Can you make safe preservative free skincare products?

There is one golden rule when making your own natural skincare products:

If a product contains water (or an aqueous solution like hydrosol, herbal infusions, aloe vera), it needs a preservative. If your product could come into contact with water during use then you have two choices: you can explicitly tell your customer not to allow the products to come into contact with water, or you can use a preservative. You see preservatives are a necessity in any product you make that contains water, such as creams and lotions. That’s why for those we recommend preservatives permitted in organic skincare products.

But what if we don’t want to use preservatives? What are the alternatives?

Now don’t get us wrong, there is a place for safe and effective preservatives; indeed, without them some products could do you a great deal of harm. But we also know that one of the reasons many people switch to making or buying natural products is out of a desire to use products that don’t contain preservatives. Well, the great news is, there are LOADS of products – including some you may not have even considered yet – that will have a LONG shelf life without preservatives. If they are anhydrous (they don’t contain water) then you don’t usually need to add a preservative.

What are the benefits of making and using anhydrous products?

1) They are easier to formulate and make.

2) They appeal to the desire for preservative-free, 100% natural or organic products.

3) There are a wide range of anhydrous products that you can make and a huge number of luxurious ingredients you can use.

4) You can create more potent products. No water means more room for nutrient-rich ingredients.

5) You don’t have to worry about microbiological testing.

6) They are much cheaper, easier and quicker to test, certify and sell.

Anhydrous products include:

• Balms
• Butters
• Scrubs
• Body/massage oils
• Bath oils
• Serums and facial oils

But there’s something amazing that we can add to this list that we haven’t yet…   If you enjoy the luxury of pampering yourself and looking after yourself, love to use only natural and organic ingredients, seek to make only 100% natural products and get excited about using lots of interesting ingredients, including those that are trending… Then you can create preservative-free, anhydrous face masks! You can make dry powder-based masks, balm-based masks and honey activated masks, and what’s more there’s a vast array of amazing ingredients to use to make them! From clays and botanical powders to superfoods and milk powders, vitamin and mineral powders, exfoliants and essential oils… the list is almost endless!

Want to learn more?

Check out our Diploma in Natural Skincare Formulation. In our best selling, accredited, multimedia online course you’ll learn to create your own complete range of natural & organic skincare products from scratch like a professional.

You’ll discover the practice and art of designing products tailored to suit specific skin types and to solve certain skin conditions. You’ll create products tailored for a specific person or your desired target audience, meaning you’ll be able to create products either for yourself, family and friends or to sell.

Learning the science of preservation and emulsification as well as the structure and function of the skin, as well as the characteristics of different skin types, is an essential component to formulating products that are effective for the target user or audience, as well as safe and stable. This is all covered in detail in the course and in a way that non-scientists can understand and apply.

The end result of the course is you having the skills and knowledge as well as confidence to create a set of products fit for purpose and ready to bring to market

Check out the details here!