Ten Tips For Preventing Bacterial Growth In Your DIY Beauty Products
Tags: Health One of the benefits of commercial health and beauty products is that they contain ingredients that prevent bacteria from running wild. But don't fret, there are several ways to prevent bacterial growth when making and using your own DIY beauty products. Here are my ten tips that follow the process of making and using homemade products. 1. Distilled Water Some recipes include water as an ingredient. Distilled water is the only kind of water that should be used in these cases. You can buy distilled water in most grocery and department stores that sell gallon jugs of water. Tap water, even purified tap water, contains some microorganisms. These microorganisms can multiply when they are mixed with something they like to eat and let to sit at room temperature for many days. This is basically what you are doing when making DIY products. 2. Coconut Oil Coconut oil has natural antimicrobial properties. Try to use coconut oil as a main ingredient in your recipes as much as possible. 3. Grapefruit Seed Extract Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) also has antimicrobial properties. This is something that can be added to your recipes to help prevent bacterial growth. The recipe only needs to be two percent GSE. 4. Small Batches Make your products in small batches so that they run out before bacteria has a chance to cause problems. It depends on the product, but a two week supply is a good rule-of-thumb. 5. Clean, Air-Tight Containers Containers you store your product in should be clean and air-tight. 6. Avoid Cross-Contamination When Making When making your products, wash your hands or wear gloves. Also avoid touching ingredients with your bare hands or with dirty utensils. 8. Avoid Cross-Contamination When Using Once you've made your product and put it in its container, avoid touching it directly. If it's a in a squeezable tube, this should be easy. For balms and small amounts of powder, use a clean utensil, like the end of a makeup brush (that you wash after each use) to scoop out some of the product. If it's a larger amount of powder, pour some of it out onto a clean working surface. 9. Refrigeration If you keep your products in the refrigerator, they will last longer! One month is a good rule-of-thumb for products you are actively using. Refrigeration can also be a good plan for storing bulk ingredients that you use to make your products. For example, aloe vera gel can last a year in the refrigerator. 10. Smell It Periodically smell your product. If it has a funny smell, toss it!
One of the benefits of commercial health and beauty products is that they contain ingredients that prevent bacteria from running wild. But don't fret, there are several ways to prevent bacterial growth when making and using your own DIY beauty products. Here are my ten tips that follow the process of making and using homemade products.
1. Distilled Water
Some recipes include water as an ingredient. Distilled water is the only kind of water that should be used in these cases. You can buy distilled water in most grocery and department stores that sell gallon jugs of water. Tap water, even purified tap water, contains some microorganisms. These microorganisms can multiply when they are mixed with something they like to eat and let to sit at room temperature for many days. This is basically what you are doing when making DIY products.
2. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has natural antimicrobial properties. Try to use coconut oil as a main ingredient in your recipes as much as possible.
3. Grapefruit Seed Extract
Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) also has antimicrobial properties. This is something that can be added to your recipes to help prevent bacterial growth. The recipe only needs to be two percent GSE.
4. Small Batches
Make your products in small batches so that they run out before bacteria has a chance to cause problems. It depends on the product, but a two week supply is a good rule-of-thumb.
5. Clean, Air-Tight Containers
Containers you store your product in should be clean and air-tight.
6. Avoid Cross-Contamination When Making
When making your products, wash your hands or wear gloves. Also avoid touching ingredients with your bare hands or with dirty utensils.
8. Avoid Cross-Contamination When Using
Once you've made your product and put it in its container, avoid touching it directly. If it's a in a squeezable tube, this should be easy. For balms and small amounts of powder, use a clean utensil, like the end of a makeup brush (that you wash after each use) to scoop out some of the product. If it's a larger amount of powder, pour some of it out onto a clean working surface.
9. Refrigeration
If you keep your products in the refrigerator, they will last longer! One month is a good rule-of-thumb for products you are actively using. Refrigeration can also be a good plan for storing bulk ingredients that you use to make your products. For example, aloe vera gel can last a year in the refrigerator.
10. Smell It
Periodically smell your product. If it has a funny smell, toss it!