by Jamie Satterwaite | Dec 23, 2024 | DIY, Herbs & Oils, Soaping
What Preservatives Do You Need for Skin Care Products?
When creating skin creams, choosing the right preservative is crucial to ensure your product remains safe, effective, and free from harmful microbial growth. Preservatives protect water-based formulations from bacteria, yeast, and mold contamination. In this guide, we will explore four popular preservatives: Optiphen Plus, Germall Plus, Germaben II, and Phenonip, and help you determine which preservative is best suited for your skin cream formulations.
Understanding Preservatives for Skin Care Products
Preservatives are essential for any formulation containing water, as water creates a breeding ground for microorganisms. Depending on your formulation type, pH levels, and desired “natural” status, certain preservatives will be more appropriate than others. Below is a detailed comparison of Optiphen Plus, Germall Plus, Germaben II, and Phenonip.
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by Jamie Satterwaite | Dec 23, 2024 | DIY, Herbs & Oils, Soaping
Magnesium and tallow are increasingly popular ingredients in the natural skincare world, but combining the two is not as straightforward as it might seem. If you’ve seen products claiming to offer “magnesium-infused tallow,” you may wonder: Can you dissolve magnesium into tallow without water? Let’s dive into the science behind magnesium chloride (commonly found as magnesium flakes), tallow, and how they work together (or don’t).
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by Jamie Satterwaite | Aug 6, 2024 | DIY, Soaping
Beef tallow seems to be making a big come back in DIY Beauty products. And for good reason, this traditional ingredient, known for its skin-nourishing properties, is gaining popularity in the modern era for its ability to keep you fresh and odor-free. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the benefits of beef tallow deodorant, exploring why it’s becoming a favorite among those seeking natural alternatives. Before we go over this DIY Tallow Deodorant Recipe, here are a few good reasons to make the switch from traditional deodorants.
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by Jamie Satterwaite | Jul 28, 2024 | DIY, Soaping
Shampoo vs soap is always a debated topic in a lot of my soaping groups. Some swear that regular soap is perfectly fine for hair, but myself and others will disagree with this. I have gone over in depth the Difference Between Bar Soap and Shampoo Bars on another post, but it boils down to one major thing… Ph factor. Having the correct Ph level for shampoo is important for a number of reasons, one of the biggest being the hair cuticle. This Homemade Shampoo Bar is not only the correct Ph for hair, it is a simple, beginner friendly recipe that you can build off of.
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by Jamie Satterwaite | Jul 9, 2024 | Soaping
One of the most asked question I get at our local Farmers markets is if our handmade soaps can be used on hair. While I guess “technically” they can be used to wash hair, they really are not formulated for hair. So, today we are going to go over the difference between bar soap and shampoo bars and how to tell the difference.
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by Jamie Satterwaite | Jun 15, 2024 | Soaping
The great thing about soap making is that there are so many different things you can add to your recipes! One of my favorite things to add to my cleaning soaps is citric acid. There are a number of reasons you may want to explore adding citric acid to a soap recipe as well.
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