Teach Soap

Hi all - this is my first post here, so please be nice

My wife and I run our own business and have been making and selling solid soap for about 5 years, but after a request to provide bodywash to a local hotel we found that none of the commercial bases were any good - they were wall either really drying on the skin or contained ingredients that we didn't want attached to our business.

Instead I tried Failor's liquid soap recipes; specifically the one made with 50% coconut oil and loads of olive, castor and jojoba oils, which was probably not the best one to try first but it worked okay. After some experimentation, I've got it to a gel-like consistancy using Guar Gum powder - and it's now rather good. Much kinder to the skin than any of the bases we bought, a decent thickness for use on a scrunchie etc.

My one question is whether I will need to add additional preservatives to reach a shelf-life of 18months, or will the naturally high pH value be enough?

Hope you can all help - I can tell that you all know an awful lot more than me.

Phil

If you add water to your soap paste I think you need to add a preservative, especially if you are selling it. I am no expert, but this is what I found when comparing several common preservatives.
Germaben II has no ph restrictions and is effective against bacteria, mold and yeast. The overview states that it can be used in soaps and washes. Germaben II does contain parabens.

Germall Plus Liquid contains no parabens and has no ph restrictions. It can be used in soaps and is effective against bacteria, mold and yeast.

I was thinking perhaps Geogard Ultra as it's non-paraben and seems relatively simple to get hold of over here, but I have a feeling that the high pH value of soap might negate it's preservative value.

Any other suggestions?

Yep, take a look at the information here:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5032

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Yep, what SB said. There are no natural preservatives that are available, so you will have to use something that will remove you from the poster boy for natural award candidates list. However, having once been on that list myself (female version), I can tell you that it is far better to have teh preservative than the mold, yeast, or bacteria that will grow without it. Dog poo is natural, but you dont want that in your products either, so look at it that way.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy