A question of preservation (in products not environment)

[Guest guest]

Morning everyone,

Hope the wheather looks better wherever you are than it's here -grey

grey grey, just round zeroC and halmelted ahlffrozen snow on the

ground - brrrr.

 

Well, in my quest to understand why the mold ocurded in my latest

batch of handcream, I looked up my Paraben with the supplier. It's a

combination fo several types (INCI name:Phenoxyethanol, Metylparaben,

Butylparaben, Ethylparaben adn Propylparaben) and supposedly should

prevent the appearance of bacteria, yest, fungus and mold.

 

The recomended dosage is 0,4-0,7% depending on the amount of water

and herbs in it. I did a calculation on one of my basic recipes end

ended up with like 0,5ml Paraben in 80gr of water... and I think that

is pretty much the amount I have used in that danged handcream. I

have counted drops earlier (that's what the original recipes I

learned from did), but I'd better go upstairs and measure the drops

into a 1ml measuring spoon. Cause my scale can NOT go thos these

miniscule measures LOL.

 

Then I started to wonder - is the % of preservative calculated on the

water/liquid or of the count of total ingrediences?? Now I'm realy

confused, probably to no avail at all ;-P Maybee the solution to my

problem is to up the Paraben % and I will be home free???

 

BTW I also realised that I had changed the formula slightly and added

honey in the water phase. Maybee that is one more aspect on why the

mold developed, but then again - there is NO mold in my own jar from

the same batch...jeeeezzz - why oh why???

 

Fragrant Blessings,

Ylva

[Guest guest]

Chris,

 

Thanks for sending this to me. As I've been on vacation and away from

the group.

 

Remember preservatives only retard the growth of such baddies as mold,

bacteria, fungus, etc. They can't stop them entirely; so one must

manufacture under as sterile conditions as possible. (i.e. keep

things covered, sterilize everything each time before hand.)

 

And please, never use tap water for lotions. Even if you are using a

good filter, I don't know if you are doing this, just a good point to

bring up.

 

Well, honey and water would be a great food source for many things.

That could be a problem.

 

The % preservative should be for the total weight of product in my

understanding.

 

Check your % preservative verse total. I think you will find you are

way, way low.

 

Have you put your finger in your one of the same batch? Fingers are

notoriously dirty, so several cosmetic companies sell spatulas for

people to get into there lotion. Or give it some time, it might make

mold too.

 

I know it's really frustrating to have something go bad, but remember

you are doing some serious chemistry, manufacturing, and research lab

sterile conditions.

 

It's not easy. Baking isn't easy, it's chemistry, but as we tend to

cook everything, and eat it fairly quickly it tends to be forgiving of

our shortcomings. But baking, IMO, is a lot easier than lotion making.

 

Also, check the pH of your product and see how it works with the

parabens. Some preservatives don't work well at some pH's.

 

Hope this helps!

 

David

 

 

 

-- In , " ruby_mama2001 "

<ruby_mama2001> wrote:

> Morning everyone,

> Hope the wheather looks better wherever you are than it's here -grey

> grey grey, just round zeroC and halmelted ahlffrozen snow on the

> ground - brrrr.

>

> Well, in my quest to understand why the mold ocurded in my latest

> batch of handcream, I looked up my Paraben with the supplier. It's a

> combination fo several types (INCI name:Phenoxyethanol, Metylparaben,

> Butylparaben, Ethylparaben adn Propylparaben) and supposedly should

> prevent the appearance of bacteria, yest, fungus and mold.

>

> The recomended dosage is 0,4-0,7% depending on the amount of water

> and herbs in it. I did a calculation on one of my basic recipes end

> ended up with like 0,5ml Paraben in 80gr of water... and I think that

> is pretty much the amount I have used in that danged handcream. I

> have counted drops earlier (that's what the original recipes I

> learned from did), but I'd better go upstairs and measure the drops

> into a 1ml measuring spoon. Cause my scale can NOT go thos these

> miniscule measures LOL.

>

> Then I started to wonder - is the % of preservative calculated on the

> water/liquid or of the count of total ingrediences?? Now I'm realy

> confused, probably to no avail at all ;-P Maybee the solution to my

> problem is to up the Paraben % and I will be home free???

>

> BTW I also realised that I had changed the formula slightly and added

> honey in the water phase. Maybee that is one more aspect on why the

> mold developed, but then again - there is NO mold in my own jar from

> the same batch...jeeeezzz - why oh why???

>

> Fragrant Blessings,

> Ylva