[Margaret2]

Ah!  I thought chelators are only to bind up minerals that bacteria use in their metabolic pathways. I can only order disodium EDTA from a place in WA state, and I’m in Canada, so…anytime I can avoid the expense of international ordering is “a good thing” (as Martha Stewart was fond of saying, apparently). 

Merci buckets for your responses.

[Margaret2]

Calcium is 5.45 mg/L 
Magnesium is 0.87 mg/L 

[Margaret2]

I did that once, with stinky Calendula petals, in sunflower oil. I think it resulted in a contaminated lotion, but I had no ‘control’ lotion made at the same time with plain sunflower oil, so I’m just speculating here, on the deck, outside. 
The petals made the oil a nice color/colour though . 
I’m not sure if my answer helps you at all. 

[Margaret2]

I recently made a lotion in which one had 6% Zemea, the other had 3% glycerin, everything else was exactly the same. I found NO difference between the 2 lotions. 
I performed this trial because Zemea is $$$$$ compared to glycerin, AND because in Canada, no one sells it in small quantities, as in 1 liter at a time.

[Margaret2]

So…..you….will….NOT be killing all of us, as I had  feared? Phew!

[Margaret2]

I only have access to store-bought vinegar, 2% acetic acid.  Do you know  what the   final acetic acid concentration that was added OR would you have to kill all of us if you divulged this info ? 

[Margaret2]

I also use stainless steel,  in my kitchen, distilling my small crop of lavender. Thanks for the info ))! 

[Margaret2]

I’m not expecting the lavender E.O. to do anything. I just think it’s untrue when producers of it claim that it’s WAY better if it’s distilled in copper versus stainless steel. They give the old line ‘it’s traditionally made this way, therefore it’s better’, you know, THAT sort of B.S. 
I merely wanted to have someone who has more chemistry in their background than I have to give either back up my suspicions or squash them. 
Thanks Perry (spouse-man & I love listening to the B.B. podcasts)

[Margaret2]

Belassi, You might want to try hot process soap-making (?). That way you can reduce the amount of fragrance you need AND there’s no issue with trace acceleration because you add fragrances when the soap is finished its cooking.  I use a slow cooker to do this.

  From the point at which I pour in the lye solution to the point the pH is around 9 is approx. 1 1/2 hours - 2 hours. This would vary depending on your soap recipe I guess. I just stick with 2 recipes because they work for me and I like use up the lard I’ve rendered from the pig we buy each year. 
 
  The drawback is that the soap is like a thick paste when it’s ready to go into the molds, when the pH has come down to around 9 after an hour or so of cooking. You cannot use cute molds. I just use ABS tubes for my molds & the soap gets pushed into the tubes, then pushed out with a wooden plunger we made. 

  You don’t need to have them ‘cure’ for 6 weeks or so like the cold process soap-making requires. I do leave them out for 3 weeks though, but only to harden as water evaporates….the house smells like spearmint or lavender or oranges . 

[Margaret2]

After a series of separation failures with my lotions, I FINALLY got myself a heavy-duty stick blender (it was on sale) in January.  Since then, absolutely NO lotion failures.  I am making creams/lotions on a very small scale, mind you. 

  This blender is especially nice because you can dial up the speed as you wish. 

All-Clad, Stainless steel immersion hand blender
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/all-clad-immersion-blender/

[Margaret2]

Belassi, is your soap at all crumbly using 40% by mass, of  palm oil?

Is it palm KERNEL oil or just palm oil you’re using? 

I was told by a woman demonstrating soap-making, that OVER  6% palm oil will make the soap crumbly. I have no idea if that’s true or not. 

[Margaret2]

I only want the glycerin on there till the cream’s going to be used, then I’ll pour it off before using it.  I  certainly see your point  that if the glycerin was just sitting on the surface, it would appear like something’s gone awry. 

[Margaret2]

   What is the down-side to putting a little glycerin on top of cream?  I’m ignorant here…

[Margaret2]

Maybe the question was asked to appease the people who do not want preserved products, not because Cuorvop personally wants a preservative-free product?

I know of a woman in my neighborhood who won’t try my lotions & creams because I DO use preservatives. She sent me the MSDS for the preservative I use (liquid Germall plus), and I responded with the LD 50 for various naturally-occurring substances, but I was wasting my time of course. She already believed that what SHE believes is the truth,  period. 

I guess I should have responded to the MSDS info. I was sent  with something like:

“I would rather spend the $40 or so on some nice dark chocolate to stick into my gaping maw than buying preservatives for my lotions & creams, but I don’t want to risk making people ill because I am SUCH a nice person (insert laugh track here)!” 

[Margaret2]

Perhaps you should heat the hydrogenated castor oil along with the rest of the oil phase versus adding it  when the pomade is cooling down. 

[Margaret2]

Wow. The 12 items listed is certainly thorough. Thanks so much to all! 

[Margaret2]

Maybe I’ll tape cardboard around the door of the dehydrator instead. I’ll also go outside & hold the cardboard right against the cage of the trouble light (the heat source)  when it’s turned on, & see if anything happens. 

I can’t use anything permanent around the door of the dehydrator because I use it a lot to dry fruits in the fall. 

Thanks for the tips!

[Margaret2]

Hello,

Microformulation: My thermometer also shows humidity, so I can watch that too. However, I don’t have an alarm etc. since I am just making my things at home. I won’t be selling my things, at least, not in the immediate future. IF that happens, I’ll get REAL equipment for sure, and have my things lab-tested, etc. 

Ozgirl: I looked at egg incubators, that’s  how I started thinking about what I have around the house that I can use.

Luiscuevasil: Another clever idea for using stuff around the house . 

[Margaret2]

Then you’ll probably want to include something like ‘Refrigerate this after opening’ if you are NOT going to add a preservative me thinks. 

I bought some Rose Geranium floral water from New Directions Aromatics some years ago, & asked about preservatives (it is NOT on the label anywhere). I was told there’s citric acid in it, to bring the pH down to act as a preservative. That was all. 

[Margaret2]

DPG = dipropylene glycol

I HAD had benzoin, a few years ago. I mixed it with my orange essential oil with polysorbate 20. Exact mix was, by mass,  25% orange, 25% benzoin, 50% poly 20.  I still had to shake this up before taking it out of the bottle with the dropper though. 

So far, I have done nothing with the new batch of benzoin.

[Margaret2]

Thanks very much for the info.! 

[Margaret2]

I do not know the price of the Emulium emulsifier line. 

I wrote the above when I was not near my notes and I remembered incorrectly about what I was told regarding emulsifying plants oils. Here is what I was told by Gattefosse, regarding emulsifying plant oils. SORRY FOR THE ERROR I WROTE ABOVE!

 Polarity of oil phase is a source of emulsion destabilizing that is why it is usually common to use non polar oils (like paraffin, cheap synthetic oil) that are more easy to stabilize in an emulsion form.

Vegetable oils are difficult to stabilize but still you could achieve stability if you use the right mixt.

[Margaret2]

I have used Emulium Mellifera, not Delta, but here’s my opinion of Emulium Mellifera: 

I made a light lotion that contained, among other things like 2% cetyl alcohol,  0.2% EDTA, fragrance etc. at appropriate levels:

4% Emulium Mellifera & 4% olive oil & 4 % sunflower oil.

I added 0.2% xanthan gum to my oils phase because the Gattefosse people suggested it as one of the additions to enhance the stability, because I like using plant oils in my stuff & they said it is much harder to emulsify plant oils than silicones. They also suggested guar gum, but I don’t have any.

I find the lotion nice, it does not feel oily, does not leave any negative-feeling residue. It seems to go into the top layer of my skin rather quickly, but I guess this also depends on one’s skin dryness.

I made the lotion Nov. 17/15, today is Feb. 9/16. Not a long period to test stability I know,  but the lotion looks, to my  naked eyes, the day it did when I made it. 

[Margaret2]

   I think that for the most part, “free from” claims perpetuate the fear of ALL chemicals because I have yet to see a “free from” label that is actually discussing something that is harmful. And the “gluten free'”of course only applies to the unfortunate Coeliac stricken, and is legitimate TO THEM. 

 I recently spoke to the local bison farmer who told me their products are “gluten free”.  Golly.

They also stock soap that is: 

 A well balanced, natural and gentle soap. Free from the harsh chemicals and additives commonly found in commercial soaps that can clog pores and damage skin.

A few years ago, I  saw a woman selling soap, and while I was sniffing them, she told me “They’re chemical free!” I responded, “Well…no harmful chemicals were used.”  She was VERY  adamant & repeated,  loudly, “No chemicals!”  I left her stand, didn’t buy her soap (because I make my own PLUS I would not buy anything from someone who says such silly things. And to think, she uses sodium hydroxide to make her soap!!!)

I have had someone tell me she didn’t want to try my lotions/creams because I use preservatives, and why don’t I use vitamin E to preserve them? Sigh…I am quite sure she is scared of preservatives thanks to something she read on-line.  I told her the difference, but once an idea is in some peoples’ heads, it is very hard to get it out. They have their own truth and that’s that. 

Would a “Free from B.S.!” label work, I wonder?   This is a joke, just  a joke.  

Margaret2

Member

February 2, 2016 at 11:34 pm in reply to: Styrax benzoin oil/Benzoin resinoid as a fragrance fixative

Oh crappppp about the NOT smelling like vanilla. The retailers claim it does.

Thanks for the heads-up!

[Margaret2]

Oh crappppp about the NOT smelling like vanilla. The retailers claim it does.

Thanks for the heads-up!