Teach Soap

I am curious if you would recommend to add a preservative to my homemade batch that I made.

I made a chocolate face mask

cocoa powder honey powder, milk powder, oatmeal, and some oils.

I placed it in a jar container.....but was thinking maybe next time I should place it in a Malibu squeeze bottle, or maybe add a preservative since I did make a large amount of product.

Any thoughts!

With the addition of honey powder, yes, I'd add a preservative since it's hygroscopic.

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Genny

i have optiphen plus on hand, i will use that.

if i leave out the honey and milk powders. I can get away without a preservative?

the only reason you need to add a preservative is because of adding water, adding a liquid that contains water or adding a humecant, which draws water. You also should add a preservative if there is a reasonable expectation of water getting added to the container, such as a scrub that will likely be stored in the shower/tub area. So if you stick to milk powder and none of the things previously mentioned, then you would not need a preservative.

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

Tammy

I am checking out etsy shop right now...I see so many people making these scrubs without preservatives. I don't know how people do it. I don't like using anything that has been sitting out longer than a day. I always make a small one time batch, fresh. It is scary to think about how much bacteria they are actually putting on their face and bodies, without the use of preservatives.

Do not follow the hobbyists that don't add preservatives to their scrubs. As soon as damp fingers, moisture from the bathroom or water from the shower gets to it, it will grow germs, mold and bacteria VERY quickly.

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

im sure u have heard of LUSH cosmetics, right? well i had purchased a facial cleanser.

http://www.lush.ca/Herbalism/9999906956 ... ml#start=7

anyways this product does NOT have any preservative in there, and guess what. not even a week later i woke up, going to wash my face and seen the whole container full of MOLD. i was shocked at what I had seen. Never expected that from the company. And I made sure not to use wet hands to scoop out the product, but the moisture from the bathroom and air I guess set off the mold.

So yes I agree preservatives are needed for our safety.

Even dry hands can have mold spores on them, especially if you've touched any surfaces in your bathroom (even the light switch, which most folks never clean!). Bathrooms are fantastic habitats for microbes!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

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Genny

this is from my supplier.


http://www.saffireblue.ca/shop/preserva ... sHjmPRDtvg

Can be used in a wide variety of personal care products including emulsions, aqueous and anhydrous systems, and wet wipes.