Guest guest Posted June 1, 2005 Report Share Posted June 1, 2005 Hi I have just joined the group and am looking forward to meeting and sharing ideas. At the moment I am studying an aromatherapy course and have made a body balm, beeswax, cocoa butter, added shea butter, olive oil, rosehip oil, borage oil and vitamin e oil and essential oils. My question if anyone can answer is this: It is said that if you don't use any water in your recipes there is no need to use a preservative although an anti-oxidant is needed (in the vit e oil) however, I bottled it into 2 containers, one to use and one as a sort of control. The one that I am using daily gets a slightly hardish crust or film on the top (although it is working wonders!) and the one that I am not using has little tiny crystal-like formations on the inside of the glass above the cream/salve. Also on the top in 3 places there are little tiny cream colured deposits. I made the balm 3 weeks ago. Does anyone know why this film and these other things exist? If microbes can not exist in a non water-based product can fungus? Or is it something different? If anyone can help I would be so pleased! Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2005 Report Share Posted June 2, 2005 Vitamin E is suppose to be a good perservative; but you have to make sure you have enough in the product to do its job. Also you have to make sure you keep all your balms stored in a cool dark place (especially away from heat fluxuations) so that the product don't sweat causing water build-up and bacteria to grow... which I think the crystals maybe. You could also uses Jojoba oil (maybe) in place of olive oil due to Jojoba has Long shelf life!!! Citric Acid is a Fruit product used as a perservative as well, But I reccommend looking up all products and knowing them before you use them. Try these two link for some info, http://www.aromaweb.com/default.asp http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/, if I find anymore I will try to post them. Marie , " jo " <joha1970> wrote: > Hi > I have just joined the group and am looking forward to meeting and > sharing ideas. At the moment I am studying an aromatherapy course and > have made a body balm, beeswax, cocoa butter, added shea butter, olive > oil, rosehip oil, borage oil and vitamin e oil and essential oils. My > question if anyone can answer is this: It is said that if you don't use > any water in your recipes there is no need to use a preservative > although an anti-oxidant is needed (in the vit e oil) however, I > bottled it into 2 containers, one to use and one as a sort of control. > The one that I am using daily gets a slightly hardish crust or film on > the top (although it is working wonders!) and the one that I am not > using has little tiny crystal-like formations on the inside of the > glass above the cream/salve. Also on the top in 3 places there are > little tiny cream colured deposits. I made the balm 3 weeks ago. Does > anyone know why this film and these other things exist? If microbes can > not exist in a non water-based product can fungus? Or is it something > different? > If anyone can help I would be so pleased! > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2005 Report Share Posted June 2, 2005 one more thing..... it is reccommended to use 400 IU or higher (I prefer higher), and about 1 400IU gel cap (hole popped into it squeeze gel into batch) per oz of balm; OR 1000 IU's would be better! Also I read that Rosemary Oil (pure essential oil) is good perservative too!! Marie , " Marie " <wakerens> wrote: > Vitamin E is suppose to be a good perservative; but you have to make > sure you have enough in the product to do its job. Also you have to > make sure you keep all your balms stored in a cool dark place > (especially away from heat fluxuations) so that the product don't > sweat causing water build-up and bacteria to grow... which I think > the crystals maybe. > You could also uses Jojoba oil (maybe) in place of olive oil due to > Jojoba has Long shelf life!!! > Citric Acid is a Fruit product used as a perservative as well, But I > reccommend looking up all products and knowing them before you use > them. Try these two link for some info, > http://www.aromaweb.com/default.asp http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/, if > I find anymore I will try to post them. > Marie > > > , " jo " <joha1970> wrote: > > Hi > > I have just joined the group and am looking forward to meeting and > > sharing ideas. At the moment I am studying an aromatherapy course > and > > have made a body balm, beeswax, cocoa butter, added shea butter, > olive > > oil, rosehip oil, borage oil and vitamin e oil and essential oils. > My > > question if anyone can answer is this: It is said that if you don't > use > > any water in your recipes there is no need to use a preservative > > although an anti-oxidant is needed (in the vit e oil) however, I > > bottled it into 2 containers, one to use and one as a sort of > control. > > The one that I am using daily gets a slightly hardish crust or film > on > > the top (although it is working wonders!) and the one that I am not > > using has little tiny crystal-like formations on the inside of the > > glass above the cream/salve. Also on the top in 3 places there are > > little tiny cream colured deposits. I made the balm 3 weeks ago. > Does > > anyone know why this film and these other things exist? If microbes > can > > not exist in a non water-based product can fungus? Or is it > something > > different? > > If anyone can help I would be so pleased! > > Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2005 Report Share Posted June 2, 2005 Sounds like your mix might have gotten too warm. Your graininess/depsosits/crystals *may likely* come from you cocoa and shea butters. They need to be temepered before use, and cannot be overheated, or they will revert back to graininess, etc. Doesn't hurt the product's performance - just a little flaw. As far as the preservative issue goes, the FDA generally wants preservatives and lab testing on products containing water. This is usually kind of expensive, and why a lot of us won't sell lotions, cremes, etc - the testing has to be done batch by batch. Most of us dont' want to risk FDA sanction - big corporations may be able to afford big lawyers and lawsuits, most cottage/home business owners cannot. Of course this is only a real concern if you plan on selling your products, but even with family & friends using your products (or yourself), you want to be careful. Balms, butters, etc, that don't contain water may not need a preservative BUT they have to be made and bottled in such a manner that bacterial, micorbial growth is not encouraged. Sanitary conditons ( sterile condition is almost impossible to obtain outside of a sealed laboratory), and sanitray containers/bottling are essential for products without preservative. Also important to pour your products at cooler temperatures, or allow product to cool in containers before capping, to prevent "sweating" inside of closed containers. Be careful too of the difference between "preservative" and "anti-oxidant". Vitamin E, Grapefruit Seed Oil ( not to be confused with Grapefruit Essential OIl), Rosemary Extract OIl ( not to be confused with Rosemary Essential Oil), etc. are great anti-oxidants, but really aren't enough to stop microbial growth. They don't stop ugglies like staph. As far as I know "fungus" can grow on a multitude of mediums... Snowdrift Farms website has more information on all this - look under "Ask the Chemist", "Formulary" etc. They also have information on tempering butters in there somewhere. I don't advocate the use pf preservatives, but boy if you plan on selling products, it's a good idea to cover your bases. HTH, Bobbie , "jo" <joha1970> wrote:> Hi> I have just joined the group and am looking forward to meeting and > sharing ideas. At the moment I am studying an aromatherapy course and > have made a body balm, beeswax, cocoa butter, added shea butter, olive > oil, rosehip oil, borage oil and vitamin e oil and essential oils. My > question if anyone can answer is this: It is said that if you don't use > any water in your recipes there is no need to use a preservative > although an anti-oxidant is needed (in the vit e oil) however, I > bottled it into 2 containers, one to use and one as a sort of control. > The one that I am using daily gets a slightly hardish crust or film on > the top (although it is working wonders!) and the one that I am not > using has little tiny crystal-like formations on the inside of the > glass above the cream/salve. Also on the top in 3 places there are > little tiny cream colured deposits. I made the balm 3 weeks ago. Does > anyone know why this film and these other things exist? If microbes can > not exist in a non water-based product can fungus? Or is it something > different?> If anyone can help I would be so pleased!> Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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