Great information! 
What about Which Hazel as a preservative? No, we dont sell preservatives. And thanks a lot for a list of resources, I followed a couple of links and can say that the entire preservatives topic is slightly less confusing for me now.
Im sorry you had an issue. But, if you want to SELL your room sprays (or other water-based products) you really cannot afford to bury your head in the sand when it comes to preservatives. Country Hill Cottage Ltd. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Ive always loved homemade air fresheners. Hi Cheryl, we do not suggest using rubbing alcohol, we suggest using Everclear instead. I had no idea I shouldnt use Polysorbate and Germaban together. Stephanie, Im afraid I dont understand what you are asking. At this point, I am going to hold my hands up and say that I am not a formulation expert. So stay clear of those. Thanks for this succinct summary! Happy making! . By subscribing to Plant Therapy, you consent to receive autodialed messages to the number used at opt-in. Here are some of the most common projects where youll want to consider adding a preservative: There are, of course, DIYs that wont need a preservative. I want to expand into DIY projects now but had no idea about the number of preservatives available and their specific limitations. I hope to learn a lot more from PT before I feel confident that I can do it. I am planning to make linen spray and pillow spray which the ingredients are only water and essential oils, I do not wish to use alcohol. How much preservative would you need for a 16 oz bottle of hand soap? Thanks for this one! Similarly, it used to be common practice to mix undiluted essential oils into bath salts. Design by Carla Izumi Bamford Learn more. I love that Plant Therapy has made consumer safety and education one of their top priorities. You can still use the room spray, just avoid spraying it on white fabrics. Glycerin acts as a solubiliser and helps these ingredients to mix better. Optiphen has a shelf life of 12 months so the room spray would last 1 year. . It seems commercial Witch Hazel already contains a preservative. This is just another example of why I love Plant Therapy so much! That would be about 3.2 ounces of alcohol. Pingback: Essential Oils and Cancer The English Aromatherapist, Pingback: Adding Essential Oils to Beauty Products The English Aromatherapist, Your email address will not be published. Or the Ethanol (Perfumer Alcohol) used is synthetic? Yes, you can use alcohol, but it needs to be a high-proof grain alcohol (such as Everclear). All Rights Reserved. This is very informative and at the right time. Robert Tisserand has an excellent article, helpful for learning the specifics of using alcohol for aromatic blending. (Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid). Its simply how the information was compiled as the information was pulled from the usage guidelines supplied by the manufacturer. Shake the bottle to combine both phases. The links were so helpful too! I was just using water. Hi, could you please recommend a preservative for an oil blend for skin (jojoba, argan, lavender, oregano)? If youve read this far and still feel perplexed by the whole debate I hear you! Thank you so much for answering my preservative questions! I had no idea there was so many factors to consider when buying a preservative. So glad you have some more confidence to go forward and make some amazing DIYs! Earlier this year, I wrote about using essential oils in homemade cleaning products. I am not the person to ask about Optiphen Plus or Polysorbate 20. We have recommendations for what type of preservative is good for what recipes in this post so you can find the one that suits your needs. Ive been wanting to learn more about which preservatives to use in my DIYs! Glad you are spreading the word about this important topic! The alcohol comes in different proofs, and you need it to be a proof of at least 120(60% alcohol) and then you use that at 20-30% of the product to preserve. This post has a lot of good information, but Im still confused about when I need a preservative. This also includes birds, reptiles and fish. Preservatives are so important for health and safety, but are incredibly confusing for at home DIY-ers like myself. So two questions: 1. Preservatives can be very confusing. The top off with distilled water and baking soda. Youll often find room spray recipes that use witch hazel or vinegar along with water. 1/4 cup / 60 ml / 2 fl oz distilled water (or boiled, cooled tap water), 30 to 45 drops essential oils (see ideas above), 1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda, optional), ecofriendly since no aerosols have to be used, customise the scent according to your preferences, enjoy the aromatherapy benefits of essential oils. Now that we know the basic ingredients, lets explore different home fragrance recipes. Add the water and oil mixtures into your spray bottle. Thank you for sharing such a big help. Final Ethyl Alcohol concentration needs to be around 15-20% to be effective. Hello I have a question. I have been accumulating a nice collection of single oils and synergies but have really only diffused or used them in inhalers or roller bottles.
Thank you for the info! Ive used Germall Plus, and it works great for lotion and is very forgiving regarding the starting PH of your product. Spray away odours with a lush floral air freshener and fill your home with the sweet aroma of a garden in full bloom. You are free to try it out and report back your findings, though . .then saw your video regarding preservatives, then also came across one of your recipes for a toner that called for an emulsifier but not a preservativer.Makes my head hurt..I will stick to non- water- based DIYs. Keep the free essential oil recipe for up to 6 months. Here is what you do: When making room sprays, dilute the essential oils in the alcohol first. Essential oils, alcohol, and water only mix to some extent. Thanks for helping navigate this extremely important issue. That is wonderful to hear, April! Alcohol can be lethal to pets, so do not use the spray if pets are in the room. (Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid). Often they are made up of carrier oils and essential oils, possibly with some vitamin E oil as well. But its now recognised that it is safer to dilute the essential oils in carrier oil before adding to the salts. Also, you mention in one of your answers, that in order to sell you suggest adding a solubilizer or emulsifying agent. The Plant Therapy website uses cookies for a variety of reasons. Mix the water and preservative in a sperate container. Unfortunately, we dont have a catalog as we do not sell these products. . Thanks for this! Euxyl PE 9010 is a broad-spectrum, that is great for water-based products that are particularly hard to preserve, such as scrubs that are very low in glycerin, and facial masks that are high in clay. There is no fixed answer to this. Sometimes this is a bitter pill to swallow, especially for die-hard devotees of holistic living. Baking soda is an excellent odour absorber and can neutralise less than pleasant smells. Powered by Wordpress. It is very interesting as are the blog comments! So which one would you use for an aftershave and a beard oil. Love having all this info on one place I still feel really confused on which to choose without breaking the bank purchasing lots of options, lol. If making the sea breeze spray, dissolve the sea salt in the water first before adding it to the alcohol mixture. Whats a girl to do when she loves natural air fresheners? In the past, people did make these products without preservatives but, as our knowledge grows, we learn newer and better ways of doing things. Its worth taking a course to make sure youre getting it right not just to comply with regulations, but also for your own peace of mind. Optiphen ND is a water-soluble, paraben, and formaldehyde-free preservative that offers broad-spectrum coverage. Btw i used vodka in this 80 proooof.. Everyone has rubbing alcohol around. I made this using vodka, but when I spray it all I can smell is the alcohol. Wendee, contact our aromatherapists at [emailprotected] and they may be able to point you in the right direction. Thanks for posting this. I am wondering the amount to add to a recipe. No. Hi Carol, you would need a preservative if adding additional contents into your witch hazel. Great question, Nina! This means that we may earn a small commission from some of the links in our posts. I apologize if this was answered in a previous response, but what would be the best preservative for making water-based all purpose cleaners with oil and vinegar? 2014-2018 Country Hill Cottage Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Here are the specifics of blending with alcohol that you might find helpful! 30 drops liquid emulsifier (e.g. Also says you need it for water based recipes but then there are water based and witch hazel recipes that dont call for one!! That being said, you can still give it a try and see how you like the room spray. Fragrant homemade room spray with essential oils is quick and easy to make. Hello & thanks for sharing your formula! You can find the measurements + instructions here. Hi Silvia! Germall seemed to be the best choice but Im not so sure about the con.. What exactly does formaldehyde releaser mean? Required fields are marked *.
I love your ideas. Some essential oils contain chlorophyll, which reacts with bicarbonate soda and creates a pink color. 4oz Contact [emailprotected] for more specific information . Excellent info! Lavender EO for example lasts for 2-3 years whereas lemon oil expires within 9 months to 1 year. Thank you in advance. Hello if Im selling these and I wanted to add colors could I use meca coloring or some type of coloring agent?! How much alcohol should I use in my room spray? If adding baking soda, shake the air freshener spray well before each use. In the shift towards all things natural, the term preservative has become a dirty word. I agree with Tiffany that this is why I stay away from formulations that use water. Glycerin is optional, and you can leave it out. Thank you for this. Reply STOP to cancel. I honestly had no idea I needed a preservative! Reply HELP for help. I feel like the ingredients in all of these is what Im trying to avoid when making my own soap. Naissance sells the same product under the name Symbiosolv Clear Plus. So, lets talk about water-based products and preservatives! You can learn more about emulsifiers here. Can I use alcohol as a preservative in my room spray? Here are some ideas: Isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol are not suitable for this essential oil recipe. For this reason, it is not ideal for foaming hand soaps. Ideally, you want to use an odourless, high-proof alcohol. Homemade Room Spray Recipes with Essential Oils, Yield: 1/2 cup / 120 ml / 4 oz room spray. Thats why I stick to simple oil-based recipes like bath melts,lip balmsand body scrubs. For those, youll have to make your own educated choice for what is right for you I hope this helped clear up some confusion and please dont hesitate to reach out to our team of aromatherapists at [emailprotected] if you have any more questions . In other words germall plus Would be the best for all products as a preservative? Since they are used in the bath, they come in contact with water and should be protected. Euxyl K 903 is a complete preservative system with a broad, balanced spectrum of efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeast and mold. Just be sure to give the bottle a good shake before each use. I know that I want to use the best possible ingredients without using the bad stuff, especially with my oils. I have been considering making DIY linen spray as gifts for Christmas.
I am new to DIY and preservatives can be a bit overwhelming. I used 96% Ethanol & Distilled Water. Thank you for sharing! Many thanks! Thank you for the post. Lisa, we do not have personal experience with that. I would ask the supplier to be certain. I have read Tisserands article concerning this and am still confused to some degree and want clarification. Older posts reference an old post thats no longer available on preservatives so this is what Ive been looking for, thanks!! We know there has been some confusion, and while we are not preservative experts, we thought this post could help give more info for our customers to research further , Thank you! 25% is just a good, easy percentage to work with that falls in between 20-30%, does that make sense? But love that I can reference this article easily. Ive been watching countless YouTube videos on healthy DIY products and was super confused by whether preservatives are needed and if so, what kind. What can I use to maintain the product is still free from chemicals? Essential oils mix well with alcohol but adding a solubilizer will enhance their performance further. You will need to use an emulsifier as well. To keep measurements easy, simply use the same amount of alcohol as you do water. Can I get a catalog with your products? Thanks so much for visiting Country Hill Cottage were so happy youre here! remover 4oz Good question! How can I make my room spray last longer? Thanks for this much needed article. Great information! Some may consider parabens unsafe, while others are completely fine with them. Lisa, that is up to you to determine for your specific needs .
What about Which Hazel as a preservative? No, we dont sell preservatives. And thanks a lot for a list of resources, I followed a couple of links and can say that the entire preservatives topic is slightly less confusing for me now. Im sorry you had an issue. But, if you want to SELL your room sprays (or other water-based products) you really cannot afford to bury your head in the sand when it comes to preservatives. Country Hill Cottage Ltd. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Ive always loved homemade air fresheners. Hi Cheryl, we do not suggest using rubbing alcohol, we suggest using Everclear instead. I had no idea I shouldnt use Polysorbate and Germaban together. Stephanie, Im afraid I dont understand what you are asking. At this point, I am going to hold my hands up and say that I am not a formulation expert. So stay clear of those. Thanks for this succinct summary! Happy making! . By subscribing to Plant Therapy, you consent to receive autodialed messages to the number used at opt-in. Here are some of the most common projects where youll want to consider adding a preservative: There are, of course, DIYs that wont need a preservative. I want to expand into DIY projects now but had no idea about the number of preservatives available and their specific limitations. I hope to learn a lot more from PT before I feel confident that I can do it. I am planning to make linen spray and pillow spray which the ingredients are only water and essential oils, I do not wish to use alcohol. How much preservative would you need for a 16 oz bottle of hand soap? Thanks for this one! Similarly, it used to be common practice to mix undiluted essential oils into bath salts. Design by Carla Izumi Bamford Learn more. I love that Plant Therapy has made consumer safety and education one of their top priorities. You can still use the room spray, just avoid spraying it on white fabrics. Glycerin acts as a solubiliser and helps these ingredients to mix better. Optiphen has a shelf life of 12 months so the room spray would last 1 year. . It seems commercial Witch Hazel already contains a preservative. This is just another example of why I love Plant Therapy so much! That would be about 3.2 ounces of alcohol. Pingback: Essential Oils and Cancer The English Aromatherapist, Pingback: Adding Essential Oils to Beauty Products The English Aromatherapist, Your email address will not be published. Or the Ethanol (Perfumer Alcohol) used is synthetic? Yes, you can use alcohol, but it needs to be a high-proof grain alcohol (such as Everclear). All Rights Reserved. This is very informative and at the right time. Robert Tisserand has an excellent article, helpful for learning the specifics of using alcohol for aromatic blending. (Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid). Its simply how the information was compiled as the information was pulled from the usage guidelines supplied by the manufacturer. Shake the bottle to combine both phases. The links were so helpful too! I was just using water. Hi, could you please recommend a preservative for an oil blend for skin (jojoba, argan, lavender, oregano)? If youve read this far and still feel perplexed by the whole debate I hear you! Thank you so much for answering my preservative questions! I had no idea there was so many factors to consider when buying a preservative. So glad you have some more confidence to go forward and make some amazing DIYs! Earlier this year, I wrote about using essential oils in homemade cleaning products. I am not the person to ask about Optiphen Plus or Polysorbate 20. We have recommendations for what type of preservative is good for what recipes in this post so you can find the one that suits your needs. Ive been wanting to learn more about which preservatives to use in my DIYs! Glad you are spreading the word about this important topic! The alcohol comes in different proofs, and you need it to be a proof of at least 120(60% alcohol) and then you use that at 20-30% of the product to preserve. This post has a lot of good information, but Im still confused about when I need a preservative. This also includes birds, reptiles and fish. Preservatives are so important for health and safety, but are incredibly confusing for at home DIY-ers like myself. So two questions: 1. Preservatives can be very confusing. The top off with distilled water and baking soda. Youll often find room spray recipes that use witch hazel or vinegar along with water. 1/4 cup / 60 ml / 2 fl oz distilled water (or boiled, cooled tap water), 30 to 45 drops essential oils (see ideas above), 1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda, optional), ecofriendly since no aerosols have to be used, customise the scent according to your preferences, enjoy the aromatherapy benefits of essential oils. Now that we know the basic ingredients, lets explore different home fragrance recipes. Add the water and oil mixtures into your spray bottle. Thank you for sharing such a big help. Final Ethyl Alcohol concentration needs to be around 15-20% to be effective. Hello I have a question. I have been accumulating a nice collection of single oils and synergies but have really only diffused or used them in inhalers or roller bottles.
Thank you for the info! Ive used Germall Plus, and it works great for lotion and is very forgiving regarding the starting PH of your product. Spray away odours with a lush floral air freshener and fill your home with the sweet aroma of a garden in full bloom. You are free to try it out and report back your findings, though . .then saw your video regarding preservatives, then also came across one of your recipes for a toner that called for an emulsifier but not a preservativer.Makes my head hurt..I will stick to non- water- based DIYs. Keep the free essential oil recipe for up to 6 months. Here is what you do: When making room sprays, dilute the essential oils in the alcohol first. Essential oils, alcohol, and water only mix to some extent. Thanks for helping navigate this extremely important issue. That is wonderful to hear, April! Alcohol can be lethal to pets, so do not use the spray if pets are in the room. (Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid). Often they are made up of carrier oils and essential oils, possibly with some vitamin E oil as well. But its now recognised that it is safer to dilute the essential oils in carrier oil before adding to the salts. Also, you mention in one of your answers, that in order to sell you suggest adding a solubilizer or emulsifying agent. The Plant Therapy website uses cookies for a variety of reasons. Mix the water and preservative in a sperate container. Unfortunately, we dont have a catalog as we do not sell these products. . Thanks for this! Euxyl PE 9010 is a broad-spectrum, that is great for water-based products that are particularly hard to preserve, such as scrubs that are very low in glycerin, and facial masks that are high in clay. There is no fixed answer to this. Sometimes this is a bitter pill to swallow, especially for die-hard devotees of holistic living. Baking soda is an excellent odour absorber and can neutralise less than pleasant smells. Powered by Wordpress. It is very interesting as are the blog comments! So which one would you use for an aftershave and a beard oil. Love having all this info on one place I still feel really confused on which to choose without breaking the bank purchasing lots of options, lol. If making the sea breeze spray, dissolve the sea salt in the water first before adding it to the alcohol mixture. Whats a girl to do when she loves natural air fresheners? In the past, people did make these products without preservatives but, as our knowledge grows, we learn newer and better ways of doing things. Its worth taking a course to make sure youre getting it right not just to comply with regulations, but also for your own peace of mind. Optiphen ND is a water-soluble, paraben, and formaldehyde-free preservative that offers broad-spectrum coverage. Btw i used vodka in this 80 proooof.. Everyone has rubbing alcohol around. I made this using vodka, but when I spray it all I can smell is the alcohol. Wendee, contact our aromatherapists at [emailprotected] and they may be able to point you in the right direction. Thanks for posting this. I am wondering the amount to add to a recipe. No. Hi Carol, you would need a preservative if adding additional contents into your witch hazel. Great question, Nina! This means that we may earn a small commission from some of the links in our posts. I apologize if this was answered in a previous response, but what would be the best preservative for making water-based all purpose cleaners with oil and vinegar? 2014-2018 Country Hill Cottage Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Here are the specifics of blending with alcohol that you might find helpful! 30 drops liquid emulsifier (e.g. Also says you need it for water based recipes but then there are water based and witch hazel recipes that dont call for one!! That being said, you can still give it a try and see how you like the room spray. Fragrant homemade room spray with essential oils is quick and easy to make. Hello & thanks for sharing your formula! You can find the measurements + instructions here. Hi Silvia! Germall seemed to be the best choice but Im not so sure about the con.. What exactly does formaldehyde releaser mean? Required fields are marked *. I love your ideas. Some essential oils contain chlorophyll, which reacts with bicarbonate soda and creates a pink color. 4oz Contact [emailprotected] for more specific information . Excellent info! Lavender EO for example lasts for 2-3 years whereas lemon oil expires within 9 months to 1 year. Thank you in advance. Hello if Im selling these and I wanted to add colors could I use meca coloring or some type of coloring agent?! How much alcohol should I use in my room spray? If adding baking soda, shake the air freshener spray well before each use. In the shift towards all things natural, the term preservative has become a dirty word. I agree with Tiffany that this is why I stay away from formulations that use water. Glycerin is optional, and you can leave it out. Thank you for this. Reply STOP to cancel. I honestly had no idea I needed a preservative! Reply HELP for help. I feel like the ingredients in all of these is what Im trying to avoid when making my own soap. Naissance sells the same product under the name Symbiosolv Clear Plus. So, lets talk about water-based products and preservatives! You can learn more about emulsifiers here. Can I use alcohol as a preservative in my room spray? Here are some ideas: Isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol are not suitable for this essential oil recipe. For this reason, it is not ideal for foaming hand soaps. Ideally, you want to use an odourless, high-proof alcohol. Homemade Room Spray Recipes with Essential Oils, Yield: 1/2 cup / 120 ml / 4 oz room spray. Thats why I stick to simple oil-based recipes like bath melts,lip balmsand body scrubs. For those, youll have to make your own educated choice for what is right for you I hope this helped clear up some confusion and please dont hesitate to reach out to our team of aromatherapists at [emailprotected] if you have any more questions . In other words germall plus Would be the best for all products as a preservative? Since they are used in the bath, they come in contact with water and should be protected. Euxyl K 903 is a complete preservative system with a broad, balanced spectrum of efficacy against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeast and mold. Just be sure to give the bottle a good shake before each use. I know that I want to use the best possible ingredients without using the bad stuff, especially with my oils. I have been considering making DIY linen spray as gifts for Christmas.
I am new to DIY and preservatives can be a bit overwhelming. I used 96% Ethanol & Distilled Water. Thank you for sharing! Many thanks! Thank you for the post. Lisa, we do not have personal experience with that. I would ask the supplier to be certain. I have read Tisserands article concerning this and am still confused to some degree and want clarification. Older posts reference an old post thats no longer available on preservatives so this is what Ive been looking for, thanks!! We know there has been some confusion, and while we are not preservative experts, we thought this post could help give more info for our customers to research further , Thank you! 25% is just a good, easy percentage to work with that falls in between 20-30%, does that make sense? But love that I can reference this article easily. Ive been watching countless YouTube videos on healthy DIY products and was super confused by whether preservatives are needed and if so, what kind. What can I use to maintain the product is still free from chemicals? Essential oils mix well with alcohol but adding a solubilizer will enhance their performance further. You will need to use an emulsifier as well. To keep measurements easy, simply use the same amount of alcohol as you do water. Can I get a catalog with your products? Thanks so much for visiting Country Hill Cottage were so happy youre here! remover 4oz Good question! How can I make my room spray last longer? Thanks for this much needed article. Great information! Some may consider parabens unsafe, while others are completely fine with them. Lisa, that is up to you to determine for your specific needs .