Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Essential oils as preservatives?


Many of us mix our own products and when we make a hug batch we want it to last. I have seen on many forums the question "Can I use a natural oil as a preservative?" I have seen people respond "yes" and people respond "no." After some web research this is what I found:

Some essential oils can be used as preservatives but they are not strong enough to be used alone. Additionally, if you use naturals oils in your mixtures and your product is left uncovered it is possible for the essential oil to evaporate. If you choose not to use preservatives then your mixture should be refrigerated immediately and remain refrigerated throughout your usage of the product/mixture. Not all essential oils will act as preservatives and this is important to remain aware of this fact. Some of the oils that can be used as (temporary) preservatives include sweet orange, thyme, lemon grass, and peppermint. I would highly recommend researching any essential oil that you are thinking about using before even making your purchase. There are side effects and precautions that may need to be taking depending on your health sates. Happy researching and decision making.



References

No comments:

Post a Comment