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Preservatives in solid conditioner bars
There’s a lot of conflicting information on the web regarding preservatives in solid conditioner bars.
From what I understand anhydrous products don’t really need preservatives, but conditioner bars come in contact with water and the surface of the bar after use will blend into a water/oil mixture.
So so do they need preservatives or not?The formulation contains mostly fatty alcohols, about 10% oils, 10% glycerin, but also water soluble proteins.
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5 Replies
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When in doubt, use a preservative.
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I will, but was wondering if there is actually a need for it. I’ll be using a mix of benzyl alcohol and dehydroacetic acid.
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There’s not really a good answer to your question because it depends on your level of risk tolerance.
It’s just like asking “Do I need to wear a seatbelt when driving?”
There are plenty of times when you go driving and you don’t get into a car accident so the seatbelt was not really needed. But you should still wear one.
Similarly, you may be able to make your conditioner bar without a preservative and it lasts long enough without any problems. But you should still use a preservative.
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At such low water activity with 10% glycerin, your risk factor is extremely low. Having said that, the wetted bar becomes a factor for mold growth (bacteria not so much). In the good ‘ol days 0.10% propylparaben in there would do the trick well. Put it in there and don’t tell anyone?
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Ah, I wish. I’m a blogger, so I can’t exactly not tell. But I did suspect it would be a very low risk. Thanks for the reply!
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