Vitamin E (antioxidant) helps prevent the oils in your lotions from going rancid. But does nothing for bacterial or mold growth in your lotion, so you NEED a preservative as well.
Germall (preservative) would prevent bacteria and other nasty things from growing in your lotion later, but your oils in your lotion may still go bad over time and become rancid even with a preservative.
Vitamin E t-50 is the one to get for preserving oils and can be purchased online at most of the lotion supply websites.
Here is a little blurb about it from
http://www.fromnaturewithlove.com/produ ... ilvitamine "T-50, natural mixed tocopherols (isolated from vegetable oils), is a natural, heat stable antioxidant that protects food and cosmetic products from oxidation. If you need to add vitamin E oil to protect your formulation from rancidity, use our T-50 Vitamin E oil instead of our 250IU/g, 1000IU/g and 1400IU/g Vitamin E oils. While the alpha tocopherol in the 250, 1000, and 1400IU/g oils is wonderful as an in-vitro antioxidant, studies show that the gamma tocopherol in the Vitamin E T-50 oil is a better antioxidant for oils/lipids in cosmetic formulations. T-50 has a higher content of gamma tocopherols and can be used at a rate of .04% or 400ppm to adequately protect your oils. Although T-50 is not an organic product, it is allowed for use in "organic" or "made with organic material" products.
Suggested Usage Rate: 0.04%-1.0% in oils, creams, lotions, balms, soaps and other oil based formulations.
INCI: Tocopherol
Shelf Life: Stable, 2 - 5 Years"