Last March I made some unscented goat milk lotion and a silly "Starburst" lotion for my granddaughter. The friend I gave the unscented to loved it and my grand daughter (and her sister) used it up in record time! Guess that means they liked it! LOL!
During the holidays I made lots of lotions for gifts and about 18 for a craft show. I had a few left and sent them with one of my daughters to take to work. People really like it and have been ordering bottle after bottle ever since. I also made up some hemp milk & oil lotions that were naturally green colored and those have sold well too. Now my son-in-law is getting requests from his co-workers too! The lotions are full of things like alpha hydroxy from the goat milk, vitamins, and antioxidants-most of it is natural goodness and only a small percent unnatural. I won't offer anything unless it has some type of preservative in it. It just isn't safe.
Yesterday I was perusing Ebay and was shocked at how many are touting natural lotion and have NO preservatives in them at all! That is insane! I advise those who are putting antioxidants in-not preservatives-and calling them safe, need to test their product! Lotioncrafter has test kits you can get to test your lotion. Lotioncrafter or take them to a lab-I think you'll be shocked to find they are full of mold, fungi, bacteria and other things you don't want to put anywhere near the skin!
You as a consumer need to be careful to really read the ingredients and check that what you buy has some type of preservative. Even straight oils and butters can contain bacteria in them. That's why when making lotion it needs to be taken to 170 degrees and held there for 20 minutes. It's to kill anything that may be in there. Additional preservatives are necessary and yes you can add antioxidants like E T-50 and GSE (grapefruit seed extract) they will help keep the oils from going rancid as quickly but they are NOT going to protect from the nasty bad things that can grow in an unprotected environment. Six months to one year is all the longer you should keep any lotion. Throw them out and get new! If you keep lotion in your car where it is freezing cold and baking hot-throw them away! The extreme temperatures have negated any viability of the preservative! You basically ruin ANY lotion by subjecting it to extreme temperatures.
If you develop any type of rash or fever or for some reason you feel ill and can't pin-point the source-check your lotions! If you have any question regarding them, get them tested. Tell your doctor you may have been exposed to any number of bacteria, mold, fungi or even viruses! Who knows what's growing in your lotion! Staff infections, bacterial infections, yeast infections are nothing to sneeze at. Be careful. Even the big commercial lotions can not stand up to extreme temperatures.
Sorry for the rant but all those people selling things they shouldn't really bothered me. Please all you crafters, check your product. Have it tested. Don't make claims that aren't true. I love seeing people take an interest in DIY projects and natural body care but please be responsible about it. The only "all natural" is the one that is made fresh, used and then throw leftovers away! Even keeping it in the fridge may not be enough if there are NO preservatives.
Look at honey, it never molds, it never has to be refrigerated, why? Because it has very little water in it. However, even honey can be dangerous:
Most microorganisms do not grow in honey because of its low water activity of 0.6.[3] However, honey sometimes contains dormant endospores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which can be dangerous to infants, as the endospores can transform into toxin-producing bacteria in infants' immature intestinal tracts, leading to illness and even death. (Wikipedia)
Preservatives are not your enemy; they are your friend. They protect the largest organ of your body (the skin) from getting sick. There are many many preservatives, even a few that can be certified organic. There are hard core chemical styles and those with no parabens, etc. Choose what will work best for the product you are making. Test your PH, grow live cultures, be safe with what you make and sell. Put expiration dates on your products. Chemical free is a goal but in this case, an impossibility. Lotions need preservatives.
Be careful and stay healthy!
Marla Riedling
MJR Soaps
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