blazerina Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 I do not sell and only make single jars of B&B at a time. So far it's just scrubs and I do not use preservatives because of the quick turnover. I can use up a 5 oz jar over a period of two weeks max- IF THAT.My question is: Lets say I did not use it up this fast. Is there an average life span on something like this, before a mold or whatever will begin to grow? I realize it can depend on a lot of factors, but i'm just curious. For instance if someone put an expiration date on something with no preservative would it be a matter of months, or days? I just thought of another q... isnt salt used as a preservative? Yanno, like beef jerky??? Lol.. just thinking out loud here. It's probably a dry preservative kind of thing vs. a wet one. Thanks for all and any input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 It would be a matter of days. Please remember, that if you see mold or funk, it's way too late, it's been growing a long time. Personally I store everything I make that is unpreserved for personal use in the fridge. Salt? Hmm.. In food maybe.. But it's used in combination with taking the moisture out of things, like salted fish, jerky, hams, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CareBear Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 If you are asking if salt in a scrub can act as a preservative the answer is likely yes AS LONG AS the concentration is high enough. And as long as the rest of the stuff you made the scrub with was not moldy already. And as long as you don't get too much water in the jar (don't ask me how much is too much - I don't know).So the answer is - it depends.ETA: sugar is used for a preservative in home made jams, but there we cook the blazes out of it to kill of most of the nasties - and the high concentration of sugar does the rest. But you will notice that commercial jams contain preservatives cause the companies don't want to take a chance... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beau's mama Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 It would be a matter of days. what the..?? Please tell me I've mis-read something. I made DH an unpreserved ordinary sugar scrub last week & put it in a cool malibu-type bottle so he wouldn't dip his wet fingers in it. Please don't tell me I have to throw it out...I'm jobless & broke...can't afford to waste stuff! Personally I store everything I make that is unpreserved for personal use in the fridge. Yeah, I tried this once with a hand-made "all natural" lotion...had to keep it refridgerated...absolutely no fun using cold A** lotion after a nice warm bath! I'm not a big fan of preservatives, but for my comfort & safety, I have to deal w/ it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Lol.. Let the lotion sit in your hand for a bit before you let it touch anywhere else! Took me once to figure that one out!And let me re-phrase.. It COULD be a matter of days. I have no clue what's in your scrub, how you made it, how clean your tube is, just no clue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beau's mama Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 Oh Bunny...remember I'm still a newborn...you can't ask a newbie so many overwhelming questions at one time!OK, plain ol' sugar & an oil mixture of meadowfoam, shea, olive, rice bran & T-50I sterilized the tube & cap in boiling water, let it dry, did it again & let it dry, spritzed w/ some rubbing alcohol, ley them dry & put in the scrub.So, is DH in danger?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunny Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 What if you did everything right, but somewhere along the line the shea got tainted? Would you know by looking at it? Or one of your other ingredients? I can't possibly know that, and you can't either. So it's really not a question if he's in danger.. I don't know. He may, he may not. I just don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beau's mama Posted January 24, 2007 Share Posted January 24, 2007 What if you did everything right, but somewhere along the line the shea got tainted? Would you know by looking at it? Or one of your other ingredients? I can't possibly know that, and you can't either. So it's really not a question if he's in danger.. I don't know. He may, he may not. I just don't know.alrighty, now...you have me thinking on a whole new level...hmm, looks like I have some more things to find out about. Thank you Bunny for giving my curiosity a push! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinInOR Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 If I do something with water and no preservative, I give it 3 days, unrefrigerated. I give it a week, tops, if I refrigerate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsDammit Posted January 25, 2007 Share Posted January 25, 2007 Well I have a couple of bottles of a lotion that I made 3 or 4 months ago that I let sit to see how it ages, I use them once in a while on my hands. Haven't checked it in awhile but this thread reminded me, so I just checked them and what do u know- not only does it have a icky smell but I also saw some mold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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