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Do I have to use a preservative in my DIY hair conditioner if it’s only for one time use?
Do I have to use a preservative in my DIY hair conditioner if it’s only for one time use?
I make a hair conditioner out of BTMS and Cetearyl Alcohol (3% total of CreamMaker), distilled water and then use phenoxyethanol SA (1%) as my preservative. I figured out the phenoxyethanol is causing my scalp to be itchy and break out around my forehead. I am wondering if I even have to use a preservative if I only make one batch of the conditioner for one time use? Like if I rinse it (just BtMS, Cetearyl Alcohol, and water) out of my hair after using it or use some of it as a leave in and it dries in my hair… it won’t matter if a preservative is in it, right? Since it dries it my hair mold, yeast and bacteria won’t develop right? Just like it doesn’t matter if flaxseed gel had a preservative if you use it right away and it dries in your hair? Ideally I’d like to just make a conditioner with just BTMS and Cetearyl Alcohol and distilled water once a week to be used immediately after making it. And then I’d have to make a new batch every time I do my hair. Thoughts?
Thank you!
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10 Replies
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Well, that is a difficult sort of question. It depends how long you make it before use, and so on. Of course, the downside is that you will come to resemble Shaun of the Living Dead.
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Put it in the fridge and use within 48 hours and you don’t need a preservative. Basically treat it as food with very short shelf life (such as fresh fish). Conditioner without preservative shows visible signs of contamination (mold) on 5th day when stored at room temperature in a humid climate (result of multiple experiments). Another option is to make an anhydrous conditioning bar. No water - no preservative. There are some caveats, since it’s stored in the bathroom you still need a preservative unless you are going to dry it properly after each use.
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How did you become convinced that Phenoxyethanol is causing the problems?
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Perry said:How did you become convinced that Phenoxyethanol is causing the problems?
It’s a guess. Next batch I make I’ll see if taking out the preservative makes a difference. Thoughts?
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Belassi said:Well, that is a difficult sort of question. It depends how long you make it before use, and so on. Of course, the downside is that you will come to resemble Shaun of the Living Dead.
I’m confused about the living dead reference, please explain!
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ngarayeva001 said:Put it in the fridge and use within 48 hours and you don’t need a preservative. Basically treat it as food with very short shelf life (such as fresh fish). Conditioner without preservative shows visible signs of contamination (mold) on 5th day when stored at room temperature in a humid climate (result of multiple experiments). Another option is to make an anhydrous conditioning bar. No water - no preservative. There are some caveats, since it’s stored in the bathroom you still need a preservative unless you are going to dry it properly after each use.
Thank you
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@avaanstar - well, that’s a start. But what you should really do is test it on a blinded basis where you don’t know what’s in the formula. Do a triangulation test. 2 samples are of one batch and 1 sample is of the other. Blind code them. Conduct your tests and see if you can pick out the one that is different.
Simply testing something when you know what’s in it is very likely to mislead you to the wrong conclusion. If you believe it’s the phenoxyethanol & test it while unblinded you will most likely confirm your belief.
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ngarayeva001 said:Put it in the fridge and use within 48 hours and you don’t need a preservative. Basically treat it as food with very short shelf life (such as fresh fish). Conditioner without preservative shows visible signs of contamination (mold) on 5th day when stored at room temperature in a humid climate (result of multiple experiments). Another option is to make an anhydrous conditioning bar. No water - no preservative. There are some caveats, since it’s stored in the bathroom you still need a preservative unless you are going to dry it properly after each use.My big question is, will fungus/mold/bacteria grow on my hair if i use a leave in and there is no preservative in it? Or will that not matter if it dries on my hair?Thanks!
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If you are asking whether you can use contaminated product the answer is no. But it won’t be dangerous if you keep it in the fridge and use within two days. Seriously consider a bar. They are quite effective and last long.
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Also parabens are much less irritating than phenoxy. Provided that you established that it’s phenoxy that gives you a reaction.
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