Let’s Talk Preservatives!

Preservation of your hair, beard, & skin products is essential and here’s why. Water based products tend to be a breeding ground for tons of bacteria the naked eye can’t see. These bacteria are not good for your hair or skin which is why you see many skin, hair, & beard care products include some type preservative.
A big concern of the toxin free and all natural community is using a preservative that is safe and natural. Does that exist? Absolutely! We use preservatives made from coconut, honeysuckle (that sweet flower some of us grew up picking and sucking the sweet nectar from), and elderberry. Preservatives are now more readily available to the public and the ones I named are just a few of the natural preservatives out there. These are processed in a way to extend the shelf life of beauty products up to 6 months and are skin and hair safe.
But I thought Tea Tree oil, Vitamin E oil, Rosemary, and some other essential oils are considered preservatives! They are most certainly NOT PRESERVATIVES! Although some essential oils and carrier oils have really great benefits for the hair & skin, product preservation is not one of them. Certain products like body butters, beard balms, oils, scalp oils, etc can last for up to 12 months without the use of preservatives because they don’t have any water in them.
Do I need to put preservatives in my DIY products? No you don't, but if they contain a water based ingredient they must be refrigerated for a maximum of 7 days to avoid bacterial growth. To extend the shelf life, you can easily purchase a preservative and even bacteria testing strips for your product to ensure that it is safe to use on yourself and others.
Not all preservatives are safe and natural. There are synthetic preservatives out there, but rest assured our products don’t contain any of them.