Reuse body butter jars???

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PuddinAndPeanuts

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I have some body butter that's about a year and a half old. I use a ton of ROE and vitamin E, so it's still in great shape, but I don't think I should sell it at this point. Can I scrape out the jars and refill them with a new batch of the same scent? (Without washing). What are the dangers? My instinct says this is a bad idea, but I'm kind of hoping to hear otherwise.
 
shunt2011 said:
I personally don't reuse my jars. I'm just concerned that they could have some ickies in it even though you can't see them. Especially if selling.
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Think if it was a large business they would probably recyle the jars but they would be cleaned/sanitised before use.
 
I would wash the jars as best I could, as Rosemary Oleoresin and Vitamin E are not preservatives, but antioxidants. Think of it like this, by not washing them you are giving any bacteria and mold present in the bottle a head start.
 
LilyJo said:
Think if it was a large business they would probably recyle the jars but they would be cleaned/sanitised before use.
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But we aren't and I wouldn't risk it. Someone else is perfectly welcome to do it, I won't. I do the same with my scrubs and butters. If it doesn't sell within a timely matter, I give it away or toss it.
 
PuddinAndPeanuts said:
I have some body butter that's about a year and a half old. I use a ton of ROE and vitamin E, so it's still in great shape, but I don't think I should sell it at this point. Can I scrape out the jars and refill them with a new batch of the same scent? (Without washing). What are the dangers? My instinct says this is a bad idea, but I'm kind of hoping to hear otherwise.
Click to expand...

As far as "using a ton" of tocopherols (Vitamin E) or ROE in your products -- Use one or the other and at the proper dosage. If you add too much antioxidant, your product may go rancid faster than if you had not added any ROE or Vit E. Look up "pro-oxidation" if you want more info. In short, the right dose is the right dose -- more is definitely not better.

As far as reusing containers -- Maybe a commercial operation with the right methods can correctly clean and sanitize containers for reuse, but I'm skeptical of home-based businesses being able to do the same. And reusing without cleaning and sanitizing ... nope, no way. Especially if you then plan to sell or give the product to others. If it's just for your personal use, then by all means do what you want.
 
Thanks all! Not the answers I wanted, but you all confirmed my instincts on this. It's anhydrous body butter, so no mold or bacteria issues- that was the only reason I had any hope to begin with. I'm cheap and lazy by nature- couldn't help but hold out hope that all those nice labeled jars weren't going to go to waste!

Any reason I can't give it out to friends if I warn them it's probably going to go rancid sooner rather than later?
 
DeeAnna said:
As far as "using a ton" of tocopherols (Vitamin E) or ROE in your products -- Use one or the other and at the proper dosage. If you add too much antioxidant, your product may go rancid faster than if you had not added any ROE or Vit E. Look up "pro-oxidation" if you want more info. In short, the right dose is the right dose -- more is definitely not better.

As far as reusing containers -- Maybe a commercial operation with the right methods can correctly clean and sanitize containers for reuse, but I'm skeptical of home-based businesses being able to do the same. And reusing without cleaning and sanitizing ... nope, no way. Especially if you then plan to sell or give the product to others. If it's just for your personal use, then by all means do what you want.
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I'll look that up, thank you! I always appreciate your feedback.

I use right around the recommended amount for ROE, but go over the recommended amount for Vitamin E (though not anywhere near the maximum usage limit).

I suspect I'm not screwing up too badly since the stuff seems to have a shelf life of a couple years (if kept closed- left open, they go bad within a few months or less).
 
I know lush takes back their black pots, but they send them out to be re-melted and reformed, not just refilled.

And I think it would depend on the friend, probably? Gifts are more of a subjective thing, but I don't see why not.
 
I would not reuse containers for products I sell. However, I have reused bottles and jars for my family's personal use. I wash them out well and sanitize them before reusing.
 

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