Natural Preservatives for Lotions/Cosmetics - There are NONE

[Guest guest]

While we all have strong opinions about the use of preservatives, the one

thing that this conversation has been missing is that for your own personal

use there is no reason why you would have to put a synthetic preservative in

your lotion -- and that it can be harmful to do so. It is not clear to me

that the person who asked the question this time around meant in terms of

selling the lotion or just for her own use.

 

So, I would like to go out on a limb here and point out that if you only

want to make a lotion for your own use, feel free to try the " natural "

" preservatives " such as GSE, potassium sorbate or none at all. Make small

batches from fresh, local ingredients and keep anything you won't use right

away in the fridge. and don't be shy about tossing it *before* it turns a

different color (do as I say, not as I do ... i probably let my own

creations go a little too long ... but i ain't selling it or rubbing it in

my eye). I personally have found that my homemade, non-preserved lotions

can last up to six months if I take care of them right. Even Donna Maria,

who is a handmade beauty guru AND a DC lawyer, in her homemade lotions book

recommends against using synthetic preservatives and taking simple steps to

sanitize your equipment and containers, wash your hands before you use your

lotions, try to keep your fingers out of your lotions, and use your

refrigerator. If you start with fresh ingredients from local sources,

anything that is made and kept at your house is only going to be able pick

up the bacteria and viruses you already live with; just keep in mind that

the lotion would be an incubator for those familiar germs.

 

For some of us, the whole point of bothering to make our own lotions is to

not have to put any preservatives in them and while I appreciate the advice

on covering your behind if you want to sell a product, I think there is a

greater number of people on this list who just want to take care of

themselves and their families.

 

While I have heard horror stories about improperly preserved commercial

products, I have not heard of anyone harming themselves with their own

handmade lotions for their own use (feel free to enlighten me though ... i

think i'm more likely to burn myself on the oven, or say, break my collar

bone twice in the same place snowboarding, than go blind from my own

moisturizer).

 

I'd be more concerned about someone trying to put parabens into a small,

personal sized batch of lotion -- THAT could be harmful as parabens are only

" safe " in very, very small quantities and are known to cause problems at

too high a usage rate (something like a half of a percent of total recipe is

too high, i believe). And i'm not sure it would be possible or advisable to

actually measure and use a small enough amount of parabens for a personal

sized batch of lotion (I mean, how much lotion do you really want to make

for yourself??). We can extol the commercial value of synthetic

preservatives, but we do need to keep in mind that they are meant to be

harmful (or they wouldn't work) and may not be advisable for personal,

homemade applications.

 

well, there's my $0.02 (spent well, i hope!)

 

~Bonnie

[Guest guest]

Hi Zo,

 

> Another side of the question

> Zo

 

It really not another side .. but if used out of context it can appear

to be so and its a good marketing ploy for folks who want to believe (or

claim) there are safe, effective and efficient natural preservatives ..

they can say they are producing ONLY all natural cosmetics and lotions

and use some good information like this for all the wrong reasons.

 

Many times on this list I (and others) have posted isolated in vivo or

in vitro tests that showed a particular chemical compound or whole EO

was effective at inhibiting a laundry list of bad nasties .. but what we

didn't emphasize was that in those studies the percentage of the agent

used far exceeded that normally used in commercial preparations. The

intent of posting those studies was to show that inhalation of the whole

EO has the probability of producing results similar to the study. But

this does not apply to using the EO or isolated component of the EO in a

commercial product if the percentage of the chemical agent/component is

so high that if used one might be forced to rename the product .. give

it the name of the inhibiting chemical agent used to kick the Big Bad

Bug Butts in the first place.

 

I can bore folks with laundry list of nasties that have not only been

inhibited but TOTALLY DESTROYED by a laundry list of EO .. particularly

this applies to the Origanums .. but while boring you with these lists I

will also be supplying you with irrelevant information if the intent is

to use them in cosmetics and such.

 

In all cases I am aware of, such usage is effective but not efficient.

 

Again .. I say that there is not a single safe, effective and efficient

natural preservative to be found in the world of chemistry .. when there

is one .. the company that patents it will make the Fortune 500 list in

short time.

 

It is not my intent to burst the balloons of the many folks on this and

other lists who claim to sell all natural cosmetics, cremes, etc. It is

my intent .. however .. to tell it like it is .. and if that bursts some

balloons for the marketer it saves the consumer from wasting money on

faulty balloons.

 

There is NOTHING wrong with using synthetic, commercially prepared

preservatives in cosmetics and creams, etc. There is SOMETHING wrong

with not using them! If one chooses to not use them .. then they are

morally and legally required to notify the consumer of this fact. It is

false marketing to claim that a natural product was used to preserve a

cosmetic or creme, etc.

 

Y'all keep smiling. :-) Butch http://www.AV-AT.com

 

PS: I still stand ready to be corrected and will change my opinion when

faced with any credible, referenced study. I'll also put all of my IRA

into the stock of the company that issues that study.

 

> Heres a mini study for all.

 

(deleted a bunch)

 

> This was not a FORMAL study. It was for my entertainment and enjoyment. We

> are going to continue to look at specimens for another 9 months.

> If you are interested in studying for yourselves, contact your local college

> micro teacher or you local high school microbiology teachers, some would

> love to do this kind of study and students love it because its real world

> stuff. Its lots of fun, my illness, looking at germs.

> Sincerely

> Trish Springstead RN

> www.mdcrafters.com