What preservatives do I add to keep oils from turning?

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xoticsoaps

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I'm in the process of creating a pre-shampoo treatment for myself, consisting of Jojoba oil - red palm oil - & avocado oil, but I don't want the oils to go rancid after only a few weeks.

I plan on using an amber or black bottle for storage, but what preservatives should I add to prevent the product from going rancid that won't strip or irritate skin? I don't mind if the preservative is not considered "natural" so long as it is not a skin irritant, carcinogen or paraben.

I know that sodium lactate is used as a preservative in food items, will that work or is there something else that would work better for my purpose?
 
If it's only oils and no water, I'm guessing an antioxidant like vitamin E or rosemary oleorosin (ROE) would work, but I'm a nub so I'll be interested in what others have to say.
 
If it's only oils and no water, I'm guessing an antioxidant like vitamin E or rosemary oleorosin (ROE) would work, but I'm a nub so I'll be interested in what others have to say.


There won't be any water in the mix, just the oils. But I'm having a hard time finding anything online about how to preserve the oil mix. Maybe I'm just not searching the right phrases.
 
hey there...

c i am not so good at it but as far as i know, oil itself is a preservative...

pickles made in india (havent tried other country made pickles yet, though i surely would like to:p) mostly have a layer of oil on top becoz it cuts off the contact of pickle with air.... so if oil can preserve pickle, it surely can preserve itself without external additives....

hope was helpfull....:)
 
From what I researched, vitamin e should be good as it extends the shelf life of oils. Jojoba has a long shelf life as is, but the other two may benefit from the antioxidant. I never used rosemary oleorosin extract, but I read that it was also good to use. It will also add to the scent, which may or may not work for you.
 
Thanks you guys! I've read that vitamin e, rosemary, and sage have preservative properties, but I wasn't sure if those alone would do the trick and I'm pretty new at this myself.
 
Wait, why would it go rancid after only a few weeks?

I wasn't sure how mixing the oils would affect the shelf life of the mix as a whole and if this goes well for me, I might consider adding a few more things to it and then sell it along with my other hair products. But most importantly I would just rather be safe than learn an expensive lesson and be sorry.
 
Don't confuse preservatives (prevent microbial growth) with antioxidants (prevent oxidation). I think you are really wanting an antioxidant, not a preservative.

The oils shouldn't go "off" in just a few weeks -- IMO, I would expect this oil blend to be fine for some months and up to a year.

ROE (rosemary oleoresin), vitamin E, and other antioxidants might be good choices. Susan has more info: http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ca/
 
Don't confuse preservatives (prevent microbial growth) with antioxidants (prevent oxidation). I think you are really wanting an antioxidant, not a preservative.

The oils shouldn't go "off" in just a few weeks -- IMO, I would expect this oil blend to be fine for some months and up to a year.

ROE (rosemary oleoresin), vitamin E, and other antioxidants might be good choices. Susan has more info: http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.ca/

Ok, great! Thank you for the info, DeeAnna.
 

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