Q: I have been selling my lotions, etc. for about 2 years now and have always used lotion bases that I buy from different companies. Is it still necessary to add a preservative such as Germaben to these mixtures? I thought they already have a preservative in them. Also, I am about to try to make some cold process soap. Is there anything I am supposed to add to this as a preservative. I haven’t been able to find anything concrete about this. If nothing is added, how long before a bar of soap becomes rancid, or does the soap become rancid?

A: If the lotion base that you’re using has preservative in it, then you do not need to add a preservative. Make sure that the pre-made base already has the preservative in there before foregoing it, however!

You do not have to use any sort of preservative in CP soap. Some people choose to use an anti oxidant (such as Vitamin E) to help prevent rancidity in the oils and spoilage but it’s an optional thing and isn’t necessary.

The shelf life of the soap varies based on what oils go into the recipe and the superfat, but the basic rule of thumb is that a well balanced bar of soap will last for a minimum of a year (if not longer).