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As optiphen plus contains an organic acid you'll need to reduce the pH so that it will be effective. If you don't wish to change the pH there are lots of other options incl Ecocert approved ones - see this page which has reviews of 27 preservatives - http://makingskincare.com/preservatives/

Yes as new12 soap pointed out, if the scrub contains water (eg MP) soap then it will need a preservative as it is not anhydrous. The challenge then is finding the right one - see Martin's comments I posted in my summary above. I have discussed this issue with microbiologists and cosmetic...

Regarding your question on preservative - you can't use germaben IIe as it's water soluble, not oil soluble (presumably you have no water and emulsifier in your scrub) - http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/preservatives-germaben-ii.html - this link is to germaben II not the E version...

All measurements should be in weight rather than volume so you'll need to convert the volume ones to grams - see http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/weight-vs-volume.html So you will need to buy a more accurate scale - this one only costs $7 and goes to 0.1g -...

Totally agree Lindy - best to keep the % as small as poss as it's a real challenge to preserve. Lotioncrafter have a recipe for GM cream - http://www.lotioncrafter.com/formulary/Goat_Milk_Cream.pdf They use 1.1% ultrapasteurized, spray dried goat milk in the heated water phase however I...

If you use glycerin then you can't really use salt or sugar as your exfoliant as the glycerin will melt it (http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/quick-note-on-using-water-in-sugar-and.html) so you could try something like jojoba beads or ground rice instead. Most people find glycerin...

In my training, some cosmetic chemists provided me with some very useful advice in relation to Vit E and shelf life... Adding materials with poor life spans due to poor oxidative stability shortens shelf life. Using a few % grapeseed oil in a lotion is asking for trouble unless the anti-oxidant...

You might find it easier to use this recipe converter which will convert % to grams - http://makingskincare.com/recipe-calculator/

Yes this is what was confusing to me too when I came to write my article on preservatives http://makingskincare.com/preservatives/ So I posted the question in the Society of Cosmetic Scientists discussion group on linkedin -...

Preservatives can be a confusing topic. Here's a review of 27 preservatives including those which are Ecocert "natural" which should make the process easier - http://makingskincare.com/preservatives/ It's not as simple as just putting a preservative in your product you also need to know how to...

Great job Hazel, lsg, Relle and paillo. I sympathise, my facebook group was spam free until the membership grew. I'm the only admin and they always post while I'm asleep. I'm getting better now at identifying fb profiles which look dodgy but some slip through the net.

There are so many definitions of "natural". It might help to select a "natural" standard to help you select "natural" ingredients - http://chemistscorner.com/cosmetic-chemists-guide-to-natural-and-organic-cosmetic-standards/. A popular natural standard is Ecocert, which DeeAnna mentioned. If...

Yes, looks a bit like soap!! I've not had issues with emulsifying my lotion but wanted to find a more powerful alternative. I was considering a homogenizer but they are outrageously expensive. Happy the propellors work.

Yes that what exactly my thought - how reactive? I checked it out with a cosmetic chemist who said brass is fine and yes the rest is stainless steel. The mixer is much more powerful than my stick blender. I tend to make very thick body butter type lotions (not like the one in the video which...

Today, instead of using a stick blender to mix lotion, I tested another mixing device - a model boat/ship propellor with shaft attached to a drill. Here it is in action - emulsification: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZBG8fDl7KU&feature=youtu.be and in this vid (recorded slightly later)...

Yes I agree, looks for more like a thick lotion (as it has a water phase). As well as the advice above to delete stearic (use cetyl instead), I would also delete the beeswax which will be very waxy and draggy. You also need to add a preservative as the lotion contains water. Reviews of...

If you buy the silky version, as it contains Ceteareth-20, you should get a better emulsion if you add the oil phase (containing the Ceteareth-20) to the water phase at 80C. It is very important to continue stirring during the cool down. The emulsifying wax NF is less fussy than the silky...

Hi Hazel A small amount of oil won't blend in with the glycerin due to the proportions. In the scrub, a very large amount of oil with a tiny amount of glycerin should blend in more as there's a high oil ratio to glycerin. The sugar might also help too.

Hi Hazel - Good point. I don't think the chemist considered whether the scrub was emulsified or not - he was giving general advice on a "normal" scrub. He just said that because one of the ingredients is water soluble that we should solubilise it in glycerin. Maybe he is assuming with just 1%...

Anyone that makes an all oil scrub - if you use Optiphen or Optiphen Plus, for the preservative to work I've been advised to include 1-2% glycerin in my formula - Mark Fuller (a cosmetic chemist from chemistscorner) - see -...