Fresholi | Melting Pot Café

I came across a discussion regarding preservative for room sprays. Do they need any?

I am not really sure....they are essentially oil and water, but I am not adding sugar, unless of course the emulsifier is sugar based?

My understanding is you do need a preservative, unless there is alcohol, but that can't be sold.

Eire

But if you leave water for a long time, you get stuff growing in it, so I would say to add some.

I used  Cyclopentasiloxane in my room sprays  you can add up to 15% fragrance  so you only need one smal squirt but it is hellish expensive.  I only used 10%

What sort of oil MP? Just fragrance oil? If so, no preservative required really - not a cosmetic product so same rules don't apply. Which emulsifier? PS?

I am thinking of using one of the Polysorbates, yes. Not sure which one will have to look into that. Otherwise it will be just water and FO/EO

hi MP, yes I thiink you are on the right track re the Polysorbates, I recall it was added in one of the course I went on a couple of years ago....

I'm another one using cyclo .. its pricey but if you can buy in bulk you'll make a saving .. I was going to use the distilled water/vodka/poly way but cyclo is so much easier

I use cyclo too - but damned expensive!

Anyone else noticed that some FOs don't dissolve in cyclo? I tried to make a 10% fragrance for use in a rollerball (Kenzo dupe from GF) - just separated into two layers  ???

Try it with some PS20.

Eire

Got it to work at the time thanks Eire  (with PS20) - just an observation that cyclo doesn't work for all fragrances (or I'm unlucky to have chosen the only one that it doesn't work with)

Maybe it's the type of cyclo??

Eire

Possibly, although most silicone based solvents are likely to behave in the same way - I've noticed some really interesting carriers/solvents (non alcohol / cyclo based) for this type of application coming in from the states in commercial formulations - will be interesting to see if they filter into the small scale market - 'course for rollerball perfumes, jojoba or fractionated coconut usually does the job - I was just "playing" with cyclo when I noticed this

Think I spotted one of them just out on a suppliers site in the States (maybe about a month ago).

Eire

Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate is the one I was thinking of - also used in lip glosses and as an emollient

Just noticed this thread. I have bought a room spray which does not have preservatives in. All it has is "spring water, rose absolute & geranium essential oils with Wild Rose Flower Remedy." I have had mine for a while and it is still fine.

What was the consensus about preservatives?

See.. I dunno if this is just me being odd.. if you leave water for a time, it just has bacteria growing in it. I feel a bit weird spraying that around my house..

Would using something like a flower water as a base help? Don't they have some alcohol in?

I have been asked whether I make any room sprays, that and hand creams both of which are on my very long list of things to do.

Ha, know all about that one!  :mwaha:

But it never gets any shorter.

Floral waters/hydrosols frequently have preservative - those without have a very limited shelf life after opening.