emulsifier

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peace-love-and-suds

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There are a lot of natural and organic emulsifiers on the market. I was wondering if someone could give me a sense of direction with which are the best to use for the highest quality lotion possible? Also, I heard that beeswax can be an emulsifier from some, while others insist that it is not.
 
Choosing an emulsifier is based on the type of product you want to create. Some create a lotiony feel, some create thicker, creamier emulsions. Beeswax can thicken products but it doesn't hold them together very well. Might try lotioncrafter.com and check their emulsifier selections for descriptions.

PS - If you're going the all natural route, you will still need a synthetic preservative. There are no natural preservatives suitable for cosmetic making that will stop the growth of dangerous bacteria.
 
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from what I read, a preservative is not absolutely necessary. How long do you suppose the average homemade lotion will last without one? I will be using tea tree EO
 
Tea tree has anti microbial properties but it can't sterilize an emulsion. If someone sticks a not quite dry hand in a lotion, the introduction of water may introduce dangerous microbes too powerful for tea tree oil. Additionally, continual use of tea tree oil will dry the skin because tea tree has astringent properties. There are paraben-free preservatives available if parabens are your concern.
 
from what I read, a preservative is not absolutely necessary. How long do you suppose the average homemade lotion will last without one? I will be using tea tree EO

I am sorry but what you have heard is wrong. If you are making an emulsion with oil and water a preservative IS absolutely necessary. As for how long a homemade lotion would last without one, I would say if you keep it refrigerated no more than 3 days. Think of it this way; if you made homemade mayonnaise, how long would you be willing to eat it?

As for why a preservative is necessary, which ones are best for which applications, and which emulsifiers will give you what you are looking for, spend a LOT of time here

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/

if you scroll down, along the right side of the screen you will see categories for all of the posts.
 
from what I read, a preservative is not absolutely necessary. How long do you suppose the average homemade lotion will last without one? I will be using tea tree EO

If you are ONLY making it for yourself AND you will keep it refrigerated AND you will use it up within 2-4 days, then fine, go without a preservative.

However, if you are making for anyone else, it won't be kept in the fridge OR you plan to keep it more than 2-4 days, then you NEED a preservative. Just because you can't SEE the bacteria and other nasties growing in there does NOT mean that it is not there.

And I'm throwing a preemptive strike out here, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Rosemary Oleoresin and Vitamin E are antioxidants, not preservatives.
 
the above posters are correct. As to your emulsifier questions, lechithin is a natural emulsifier but is tricky to work with, it also has a funny smell, so you would probably like some EO's to cover the smell.

I tried using Olive M1000, thinking it was close to natural but myself and many others found that about 7 wks out the emulsion separated. It was a really nice silky feel while it did hold together though
 
You may be interested to read this....http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ca/2011/03/asidebeeswax-is-not-emulsifier.html

Natural emulsifiers which work and have Ecocert are: cetearyl glucoside and glyceryl stearate. I would use both of these emulsifiers in your recipe - 50% of each. Don't also forget to include cetyl alcohol as a thickener and stabiliser.

As stated above, it’s a common myth that anti-oxidants like vitamin E, Grapefruit Seed Extract and rosemary extract are preservatives but they are not. Oxidation of oils and butters leads to rancidity and anti-oxidants slow down this process. These anti-oxidants do not prevent bacteria, yeast, or mold from entering your product. If your product contains water or will come into contact with water (eg a scrub used with wet fingers) a preservative is essential to help prevent microbes (bacteria, mold, and yeast) growing. Preservatives stop growth by killing cells and spores (usually by disrupting cell membranes) or by making the product hostile to growth. Liquid Germall Plus is a good choice or if you prefer a preservative which has Ecocert, Mikrokill ECT also known as Geogard ECT is popular.
 
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I decided to start (because I want to go as natural as possible) with a borax/beeswax/lecithin mixture. I'm hoping that the borax/beeswax will counteract the separation flavapor spoke of.
 
Good luck to you. Let us know how it works out. Borax won't do a thing for depression but it might help with smooth texture. If it works I'd like to know for how long your emulsion stayS together before separation occurs.
 

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