# lotion question



## Ann Mary (Nov 29, 2004)

I made up Rosemary Gladstar's "Perfect Cream" and like it but it is too heavy the way I did it. Can you please suggest what ratio of oils or which oils to delete/lessento use to make it much lighter? Thanks! Here is the recipe:

Oils:
3/4c apricot, almond, or grapeseed oil  I used 1/4c each here
1/3 c coconut oil or cocoa butter
1/4 t. lanolin
1/2 - 1 oz. grated beeswax

Waters:
2/3c distilled or rose water
1/3c aloe gel
1-2 drops EO of choice
Vit A & E as desired
Blend up the oils and then add in the waters slowly until it looks like buttercream frosting.


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## Puddin (Mar 31, 2003)

Ann Mary... 
I don't know everything there is to know about making lotion.... I want to be sure to point that out first. But, I have made a few lotions over the last several years. Please don't ask for my recipes, thanks.
Typically, I have my oils:water ratios (water includes the aloe vera, etc) at 40:60 (for a creme) or 30:70 (for a lotion) percents. Whenever I put non sterile items together I always use a preservative of some sort, so it doesn't grow 'greenies'. Vit E is a very very mild preservative, I don't even think it's considered a good preservative at all. So, you'd have to use this lotion up very soon after making it and you'd have to keep it in the fridge? Is that what this recipe suggested? I have never made a lotion without emulsifying wax to keep the water integrated with the oils, so perhaps there is something in THIS particular recipe that keeps the oils and water mixed together.
The only way to do an assessment on your recipe is by converting all of it to equal values (to grams or ounces) and see if it would work out at the 30:70 ratio or the 40:60. I would also count the vitamins, perservative and EO in with the oils, instead of the waters.
Gloria


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## swamp_deb (Jan 9, 2004)

I've never made a lotion with beeswax. Vitamin e is used to prolong shelf life of oils, keeping them from going rancid as fast it is not a preservative. 

I have never tried this recipe but I have to say ---any time you use water, you need a preservative, it's not just for what you see growing it is also for the unseen germs that can really cause problems. Lets just say that you put lotion on your hand then rub your mouth or eyes, those germs are spread.

Is this made at room temperature or do you heat anything? I can't see the beeswax incorporating without melting but since you didn't mention heat I'm not sure. The recipe has more butters and oils than water/aloe so it will be a very heavy cream.

Look at the formularies here; http://www.theherbarie.com/The-Formulary-p-7.html and http://www.lotioncrafter.com/store/Formulary-p-10.html

You can sub out oils to make the recipes your own but these two places are great to research and don't cost you anything to pull up on the net. I buy from both of them, they have great reputations.

Good luck with your lotion, I make mine by the gallons and love making it.


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## Ann Mary (Nov 29, 2004)

I guess I paraphrased the recipe a bit too much....the beeswax is melted so it will incoporate and I did add a bit of grapeseed extract to preserve it. It has a nice creamy consistency but just too heavy. I will look at those links...thanks! :]


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## kidsngarden (Mar 24, 2006)

Grapeseed oil is not a good preservative. You need germaben, phenonip, liquapar optima and the like. Even if it looks and smells good it can have nasty bacteria in it that can even give you food poisioning!

Bethany


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Wow! I didn't realize that the myths are still floating around about GSE and vit E being preservatives.

These are only anti-oxidents.

I concur with Deb about LotionCrafter as a supplier and wonderful recipes. I've been a long time customer there. I've heard nothing but good about The Herbarie's recipes also

If you really would like to know more about making lotions and creams the right way, check out the reference room http://www.lotioncrafter.com/store/store/Reference-Room-p-9.html


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## Betho (Dec 27, 2006)

ditto on the GSE and vitamin E. I have dabbled a bit in lotion making (usually I went with the Herbarie for my supplies and recipes) but quit mainly because even though I have preservatives I bought, I still didn't trust my home kitchen to be sterile enough. I am that paranoid... and I hate to say it but I'm someone who would probably make soap in shorts and a tank top. I'm not generally paranoid... however, the bad things that can happen because of bacterial growth that you can't see/smell in a homemade lotion just freak me out.

Although because of that, I had a lot of fun experimenting with solid emulsifying shower lotion bars, etc. Also making shampoo/conditioner that was solid and waterless for those reasons... it was a fun time experimenting


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## Jillis (Sep 11, 2005)

I thought beeswax was used mostly in products like lib balms to harden them a bit...and I've seen it in soap recipes, too.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Ann Mary, I did some giggling with your recipe yesterday and turned the amounts into grams and then figured to get the ingredients about 40/60 oils to liquids content. I also added Optiphen Plus as a preservative. Here is what I came up with:

137 grams apricot, almond or grapeseed oil (I used 2/3 almond/1/3 apricot)
54 grams cocoa butter
1/4 t. lanolin
28 grams beeswax


242 grams distilled water
81 grams aloe gel
2.8 grams Optiphen Plus
small amount of fragrance oil

The recipe came out great using the bees wax. I used the blender to mix the ingredients. I warmed the oils, cocoa butter, lanolin and beeswax, until the solids melted into the oil. I poured the oil mixture into the blender and mixed a few seconds. 
Next I combined all of the liquids before adding to the blender. When I had added the liquids to the oils, I blended until the consitency of mayonaise. I think that I am really going to like this recipe.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Ann Mary, I just wanted you to know that I used the cream from the above recipe on my face this morning and it feels wonderful, smoothed out the wrinkles under my eyes and everything.  
The only thing I would change is *my addition* of fragrance oil; the odor is too strong. Just wanted to let everyone know that your ingredients make a good cream.


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## Ann Mary (Nov 29, 2004)

Thank you! If I can't find/don't want to buy that preservative could I sub some Vit E? and how much?


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I am new to lotion and cream making, so I can't give you any answers on the vitamin E. I would think that the cream would need to be refrigerated if you didn't add a preservative.
Here is what I have found out about Optiphen Plus:

Highly effective broad spectrum antimicrobial preservative. Effective at pH levels below 6.0. No formaldehyde donors. Paraben-free.
Optiphenâ¢ Plus 
ISPâs second globally approved preservative in the Optiphen family developed as an alternative for personal care formulations requiring a paraben and formaldehyde-free preservative system, particularly within lower pH systems. 
Optiphen Plus is a patent-pending liquid preservative system featuring an innovative blend of Phenoxyethanol and Sorbic Acid in an emollient base of Caprylyl Glycol. The combination of ingredients in Optiphen Plus offers effective broad spectrum protection against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeast, and mold while imparting emolliency to finished formulations. 

Optiphen Plus is approved worldwide.

Applications 
Can be used in a wide variety of personal care products including emulsions, aqueous and anhydrous systems, and wet wipes. 
Performs best in formulations below a pH of 6.0, but depending on the formulation, has also proven effective at pH levels above 6.0. 
Can be added directly to the formulation during pre- or post-emulsification at or below 60Â°C. 
Recommended use level of 0.75-1.50%. 

This seemed to me me a compromise between harsh preservatives and using no preservative at all. I believe that vitamin E is an antioxidant. Here is some info. I found about the difference in preservatives and antioxidants from http://www.soapnaturally.org/:

Anti-oxidants
Anti-oxidants are substances that inhibit oxidation. Animal fats and vegetable oils are made up by chemical structures called triglycerides, where one molecule of glycerol is bonded with three molecules of fatty acids, which in turn consist of hydrocarbon chains of variable length. Oils and fats also contain variable amounts of free fatty acids - i.e, fatty acid molecules that are not bonded with any glycerol molecule. The fatty acids in oils and fats can combine with oxidising agents (such as oxigen, for instance, which is present in the air and in water), and oxidise. In other words, the oil (or fat) may turn rancid. Adding an anti-oxidant helps stop or slow down this natural oxidation process, and prolongs the shelf life of the oils. Two "classes" of anti-oxidants are available for manufacturers of natural skin care products:

Substances that, by inhibiting oxidation, effectively prolong the shelf life of oils, and therefore keep oil-based applications fresher for longer periods. These include several types of rosemary extracts, the best known being Rosemary Oleoresin Extract, or ROE, and also citrus seed extracts. Because citrus seed extracts can have negative side effects, rosemary extract is usually preferred. ROE is always best added to the oils before heating, as it also has the effect of impairing dissociation of the fatty acid molecules caused by higher temperatures. 
Substances that protect skin cells from the damaging effects of oxidisation, and are typically added as active ingredients. These include Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta-carotene.
Whenever formulating a new product, it is important to establish whether an anti-oxidant is needed for one or the other reason, and consequently choose the most appropriate. Most importantly, remember that anti-oxidants have no effect on fungi, bacteria, yeast and other living things that may corrupt emulsions and any other water-based cosmetic.



Preservatives
Preservatives are substances that kill bacteria and fungi (or at the very minimum make it very difficult for "living things" to survive), and have no effect on the shelf life of the oils. Bacteria, fungi, yeast and other potentially dangerous microorganisms typically avoid waterless compounds (such as balms, salves, pomades and oil-only blends) and also substances with a relatively high pH (such as soap), but thrive in humid environments. For this reason, soaps and oil-based skin care applications do not need preservatives - but unlike these, creams, lotions and any other compound where water is present require adding a preservative if the shelf life and integrity of the product need to be extended further than 2 or 3 weeks. 

It is important to understand that the efficacy of preservatives relies, by definition, on their ability to kill live cells; in other words, their toxicity is an unavoidable component of their reason of being. A number of natural extracts, plants and essential oils contain substances that have the power to effectively kill bacteria, yeast and fungi; however, in many cases these substances are or can be toxic for humans, too. A typical example are citrus or grapefruit seed extracts: although these have natural antimicrobial properties, some of their constituents are thought to be responsible for life-threatening hormonal imbalances. Also, citrus seed extracts are not approved for cosmetic use in Europe and in Japan, and are therefore not an option in those countries. 

In the last few months, a new type of natural preservative has appeared on the market. Similar in look, feel and scent to an essential oil blend, and made by combining active fractions of essential oils, this new preservative system seems to have the potential to address the needs of those skin care manufacturers who want their products to be completely natural - yet, being such a new product, some time might be required before its efficacy and possible contraindications are proven once for all. 

Among the synthetic preservatives available for handmade skin care products, paraben-based systems seem to be particularly controversial. A large number of articles, books and so-called "expert" opinions point to paraben-based preservative systems as being responsible for the "skin unfriendliness" of many industrial products. However, in-depth medical and scientifical researches show that paraben-based preservatives are by far less dangerous, both for the skin, and for the environment, than most other types of preservatives, such as for instance those that fall into the "formaldehyde donors" category.



Conclusions
When it comes to choosing the right preservative for your lovingly handmade skin care treats, deciding whether you want to rely on a completely natural system or not is a matter of personal choice, which requires a more thorough approach than just "following the trend", and should never be taken lightly. In general, the safest and wisest option is to purchase preservatives from reputable suppliers, who can offer advice on what to choose, why and how to use it (and this, just as with any other ingredient, for that matter!) 

As already mentioned, anti-oxidants and preservatives are not unavoidable in skin care preparations; if you are making creams, lotions and balms for personal and family use, and if you are prepared to take on full responsibility for possibly negative side effects, then you can certainly avoid them completely, and be sure that your preparations are just as natural as possible. 

On the other hand, preservatives and anti-oxidants can hardly be avoided if you want to sell your products. We have already hinted to the fact the debate on preservatives and anti-oxidants, especially among those who aim for "natural cosmetics", is fierce - and hot are also the discussions about synthetic fragrances versus essential oils, or natural soap versus Melt & Pour bases. We believe that the only way to placate the altercations and give both manufacturers and consumers the power to decide for themselves what is good for them, is to fully understand the implications of using each ingredient, and commit ourselves to appropriate "market niches" based on what we have responsibly and consciously chosen.

Hope this helps.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Ann Mary said:


> Thank you! If I can't find/don't want to buy that preservative could I sub some Vit E? and how much?


Of course you could add some Vit E - just don't expect it to be a preservative for your cream. You'll want to keep it refrigerated and use a clean utensil to dip out the cream. You'll probably want to toss it after 2 weeks.

Everytime you put your fingers in it, you'll be introduction bacteria that can grow in your cream.

If you'll be making this more than once, why not go ahead and get some preservative??


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## Jen H (Jun 16, 2004)

My Husband can tell you all about the skin infection he developed from some naturally "preserved" lotion he bought at a craft fair. (thank all that's Holy it wasn't my product!)

It took months and rounds of several different antibiotics to get rid of that infection. He had really painful lesions, and intense itching before the lesions opened. 

Now, Husband's excema makes him susceptible to skin problems anyway -- I didn't pick it up despite living with him. But, seeing him go through that convinced me to buy a bottle of Phenonip when I started contemplating making lotions or scrubs. Yep, Grapefruit Seed Extract is natural (although it's not _that_ natural once you really look into it), but so are normal Staphilococcus, MRSA (truly scary disease), and a whole host of fungi.

Personally, I'd rather chance the remote cancer risk from parabens than chance the clear and present dangers of mold and bacteria in unpreserved lotions. As stated above, GSE and Vitamin E are _NOT_ preservatives. They help keep the oils in the lotion from going rancid, but that's it. As soon as you introduce water to oils in any kind of solution, you get mold and bacteria growth unless you do something to prohibit it.

Preservative breakdowns happen even to the big names -- there's a big brand of organic skin care products I won't buy anymore after opening a bottle of lotion to find mold... But at least you can try to head the problems off at the pass.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

there are preservatives that are paraben free.


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## Ann Mary (Nov 29, 2004)

Ok...so..lets get down to brass tacks.....what are some non-paraben, as natural as possible preservatives? that story of JenH's hubby was awful! I feel so badly for him...and I don't want to recreate it. I tried to look at the site about the optiphen plus but my computer wouldn't let me open it. Thanks Linn for posting that info. but I"d rather stay from glycol products as well. So, please,....what non chemical preservatives are out there? Thanks so much!


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## Jen H (Jun 16, 2004)

Neopein and Biopein are essential oil based preservatives. You can find neopein at aromaticsandmore.com. Neopein breaks down quickly with exposure to light and heat, so you have to be careful about how you store the final product. 

All the other preservatives I know of are either paraben based or are formaldehyde doners.

The other choice is making the amount of lotion you're family will use in a 2 week period and keeping it refrigerated. Using pump jars or squeeze tubes to store it will help keep germs from getting into the lotion as well.


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## kidsngarden (Mar 24, 2006)

I am so with you, jen, on this one! I also use phenonip and no one has batted an eye about parabens (and it's listed as it's INCI name on my label which clearly shows parabens). I know there are a lot who care, but no one has asked.

I've thought about going paraben free, but then I have to have my recipe tested again. And I like Phenonip - more all purpose and easier to work with than the others I think.

My lotion may have parabens, but it still has A LOT less chemicals than the lotions you can buy at the drug store! And fungal infections are so gross! Who wants that?

If you don't want to use a preservative I would suggest a formula that doesn't include water like a whipped shea or something. Or make lotion bars - they are way easier to deal with than lotion! I hate lotion making day. So much work and worry!

Bethany


Jen H said:


> My Husband can tell you all about the skin infection he developed from some naturally "preserved" lotion he bought at a craft fair. (thank all that's Holy it wasn't my product!)
> 
> It took months and rounds of several different antibiotics to get rid of that infection. He had really painful lesions, and intense itching before the lesions opened.
> 
> ...


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Ann Mary said:


> Ok...so..lets get down to brass tacks.....what are some non-paraben, as natural as possible preservatives?


I use Liquid Germall Plus (Diazolidinyl Urea and Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate solubilized in Propylene Glycol) It is a antimicrobial.

There is also Optiphen which is both paraben and formaldehyde-free preservative (Phenoxyethanol in an emollient base of Caprylyl Glycol) (as well as Optiphen Plus and Optiphen ND

http://www.lotioncrafter.com/store/Preservatives-c-257.html


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## Ann Mary (Nov 29, 2004)

Thanks! I will look into these.


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## Ann Mary (Nov 29, 2004)

Ok...when I was in bed this morning not sleeping this thought popped into my head.....where the recipe calls for distilled water or rose water and I used rose water.....well,....I used homeade rosewater made of rosepetals and vodka steeped for 2 weeks and then frozen into ice cubes. does that vodka act as a preservative perchance????


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## Jillis (Sep 11, 2005)

BUMP!

I, too, wish to know if the vodka from the distilled rose water acts as a preservative. 

Thanks, Jill!


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