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Sugar Scrub and preservatives?

So I like to make sugar scrubs and put them in little 4oz size plastic jars. I've never made them for anyone but myself and one friend, but I have people looking to purchase a couple now. I was wondering, since (at least I) you can keep the scrub in the same jar, and have to scoop the scrub out, should it have a preservative to protect from bacterial growth? I just wondered since it's something I imagine most people would be reusing and putting their fingers in.

I was thinking I could try the aloe liquid here that has the preservative already in it. Would that be a suitable addition to a sugar scrub made with white sugar, almond oil, and vitamin e?

Re: Vitamin E is an anti-oxident

Vitamin E is an anti-oxident
Submitted by Bath Scentsations on Wed, 11/12/2008 - 19:48.
Vitamin E is an anti-oxident which slows down the time that an oil will go bad. It is not a preservative. A preservative is used in water based body products such lotions and creams.

Preservatives are also used to when water can be introduced into a product

Re: Sugar Scrub and preservatives?

I would NOT TRUST VITAMIN E to preserve your scrubs since its not a known preservative. Use a commercial preservative instead.

Haha, good point!

Haha, good point!

You just go buy some good

You just go buy some good fruit popsicles, eat them, wash thensticks. 2 for one younget to at a good fruit popsicle an get tools for your sugar scrub

Vitamin E is an anti-oxident

Vitamin E is an anti-oxident which slows down the time that an oil will go bad. It is not a preservative. A preservative is used in water based body products such lotions and creams.

I thought vitamin e mostly

I thought vitamin e mostly helped prevent the oils from breaking down in certain situations? I could be wrong, though. I do use Vitamin in most of my bath salts (just a little). And a little in the sugar scrubs.

preservatives

Vitamin E is a natural preservative too.

Good point about the aloe

Good point about the aloe possibly melting it, though I make all or most of my scrubs with sugar (I'm always afraid rubbing salt on dry/possibly damaged skin could end up causing someone pain if it happens to get into a cut or scratch). I guess the aloe could melt the sugar too, though. Strange that the oil doesn't melt it, isn't it?

I guess I'll figure something out. I have a bunch of scoops I never did do anything with, those might be a decent solution for the time being since they are plastic and easy to wash.

I'm not expert on

I'm not expert on preservatives, but you've got a good point. The Aloe liquid that we sell that has the preservative in it is a liquid. Wouldn't it melt the salt?

You should probably ask a chemist about this.

In the meantime, maybe include a wooden stick to scoop it out and tell people not to stick their fingers in the jar. A wooden stick like those that used to come with the frozen ice cream sundaes. You know what I mean? It is sort of a flat spoon made of wood. I wouldn't know where to get those though.

Or maybe our plastic 1 oz scoop would work for it. Shove it deep into the jar and put the lid on.

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