Just like food, bath and beauty ingredients have a recommended shelf life. Shelf life refers to the length of time that a product can be stored without it becoming unfit for use. If you make your own bath products, it’s important to have an understanding of shelf life to ensure your products are safe for use. This is particularly important if you give away or sell your products. You don’t want to give or sell an item that is rancid or past its prime.
Before we talk about shelf life, it’s important to understand the difference between rancidity and mold and bacteria growth. Rancidity and mold/bacteria growth in bath and beauty products are independent issues. Mold and bacteria can occur in products that contain water, such as lotion or emulsified scrubs. These products require a preservative to help prevent mold and bacteria growth. Click here to read more about preservatives, and when to use them. Preservatives will not protect fresh ingredients (purees, fresh herbs, etc.) from growing mold in products that do not go through the saponification process such as lotion or balms. This is also the case with melt and pour soap. It has already gone through the saponification process, so any additives can grow mold. Fresh additives will eventually (or even quickly) turn brown, and grow mold and bacteria. The pH level of cold process soap does not allow mold to grow, which is why fresh ingredients can be used. To learn about adding purees to cold process soap, click here.
Rancidity, on the other hand, is the deterioration of oils and fats. There are several types of rancidity, including oxidative rancidity, auto-oxidation, hydrolytic rancidity and microbial rancidity. If you’d like to learn more about the different types of rancidity, Susan Barclay-Nichols of Swift Crafty Monkey has a great blog post on rancidity here. Rancid ingredients can smell bad, change color or lose effectiveness. Rancidity is a sign of an ingredient that is past its shelf life, while mold and bacteria can occur at any time.
Mold and bacteria can grow in products that contain water, such as lotion. Mold growth is not to be confused with rancidity.
If your product contains a preservative, the product will not grow mold/bacteria, but the ingredients can still go rancid. On the flip side, mold and bacteria can grow without any rancid ingredients if the product contains water. For example, let’s say you made a lotion using excellent manufacturing practices and included a preservative. It should not grow mold or bacteria. But, the lotion also contains hazelnut oil, which has 3-month shelf life. After 3 months, your lotion may start to change color or smell unpleasant if the hazelnut oil goes rancid.
Many products and ingredients are not necessarily “unsafe” to use past their shelf life. But, rancid ingredients may smell, change color or may not be as effective. If you notice your product or ingredient starts to change color, develop a smell or change consistency, I would throw it away to be on the safe side. This is particularly true for leave on products such as lotion, or products used around the eye or lip areas like eye shadows or lip balms. On the other hand, if your product starts growing mold, throw away the product immediately. It is unsafe for use.
Figuring out the shelf life of various products can be a little tricky. This is because shelf life will vary depending on the type of product and the individual recipe. Determining the shelf life requires finding the shelf life of each individual ingredient. Some ingredients such as fragrance oils and colorants have an extremely long shelf life, while others like certain fixed oils (ex: hazelnut oil, walnut oil) may have a shelf life of several months. Once you combine ingredients into one product, the shelf life of the product becomes the same as the ingredient with the shortest shelf life.
Hazelnut oil has a shelf life of approximately 3 months. When it is added to a product, the shelf life of that product becomes about 3 months.
For example, let’s take a look at the Oat Oil Cleanser recipe for oily skin. You can see the recipe below. Each oil has a slightly different shelf life. Castor oil has a shelf life of approximately one year, hemp seed oil has a shelf life of approximately two years, sunflower oil has a shelf life of approximately 3-6 months, hazelnut oil has a shelf life of approximately 3 months. The shelf life of the product is 3 months due to the hazelnut oil. If the hazelnut oil is used past its shelf life, it may start to smell rancid, or change colors slightly within oil cleanser. This would make the entire product rancid. This oil cleanser does contain vitamin E oil which is thought to extend the shelf life of oils. But, it’s impossible to say exactly how much longer it will make the oils last.
Oat Oil Cleanser for Oily Skin (Shelf life of 3 months)
4 oz. Sunflower Oil (shelf life of 3-6 months)
2 oz. Castor Oil (shelf life of one year)
2 oz. Hazelnut Fixed Oil (shelf life of 3 months)
1 oz. Refined Hemp Seed Oil (shelf life of 2 years)
5 mL Oat Extract
2 mL Vitamin E Oil
When it comes to cold process soap, a great indicator of rancid oils (oils past their shelf life) are “dreaded orange spots.” Also known as DOS, dreaded orange spots can occur months or years after the soap has been made. Dreaded orange spots are literally orange spots on your soap. They usually appear on the corners of bars, but can also occur in the center. Several factors increase the likelihood of dreaded orange spots, but the most common is oxidative rancidity, or rancid oils. Click here to read more about the shelf life of individual oils. Vitamin E oil can be used to help extend the shelf life of oils, although it’s hard to say exactly how much longer it will make the oils last.
Soap with dreaded orange spots is still “safe” to use, but it usually smells quite unpleasant. To learn more about dreaded orange spots and how to prevent it, click here. The pH level of cold process soap does not allow mold or bacteria to grow. Because of this, the shelf life of cold process soap is essentially until the soap starts showing DOS.
Dreaded orange spots (also known as DOS) usually occur due to rancid oils. The soap above is still technically safe to use, but does not look or smell very good!
Another unique example of shelf life is bath bombs. Bath bombs are made by combining citric acid and baking soda. Over time, citric acid looses it’s potency. Citric acid will not lose its potency if it is not exposed to any air and is kept in an airtight container. This probably isn’t very feasible in most storage situations though, as humidity is fairly good at getting into the smallest and tightest spaces. I would recommend using your citric acid within 6 months of receiving it to be on the safe side. So while the other ingredients within the bath bomb (fragrance oil, colorants, fixed oil) may have a long shelf life, I recommend using bath bombs within a few months to ensure it will still fizz in the tub.
Citric acid can lose its potency when exposed to air. I recommend using bath bombs within a few months to make sure they fizz in the tub.
It’s important to keep in mind that the shelf life of ingredients is an estimate. The environment and how products are stored will also affect the shelf life of the item. Oils and other ingredients with a short shelf life can be stored in the fridge or freezer to help them last longer. I always recommend storing your products in a dark, cool and dry place to help them last as long as possible. This is particularly true for bath bombs that can begin to fizz prematurely if exposed to humidity, or lotion can that separate when exposed to high temperatures. Click here to learn more about properly storing your products. Ingredients also have natural variation, and the shelf life may slightly depending on the source.
If you want to learn more about preservatives, storing products to extend shelf life and more, check out the blog posts below!
Guest Post: Perfectly Preserved + A Body Butter Recipe
Talk it Out Tuesday: Preservatives
Free Beginner’s Guide to Soapmaking: Common Soapmaking Oils
How to Store Handmade Bath Products
Dealing with Dreaded Orange Spots
How to Add Purees to Cold Process Soap
What about the shelf life of Aveeno oatmeal bath?? How long past the expiration date is it still safe to use? Is it 1-2 years past the date, as it is for Quaker Quick oats?
I’m not sure what the shelf life of that product is, you’ll want to contact the manufacturer to learn more.
Hello
I added water to my sugar scrub. I included Brown sugar and alot of exfoliants… I woke up to see that the scrub in the plastic is swelling. I.e bacteria is already growing in it. Can I still add a preservative?
Once that bacteria starts growing you’ll want to toss the scrub just to be safe. A preservative can prevent future mold growth but it can’t reverse what has already started.
For any recipe that has water or may get water splashed in during use, we recommend adding a preservative at 1%. Learn more in this post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
What is suggested as a preservative in bathbombs?
Bath bombs don’t need preservatives because they’re not made with water. Once the bath bombs are dry, wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and store them in a cool, dry place until they’re ready to use.
Hello! Awesome site. I want to start making bath soaks to sell using salts, essential oils, and dried flowers. Some people who sell these mixtures stress to store in a cool and dry place and use within 6-8 months. Other sellers with the same ingredients do not stress the shelf life at all, and neither sellers have any complaints about the soaks going bad. Is there a recommended shelf life for these 3 combined ingredients? Also 🙂 what if I add powders like clay or aloe?
We recommend using bath salts within 3-6 months and storing in a cool, dry place. After that time the salts can clump and the flowers can turn brown.
You can add clay or aloe powders if you like. I would recommend starting with about 1/4 teaspoon and going from there. The recipe will have the same shelf life as bath salts without it.
shelf life of lavender fragrance oil
and tea tree essential oil
as well as shelf life of melt n pour base?
is any preservatives required in melt and pour ?
is any preservatives required at all in melt and pour? coz i have seen your videos and you never add preservatives in any of your soap
and lastly, if i make melt and pour with lavender fragrance oil long with tea tree essential oil what measurements should i follow?
Our essential oils have a shelf life of about two years. After the first year, some of the lighter top notes may fade. The melt and pour bases last a year. Both store best in a cool, dry place. Learn more about that here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
Melt and pour soap has a pH level that doesn’t allow mold to grow, so it doesn’t need a preservative.
This post talks more about when to add preservatives: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
You can use our Fragrance Calculator to find out how much essential oil to add to your soap: http://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Fragrance-Calculator.aspx
And this post talks more about how to blend essential oils safely: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-blend-essential-oils-safely/
Can you tell me the shelf life of the Tamanu Oil? I have some that I don’t remember when I purchased. It has some kind of solid in it now, but it smells ok.
Mary
That oil lasts about 2 years, up to 5 if refrigerated. Find a list of oil shelf lives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
Please help I had a good house keeping soap that I bought in August and it had streaks of brown and a string of brown in it and a little bulb of brown at the bottom of bottle that I just noticed!! My son use this hand soap and when I looked at it I made him wash his hands again with a different soap–bar soap. Is my son going to be okay? :'( he is only 5 years old I threw out the liquid hand soap
I think he should be fine, but to be extra careful you can contact your doctor and the manufacturer of the soap. They should be able to tell you more.
hi mam soapqueen,
good to read all the views regarding the shelf life of its products and actives.
but I would like to know , if i mixed fresh juice/extract from a fruit to the melt and pour glycerin base soup, is the fruit extract considered a water and that may cause a molds in it? i was wondering its shelf life will it take a year ?
thank you
We don’t recommend fresh fruit juice in melt and pour soap, because once you add it the shelf life is shortened to just a few weeks. After that it can mold. Learn more here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/purees-fresh-ingredients-melt-pour-soap/
I would want to know if I need a preservative for this recipe for a body wash I’m working on….
Cups distilled water (like 12 cups)
Glycerine goat’s milk base (like 4oz.)
coconut oil
Shower gel
Rhassoul clay
Neen oil
Lavender essential oil
and Fragrance (opcional)
Thanks in advance!
I’m not entirely sure. Normally soap and oil don’t need preservatives, but because you’re adding quite a bit of water you may want to add one just to be safe. Optiphen or Phenonip at .5-1% would work well.
Optiphen: https://www.brambleberry.com/Optiphen-P3682.aspx
Phenonip: https://www.brambleberry.com/Phenonip-P4038.aspx
Learn more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you very much for providing this recipe! I have been using store bought oil cleanser for years. I finally can make my own.
I understand each oils have shelf life. How about to add preservatives like optiphen ? Doesn’t make any sense?
I would love to sell my products in the future. What should I do to sell them safely? I think they should have 2 years shelf life, if my memory is correct?
Thank you for your help in advance.
As mentioned in the post, Optiphen helps prevent mold but doesn’t extend the shelf life. So using ingredients like Vitamin E can can help to extend shelf life.
But the surest way to ensure that your product has a 2 year shelf life is to only use oils that have a 2 year shelf life in your formula.
Hi
I am just starting out making my own products. I want to sell them so how do I keep them for longer. I have great recipes but they do not state shelf life. What would I use for dried ingredients milk goat bath . cleansers, face creams and bubble baths and oils. Or can you recommend a good book .
Much love and thanks in advance.
The post above has lots of great tips for determining the shelf life of your products. It also helps to store them in a cool, dry place so they last longer. Learn more here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
As for recipes for milk bath, cleansers, face creams, bubble baths, and oils, you can find those recipes here on the blog! At the top of the website you’ll see categories for lotion, soap, etc. You can also search the blog for a specific recipe.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello soap queen thank you answering my question on the shelf life of my sugar scrubs I’m very happy to hear they will last about 1 year using coconut oil , vitamin e and optephin.
I have another question I create a lotion that contains water emulsifying wax, honey, unrefined Shea butter and grapeseed oil . I add vit. E and optephin at 1% with essential oils. I don’t always add honey. About how long would this lotion last ? is there a way to calculate this for when I don’t add honey. ? And does it decease since most of my ingredients are organic.?
With the grapeseed oil, the lotion will have a shelf life of 3 months. That’s because the oil has a shelf life of 3 months, after that time it will go rancid. If you want your lotion to have a longer shelf life, you can add a longer-shelf life oil like avocado (1 year). It will last about a year without the honey, with the honey may be a few months shorter depending on the shelf life of the honey.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you so much ! Very helpful
Thank You for this article it was extremely helpful to me. The soap that I make has a shelf life of 1 year. I was curious if you had any advice on how to go about selling it. In other words, once the soap is first made it will last a year. But what if someone doesn’t buy the soap until three months later and then it is only good for seven months, etc.?
I am having trouble figuring out how I would deal with this issue.
Thanks in advance! 🙂
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed the article! To address the shelf life, you can write the date your soap is done curing. That way your customers know it lasts a year from that date, so it’s nice and clear. You can also explain to them that handmade soap has plenty of skin-loving oil instead of detergents, so a shorter shelf life is natural.
This post on how to make soap last longer can be helpful as well: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/make-soap-last-longer-shower/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I make sugar scrubs containing organic sugar and organic coconut oils i only use essential oils and I have added vit. E & optephin to them at .5%. how do i determine the shelf life when i add optephin to my products?. Does it extend it past the expiration of my oil or product that expires first?. Or because its natural and organic the shelf life is decreased?
The shelf life will depend on the oils you add. Coconut oil has a shelf life of about a year, so that’s how long the scrub will last. Vitamin E prolongs that slightly, so it may be even longer. Without Optiphen, that shelf life would be shorter, especially a lot of water is splashed in.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello! Sorry for butting in, I have a question. How long my coffee scrub will last if the ingredients are organic coconut oil, brown sugar and ground coffee? I did not add any preservatives but as you mentioned about, the shelf life of coconut oil is 1-year. Will the shelf life of my coffee scrub be shorter if I did not add preservatives such as optiphen?
The shelf life will depend on how the scrub is used. If it doesn’t have a preservative and it’s kept in a cool, dry place and doesn’t come in contact with water, it will last up to a year. However, because scrubs are usually kept in the shower, that shelf life will likely be just a few months.
With a preservative like Optiphen or Phenonip at 1%, that scrub will last longer. We recommend them.
Optiphen: https://www.brambleberry.com/Optiphen-P3682.aspx
Phenonip: https://www.brambleberry.com/Phenonip-P4038.aspx
Learn more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
Hi!
I’m new to all this diy! I keep seeing recipes for castile soap,coconut oil,water,and eos. I need a preservative since it has water in it? Do I need to put water? Can I use it for my baby?How long will that combination last? Any one have any ideas?
Hi there! Are those recipes for scrubs? Do they have sugar, salt, or another exfoliant?
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi,
You may have answered this somewhere, but I can’t find it.
Will storing fixed oils, essential oils, & butters in the refrigerator extend their life?
It can extend the shelf life, so you can keep them in the fridge if you like. Cool and dry environments are best.
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Castor oil shelf life is between 4-5 years…
The shelf life of castor oil can vary based on the crop it’s from and the manufacturer. Ours has a shelf life of about a year. It stores best in a cool, dry place. Find more oil shelf lives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
So if I’m just melting coconut oils and Shea butter and mango butter…coco butters etc then whipping them can they grow bacteria etc even though I don’t add water? Can they go rancid ? Do I need preservatives. I used Otiphen Plus. Now I am questioning whether I need a preservative or if I used wrong one.
You don’t need a preservative for whipped body butter! Because the recipe doesn’t contain water and is usually stored in a dry place, mold and bacteria aren’t likely to grow. However, if you already added one, that’s OK! It can be considered extra protection just in case. 🙂
Optiphen Plus is typically used for recipes containing water, but it should be OK in your recipe. Do you notice any separation at all?
Learn more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I recently started making my own bath and body products and have just started to add powdered goats milk into my recipes. If I’m adding powdered goats milk to my bath bombs do I need to be using a preservative? I add multiple oils and witch hazel in a squirt bottle as my liquids. I know if I’m mainly using them for myself it’s in small batches and used up pretty immediately but I was conscidering potentially branching out and selling them eventually and can’t find any info on goats milk and preservatives for bath bombs. It’s all about soaps and lotions.
Preservatives protect against mold and bacteria from water, but they don’t extend the shelf life of products like goat milk. So, you don’t need a preservative in your bath bombs. They will last about 2 months. Make sure to store them in a cool, dry place. 🙂
Learn more about storing your products here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
how long an I store bath bombs safely? Will mold grow on them. I know you said it can possibly not fizz up but I was wondering if since there is water in it could it grow mold.
Hi Syd!
The bath bombs should last about 6 months, depending on if you use an oil. As they harden, any water or liquid should evaporate. Storing your bath bombs in a cool, dry place will help them last longer and should prevent mold. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Great post!
I don’t understand why body butters that not contain water have short shelf life. Why does not it occur with lip balms?
Hi Gabriela!
Body butters and lips balms won’t grow mold because they don’t contain water. However, the oils inside can go rancid. For instance, grapeseed oil has a shelf life of about 3 months. If you use it in a body butter, it can go rancid after 3 months in the recipe. If you use oils with a long shelf life, like avocado oil, the butter will last longer. 🙂
Read more about oil shelf lives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Can you please take on this recipe, I see so many sharing it and making it, and I don’t think they realize how badly, this recipe can turn. It certainly can not last 3 months, safely.
http://www.breastfeedingmamatalk.com/blogbfmt/2016/1/26/breastmilk-lotion-recipe
Hi there!
In general, we don’t recommend milk in melt and pour or lotion because it does shorten the shelf life quite a bit. Even with a preservative, the products only last about 4 weeks, a bit longer in the fridge. Preservatives protect against mold and bacteria from water, but don’t extend the shelf life of products like milk. You can read more about that here: https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/how-to-create-homemade-lotion-recipes/
That being said, there are no set rules when it comes to making your own products! Some crafters may find they really like the feeling of milk in lotion. The great thing about making your own products is that you can choose what goes in them. I love the ability to customize my products. 🙂
You can also use milk in cold process soap! Because it turns into soap, it has a similar shelf life to soap made with water. Read more about working with milk in cold process soap here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-add-lye-to-milk-for-cold-process-soap/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi, do you know a natural preservative that works? I make a salt scrub and based on your advice, add preservatives since it is kept in the shower. I have been using elderberry extract but it takes away the fragrance and makes the salt scrub frothy. Any insight?
Also, I make a face mask that only has powdered fruits, powdered honey, milk. No water. Do you think if I sell it I need to add a preservative to it?
We have tried several natural preservatives with not a lot of luck. For scrubs, we like Optiphen or Phenonip. They protect against mold and bacteria growth, and can be used around .5-1% in your recipe.
Read more about preservatives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/lotion/talk-it-out-tuesday-preservatives/
For the mask, it wouldn’t need a preservative. Preservatives help protect against mold and bacteria growth, but don’t extend the shelf life of products like powdered milk. I would recommend storing the mask in a cool place and using it within about 2 months. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Where can I find the shelf life for individual essential oils?
How about fractionated coconut oil? Glycerine and castile soap?
Thanks!!!
Hi Nathan!
For our essential oils, we recommend using them within a year. Fractionated coconut oil is extremely stable, and has an almost indefinite shelf life. Glycerin should last about a year as well. For castile soap, olive oil typically has a shelf life of about two years, so that’s how long the soap will last. This post has more information on oil shelf lives: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
To make sure your products last a long time, we recommend storing them in a cool, dry place. 🙂
Read more about storing your products here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-store-handmade-bath-products/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Soap Queen. Love your post, very informative 🙂 I usually add vitamin E oil to my cosmetic products and they look and smell just fine even after the shelf life of the ingredient with the shortest shelf life has passed. So I sometimes use those products a month or two longer.
BTW I’ve also written about this topic not long ago. I’ve included a link to your website from my blog post, I think it will be much beneficial for my readers 🙂 You can take a look at it here: http://www.diybeautyideas.com/shelf-life-homemade-cosmetics/
Monika from DIY Beauty Ideas
Thanks so much for sharing your post Monika! Can’t wait to check it out. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Is there a chart of shelf life timelines? That would be rather handy to have on hand when creating new products! Thanks for the wonderful posts. I enjoy learning each time I visit the blog.
We will definitely keep that in mind! Thanks for your suggestion Kat. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
You mentioned M&P not going through the saponification process, therefore preservatives would not keep away mold. How could it not have gone through saponification if it is already soap that just needs to be melted?
Hi Diane!
Melt and pour soap does go through the saponification process! What we meant was melt and pour has already saponified, so any purees added won’t saponify in the recipe like cold process soap. I’m sorry about any confusion. I updated the post to be more clear. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Have you done any controlled studies with your most commonly used oils to determine how much more time the addition of an anti-oxidant and/or refrigeration can potentially buy you?
It would be interesting to hear, especially with those with a shorter shelf life like hazelnut.
Hi there!
We haven’t! The shelf life of the oils depends on so many factors – the environment you live in, where it’s stored, how much vitamin E is added, how cold your fridge is, etc. Also, how long our oils last will be a bit different because we are in a different place. Refrigeration may extend our oil 1 month, but for someone else it may extend it 2 months. We will definitely keep that in mind for future testing though! It sounds like an interesting experiment. Thanks for your suggestion. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi I was dismayed to hear of hazelnut oil shelf life! I love this oil and have never heard this before. Nooooo! I have had a big bottle for 6-8 months and its fine. My question is, isnt there something you can dissolve in oils and fats that preserve them? Not antioxidants like Vit. E, but I think EDTA or chelators….? Some ideas to extend shelf life would make this excellent article complete! Thank you!
Hi Mickey!
We haven’t done testing with EDTA and chelators, so I don’t know a lot about them. Sorry about that. Susan at Swifty Craft Monkey does though! She says EDTA slows down the auto-oxidation process. You can use EDTA up to .2% in lotion and creams. Read more about EDTA in this blog post: http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2009/10/edta-chelating-and-sequestering-anti.html
Also, thanks so much for your suggestion. We’ll definitely keep EDTA and chelators in mind for future testing and blog posts. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Are there other potential causes of discoloration in lotion aside from rancidity? I had that happen recently and didn’t know if I should keep it or pitch it.
There are! If a fragrance oil contains vanilla, it can cause the lotion to discolor tannish or brown. What fragrance did you use in your batch? Let me know and I can help! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
You say sunflower has a 3-6 month shelf life but if I buy it at the grocery, it will have a year or more. I’ve noticed several timea that the chart differs from what I see on containers. Can you explain please?
Hi Lucia!
The shelf life of the oil will depend on where it’s from! Our sunflower oil has a 3-6 month shelf life. The oil at the grocery store is from another source, so it may have a longer shelf life. If you ever have any questions about a shelf life, feel free to contact the manufacturer! We can provide more information about our oils, including CofA forms. To request those, email MSDS (at) brambleberry (dot) com. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I thought hemp seed oil has a very short shelf life, more to the tune of 3-6 months. Is it different for refined vs. Unrefined?
Hi Molly!
That is the case with certain oils! However, the refined and unrefined hemp seed oil we get from our vendor has a shelf life of about two years. If you would like to see the CofA with the shelf life information, let me know. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I have found an interesting thing- I had a couple of soaps that got DOS. Yellowed and didn’t smell good. So I tried cutting those parts off, and discovered that the DOS only went partially through the bar, not all the way! After I cut the bad parts off, I was left with nice smaller bars. The color looked good, and the essential oils smelled very strong, like in a brand new soap! And the best part, the DOS did not return! I did it in December and they still look good. So I definitely would not throw those bars out. Just cut the bad parts off! 🙂
That’s awesome! In our tests and recipes, we’ve found DOS will typically take over the whole bar, even when the bad pieces are cut off. Glad to hear yours didn’t grow back and the bars are like new. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry