generally used in these simple balms and butters for two reasons:

• The formula does not contain water or water based ingredients such as Hydrosols or Aloe Vera Gel.
• The formula is not likely to come into contact with water during use. Most balms are applied to dry skin or lips.

When water or water based ingredients are introduced to a formula it becomes fragile.  Fresh lotions and creams are a good example of a fragile formulation, but any product that contains any amount of water will be subject to the same issues.  This includes wet masks, bubble baths, tinctures and more.  The water in these formulas will attract bacteria, mold, and other unsavory characters causing the product to become contaminated, break down, or go rancid.  This growth can pose serious health risks and unfortunately, is often invisible to the naked eye.  Extreme care must be taken when creating fresh creams and lotions even for personal use.  If you choose to create a lotion, cream, or other recipe that includes water without a preservative you must store it carefully and use it up within a few days to be safe or store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.  In order to responsibly share your product with others an effective preservative must be added.

You should also consider adding a preservative to products that may come into contact with water during use.  Sugar and Salt Scrubs are a great example of this situation.  While the product does not contain water, the user is likely, despite your best instructions, to bring the entire jar of product into the shower with them, introducing bacteria, water, and other unwanted additives into the product when it is used.  The jar will then be sealed up until it is used again.  Meanwhile, the bacteria that has been introduced will be growing inside the jar.  Another alternative to using a preservative in oil based scrubs is packaging the scrub in single serving portions so that your customer will use the entire jar in one shot, eliminating the dangerous situation.

Natural preservatives such as Grapefruit Seed Extract or Optiphen can be helpful in warding off bacterial growth, but unfortunately are not always enough to preserve an aqueous formulation for an extended period of time.  Synthetic preservatives offer stronger preservation properties, but unfortunately can be very controversial.  Great care must be taken when selecting a preservative and professional testing is necessary if you intend to sell the formulation to the public. Without the use of a Professional Challenge Testing Lab it is very hard, if not impossible, to be certain of whether your formula has been properly preserved. 

Comments

[MRochell at My Sensitive Skin Care]

Thank you very much for this information Emmy! Do you know of any other kinds of commercial preservatives besides parabens that are safer, and that do not cause skin irritations or other side effects?

[Emmy Gabriel]

Thanks for your question.  There are paraben alternatives available. 
The most commonly used is Grapefruit Seed Extract, however there are
other alternative preservatives springing up all the time.  Personally,
I dont have much experience working with other types.  When it comes
to using natural or alternative preservatives to formulate products for
sale to the public, getting the help of a professional lab can really
help.  Product challenge testing and formulation assistance can be of
great help.  You can learn more about challenge testing at the
following article:
http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/library/productchallengetesting.asp

[MRochell at My Sensitive Skin Care]

Thank you very much Emmy! I am always interested in learning more about the new types of preservatives, and I didn't realize that Grapefruit Seed Extract was one of them. I look up many ingredients on the Environmental Working Group's CosmeticsDatabase.com to see what effect they may have, but I haven't found many non-toxic preservatives. Thank you for your articles. I didn't realize even getting water in a product can cause it to spoil!

[Emmy Gabriel]

You are quite welcome, MRochell. If you have any other questions, please let me know!

[LeKenda]

What is the general cost to have a product challenge tested?

[Brianne]

Hello! Thank you for the information about preservatives! I am wondering if you can answer a question for me. I LOVE making my own face soap with ground oats added to liquid castile soap. I've always made small batches for myself - but I've been thinking I'd like to give some to friends as gifts, however I have no idea if it needs a preservative. I know on their own the soap and the oats are fine, but not sure if combining them would cause the soap to be more susceptible to bacteria growth. Thanks for any help!

[Emmy Gabriel]

Both Liquid Castile and Ground Oats are fairly stable on their own.  In small batches for personal use, adding an extra preservative is probably optional. If you are giving them as gifts, however, youll need to worry about how your friends or family will handle the product once it is out of your site.   Try to package it in a way that will reduce direct handling, such as a pump bottle, or a squeeze tube.  Also, be extra careful when you create the batch to make sure it does not become contaminated while it is made.  You can add a preservative to help ensure the safety of the product too.  It might be overkill, but then again, its sometimes better to be safe than sorry.  You can try Grapefruit Seed Extract as a natural antibacterial agent, or go for something stronger, such as Liquid Germall Plus.  It would also be a good idea to give your friends and family an expiration date on their handmade products.  Estimate conservatively to help make sure they dont push the limit.  I often give even the most stable of products a 3 month shelf life when I give them as gifts, just in case.  Most people are not used to using handmade or natural products, so they may take for granted that it will last forever.