Teach Soap

How much vitamin E should be added to a gallon of base oil (sweet almond, apricot kernel, safflower, etc) to prevent rancidity? Thanks & Green Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy, it wont prevent rancidity, but it will slow oxidation. Also, to help slow the process, kepp your oils out of direct light, away from temperature fluctuations, and keep from air. So make sure lids are tight and that air space is kept to a minimum. As for the vitamin E, I generally add 1 tsp ppo, so about 2 and 3/4 Tablespoons per gallon of oil.

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

Tammy

Thanks Tammy. I already keep most of my oils in an extra refrigerator in the garage & pour out of the gallon containers into quart bottles as needed. But I'm planning on buying in larger quantities with my next order - enough to last a year. The vitimin E would be extra insurance that the oils are still good when I get to the last pour.
Kathy

Some people have had good luck adding ROE (Rosemary Oleoresin extract) to their base oils as soon as they get them as an anti-oxidant.

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

YW Kathy, and SB is right, some people do use ROE instead of vitamin E, or even in addition to it. If you choose to use ROE, you only need .02% and .05%. (Follow the instructions of the vendor you get your ROE from, as concentrations do vary.) Yes, that’s between 2 and 5 one-hundredths of a percent. So for 1000 grams of oil (a little over 2 lbs.) you’d use between 2 and 5 grams of ROE.
Technically it is not a preservative but it does posses some antimicrobial characteristics. Just not enough to preserve a product all by itself. So you can use it as part of a preservative system, and it does slow oxidation as well. If you use ROE it can be difficult to get an even disbursement since it is so thick, so try and put the amount you are using into a small amount of your oil, mix that well, then dump that amount back into your large oil bottle and mix well.

The key to using either to extend shelf life is to use them immediately, before ANY oxidation occurs, and to mix well. Then, of course, follow all of the other precautions to lesson oxidation.

Much luck with whatever you choose and happy soaping!

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

Tammy

If vita E or ROE are used in the oils, should they then be listed as an ingredient on the product label later?

Thanks
Erin

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

Yes.[/quote]


Thanks SB!

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