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arrowroot powder and xantham gum aloe vera and tapioca starch
Does anyone know what the shelf life is for these ingredients if using in a hair gel formulation? I have made about a 50g batch with arrowroot powder, aloe vera, lactic acid, xanthan gum and olive oil and always used it up. I want to make a larger batch but cannot find how long it would last before spoiling or if I can get away with using a preservative?
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1 Reply
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The shelf life or individual ingredients is different than that of a final formulation. Dry tapioca starch and arrow root powder will last a long time (year or two, maybe even longer) as long as they’re kept in a cold and dry place.
Aloe vera comes in many forms. Is it the leaves, aloe vera juice or powder? If you bought cosmetic grade aloe vera juice, it must come with an expiration date. It may also come preserved.
Your gel is a soup for microbes, the shelf-life after all is mixed is at the very maximum 2 days if not refrigerated or a preservative is not used, ideally use within 24hrs. I may be safe if used within a week if kept refrigerated. And still, use at your own risk. Microbes will grow from the very moment you start mixing a batch.
You should always use a preservative when making cosmetics that have water or may even potentially make its way into them.
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