Q: Hi Tracey.

Thanks for the info. I started selling lotion with grapefruit seed extract as the preservative and I am nervous about this so I try to do all the things you advise and I haven't yet had a problem. Have you had any problems with customers complaining about mold in the stuff you have made? Have you tried any other natural preservative systems? I heard about one made from the same bacteria that grow in kimchi. Also I was wondering about your thoughts on the recent paper which was published which found that GSE has no significant antimicrobial effect except in those cases in which it was contaminated with artificially occurring antimicrobials. I am interested in your thoughts because i want to keep using it but I am anticipating questions people might have.

Thanks :)
R.

A: Hi R.,

In short, I use GSE primarily, and sometimes sodium lactate.
For anti oxidants, I use oils with vitamine E, and vitamine E on its own primarily.

Could you show me the link to the study you saw?
There is one small study using contaminated GSE from China that has gone viral.
I know of no other studies showing GSE to be ineffective.

My own experience shows GSE to be very effective.
Please read this: http://www.anarreshealth.ca/node/406
and this http://www.anarreshealth.ca/node/1456

Best, Tracey
Tracey TieF
Certified Natural Health Practitioner

Q: In your notes you say you use 100 proof vodka for sterilisation. At the liquor store the clerk said the vodka brands were all the same proof which was 40% (=80 proof). While I did not scour every brand I did research online and found that 80 proof was not able to kill most germs / bacteria after even 5 minutes.

I understand the bench technology and am comfortable with it however I need to be a little more informed about the EtoH.

My question to you is: which vodka do you use and what is the proof on it? 50% is supposed to be 100 proof (according to the information I found online) but I did not see it in the LCBO store. Grain alcohol is no longer available unless you are a pharmacist or MD with a note from the province licensing you to purchase (so I was told).

A: Good questions!

I use 190 proof, which is 95%, grain alcohol from the US.
(20% alcohol is 40 proof, 40% alcohol is 80 proof etc.)
I could apply for a license to buy high proof alcohol in Ontario, and you could, too.
Or just use the highest proof vodka you can find.
And in terms of killing germs, vinegar is nearly as good, and just as good on counters.

"Hurdle technology" is all about combining and overlapping methods to keep germs down.
We don't aim to kill all germs - most germs won't trouble us or our products.
We simply aim to make an inhospitable environment for microbial growth.
Alcohol could never stand alone.
We also use soap & water for pre cleaned equipment, clean ingredients, then alcohol, then heat, then techniques to minimize introduction of germs, then acidic, anti microbial and anti oxidant preservatives and finally clean, antimicrobial packaging.

The germs that concern us the most with lotions are molds!

Make sense?

Q: I’ve been doing a lot of reading over the holiday and found a few articles on preservatives. They are mentioned that Vitamin E is not a preservatives but an anti-oxidant, it will prolong the shelf life of my oils but it will not keep things from growing in my lotion; the same with grapeseed extract. I’ve been using Vitamin E for my lotions and hair moisturizer thank goodness nothing icky has not grown on them. I have not heard from my customers about things growing on the product yet, and hopefully never.

Many suggest Liquid Germall plus for preservative, they say this is great for everything. Is this true and will I be able to use it in my toners as well? Is this a non-animal by product?

A: You are right. Vitamine E and GSE are anti oxidants that stop oils from going rancid.
GSE and essential oils are anti microbial. Read: http://www.anarreshealth.ca/node/406

I don't use Liquid Germall Plus.
It is comprised of

Propylene Glycol Hazard class 3
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/705315/PROPYLENE_GLYCOL/

(and) Diazolidinyl Urea Hazard class 5
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/701923/DIAZOLIDINYL_UREA/

(and) Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate Hazard class 4-6
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient/703111/IODOPROPYNYL_BUTYLCARBAMATE/

It is probably petroleum derived.
Worst of all, it is an environmental hazard, especially to aquatic creatures.
There are lots of toxicity tests in the latter pages here http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/msds/MSDS_LiquidGermallPlusPreserva...

I teach "hurdle technology"
the combined way that we make preparations that contain water
to ensure that the product stays fresh.
Feel free to ask questions when we have a class next!

Q: I have a small natural skincare company that focuses on producing completely natural products. So far I've released soaps and body oils and balms but since taking your course I've been developing a hand cream - so many customers ask for creams and lotions! - and I hope to sell it at my studio/shop as well as online and to various wholesalers. I've made several test batches of my cream and they've all come out beautifully, but the more research I do, the more I'm worried about its shelf life and the possibility of it going off. I use Rosemary Oleoresin Extract in all my products but as cream contains water it's more susceptible to potentially dangerous things like bacteria, microbes and fungus...so scary!

A: It sounds like your lotions and creams won't resist bacteria and fungus with your formula as is. For starters, allow me to refer you to my blog post Questions and Answers: Preserving Cosmetics Naturally http://www.anarreshealth.ca/node/1330

So having said all that, here is my approach - not guaranteed to be perfect, but it works for me so far:

~ I consider that anything dead or toxic enough to be unwanted by germs is unworthy of our bodies!

~ I use anti oxidants, and the following natural anti microbial agents: essential oils, grapefruit seed extract, citric acid and sodium lactate. I am learning about rosemary oleioresin, but note that is is an anti oxidant rather than an anti microbial. I am open to learning how to use other natural anti microbials but I will always check first with The Cosmetic Safety Database.

~ I make my lotions and creams using sterilized water, alcohol sterilized containers and implements and package in glass or metal.

~ I give my water containing products, created using my "hurdle technology" approach, a shelf life of 6 months.

~ On the rare occasion where a product is unsold by its stale date, I replace it with a fresh one and take the stale dated one home. Every time except for a year+-old batch of Mamalicious Baby Lotion (which was slimy so I composted it), I have used up the lotion or cream with no ill effects.

~ When I make my first mass batch of a product, I put away a container to test at weekly intervals. If I discover growth of any sort through a funny colour, texture or odour, I count three weeks back to estimate the time that the "bloom" started.

Rosemary oleoresin extract rates 0/10 hazard with the Cosmetic Safety database! So I am learning how to use it, but it is an anti oxidant, not an anti microbial. Read the description here: http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/rosemary-antioxidant-co2-extract-p-... ALWAYS read the description fully when you buy an ingredient. Look especially for usage recommendations. Notice that you can't package anything with ROE in metal!

When considering "preservatives" ask yourself first: "What do I want to preserve, from what?" If you want to preserve oils from rancidity, use fresh ones, use less refined ones, package the product to minimize exposure to light and air and add an anti oxidant. I have seen natural products loaded with any number of anti oxidants, yet with NO anti microbial preservatives! If you want to preserve your water-containing product from bacteria, choose an anti biotic agent that is effective against the type of bacteria you want to avoid! With lotions, I am most concerned with mold. So I use normally use grapefruit seed extract, and selected essential oils. So I suggest you get out your recipe, list off the ingredients, ask "What do I want to preserve, from what?" and discover preservatives that meet each ingredient's needs. Research is the answer! Every formula deserves new research!

I don't believe that any local, natural cosmetic manufacturer needs shelf lives over 6 months. Someday, one of "us" will be ready to market nationally, and I hope that time, effort and money are spent in order to determine natural preservatives and methods that suit that scale of production.

Personally, I don't want to use a body product made 2 years ago from glorified gasoline by-products.
I don't think our customers do, either.
I honestly believe our customers appreciate the fresh, natural cosmetics we make.
Let's keep experimenting and sharing what we've learned.