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Are raw ingredients safe to use past the indicated shelf life?
I have some decyl glucoside (and) sodium lauryl lactylate that I bought a year ago and partially used. about half it left. Making Cosmetics says it should be stable about 12 months. I want to use it to make a shampoo and bodywash, but not sure if it is safe. Looks and smells the exact same as the way I bought it and I have stored it in a dark, cool place as the directions indicated.
Do you think it is safe to use? If I use it will the shelf life of my final product be less?
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8 Replies
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It’s probably safe, however, you can’t be sure unless you at least conduct a microbial contamination check.
What companies do is they re-run the specification tests to see if the ingredient still falls within the ingredient specifications. If it does then we use it. If it doesn’t, we don’t.
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@Perry I don’t have access to this type of equipment as a home crafter. didn’t know that microbs could be there that you dont see. i just hate to toss it out lol. i wish making cosmetics sold a few smaller sizes.
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I understand. However, safety testing is an important part of selling cosmetics. It is illegal to sell products that are not safe.
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@Perry well I don’t sell cosmetics. I just formy late for my personal use. I’m just curious if it would be safe for personal use. Of course I also don’t want to contaminate myself with micros either hahaah.
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Usually if something decomposes you get a smell of some kind that’s not normal. For instance when my ALS passes its shelf life it may give off ammonia. When coconut oil goes rancid it’s easy to smell that. Or any change in appearance or viscosity or pH.
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Ah, well if you are not selling the product then the risk is up to you. If it doesn’t smell bad as @belassi said or it’s not a weird color or you don’t see anything growing in it, then it’s probably fine. If you make a batch you might just add double the preservative and that should kill most anything. See our other discussion on raw material expiration dates.
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@Perry thanks for the advice. I will double the preserative, i actually tend to over preserve anyway. I know it is probably a waste, but I also know my kitchen sanitation is nowhere near what is needed for long lasting perservation.
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the expiry date is simply the latest date the supplier can guarantee it’s fit for use and is liable for it; it’s not necessarily the point where it becomes unfit for use, as some materials last many times longer than their indicated shelf life
after the expiry date you are basically using it at your own risk, and the supplier can’t be held responsible for any undesirable effects
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