Body spray

[FOhoarder]

I tried my stab at a body spray last night and while it smells wonderful it looks disgusting! Here is the recipe I used (which I found here in a search)...

5 oz. distiller water
2 oz. witch hazel
.5 oz. polysorbate 20
1 tsp. FO
1/2 tsp. glycerin

I did add a smidgen of preservative...liquid germall plus.

What's disgusting you ask? Well it has dark brown liquid that doesn't seem to want to mix in. I think my FO was the culprit because it has vanilla in it. Was I supposed to mix the FO with the modifier before adding it to the mix? I just added water first then witch hazel, poly 20, glycerin and FO to my bottle then the preserv. Shook it all up and it looked fine until this morning. Should I not be using any fos with vanilla in it? Is there a guideline to body spray fos that I should be following? TIA everyone!

 

[Genny]

When I use poly 20, I've always used it 1 part poly 20 to 1 part fo & mixed them together and let them sit for an hour or so before adding them to my recipe.

I have no idea if that's what makes them not separate or not though. That's just how I was told to do it when I first started using it & I've never strayed.

Color changing fo's, especially those with a lot of vanillin in them, can turn lotions, body washes, etc. colors as well. So most likely it is your fo.

 

[birdcharm]

Most likely, the discoloration is due to the vanilla scent. Also, as Genny described, the Poly20 needs to be fully
mixed with the scented oil first, although I don't allow it to sit for so long, I do make sure that the Poly20 and scent are fully mixed together before adding other liquids. When handling the Poly20, wear gloves.One other thing I would like to ask ... are you using a witch hazel hydrosol? If it's not pure witch hazel and it's a store-bought brand, then it most likely has rubbing alcohol in it, which isn't the best thing.

Kathy

 

[FOhoarder]

Thanks Genny and Kathy! I made another small bottle and mixed the FO with the poly first and it seemed to work much better.

Now, the witch hazel I'm using is another story! I am in fact using a store bought brand and it sure does say it contains 14% alcohol. So that's no good? First I've heard of a witch hazel hydrosol. I'll have to read up on this one. I see witch hazel in many recipes and never once saw this. What does the alcohol amount do to the mix?

 

[FOhoarder]

Well I did a quick search and its awful pricey! Are you not supposed to use the store bought stuff? Does anyone out there use it in their products?

 

[flavapor]

I have never used witch hazel, but I do use cyclomethicone (sp)???. That stuff works great and adds a smooth silky feeling to skin. Its not expensive and it goes a long way. It also makes a great hair detangler and hair shiner spray..

 

[birdcharm]

The thing about the alcohol content in the store bought witch hazel is that it tends to be drying upon the skin. And, if you are wanting a more natural product, then that would not be an ingredient you would really want. You might try mixing a bit more distilled water with a witch hazel hydrosol ...? Are you using the witch hazel for its astringent properties? If not, then you could also go with a floral water of sorts instead ...
just a thought!

Kathy

 

[FOhoarder]

Thanks everyone! I'm going to do more research on cyiclomethicone. If I recall its a silicone based oil? I remember reading that your floor can get quite slippery after spraying? Does this seem to be a problem flavapor? I do want a more silky feel to my skin when I use so I'm definitely looking into this one.

I'm going to ditch witch hazel all together for now. I dont want any drying alcohol on my skin. Floral waters sound like a great idea!

 

[flavapor]

yes it can make the floor slippery, but I manage to do a pretty good job of spraying onto my body, but I always do it on my bathroom rug just in case.

Dont do it in the shower, ask my husband how we know

 

[craftymommy]

preservative help

I'm so loss when it comes to adding preservative, if im making 8 oz of body spray, the amount is so small i dont know how much to add. also my daughter bought a eo oil and the lady mixed it with something before we bought it, does anyone know what she may have mixed it with?