Natural Hair Products w/ Little to No Preservatives..Safe??

[MizzBrown]

So I've been doing some researching and its obvious that we love natural hair products with the least amount of chemicals possible...

But is this safe? I read about folks opening their moldy jars and getting upset. By the time you see/smell the mold, isn't it too late? You've already been exposed to it.

I didn't realize that my Oyin Honey Hemp doesnt really have any preservatives in it. So now I am on a mad rush, co-washing damn near every day to get rid of it b/c I don't want to ingest microbes.

Are yall using products within the shelf life? What poses the most danger? Putting penicilin/fungus growth on my edges or knowing that the paraben-laden conditioner could lead to me having cancer sooner than others?

 

[ylinspired]

Good question. Some of the products that I mix up myself, I try to use them up within a week, or just make enough for one hair wash. But I think it's important to know the products because things like coconut oil, olive, oil, and pure aloe Vera have a very long shelf life, where as hemp oil shouldn't sit around for a long time.

 

[Pompous Blue]

As ylinspired has said, the products I mix up myself are used within a week or I mix up only what I need at the time. So, no need for a preservative.

But all of the natural products I buy have preservatives in them.

OP did you read the label on oyinhandmade honeyhem conditioner? It has optiphen (preservative) in it. And I use my products in the time suggested by the vendor. I believe they say to use it within 6 months.

Read the labels and become an informed consumer and you should be okay.

 

[MizzBrown]

^Yeah, I'm trying to use it up b/c I've heard of some folks having theirs start to smell rancid well before the 6 month time frame.

I found some black mold in my LUSH solid perfume and was PISSED!! Cause their products aren't cheap.

Which makes me wonder if one preservative is stronger than others to kill the bacteria.

And you can't really be a PJ messing with natural products because you have to use that stuff up.

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

double post

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

^Yeah, I'm trying to use it up b/c I've heard of some folks having theirs start to smell rancid well before the 6 month time frame.

I found some black mold in my LUSH solid perfume and was PISSED!! Cause their products aren't cheap.

Which makes me wonder if one preservative is stronger than others to kill the bacteria.

And you can't really be a PJ messing with natural products because you have to use that stuff up.

i had a couple of the Oyin 32 ounce honey hemps & the smell went really wrong after about 2.5 months
I now realize the larger (32 ounce sizes) probably sit shelved a lot longer than the smaller sizes... so maybe that 6 month mark was working against me prior to ordering
I didn't want to do a swap and someone else receive the funky batches so I ended up sending them back after contacting them numerous times and receiving a nasty a-zz unprofessional email from Oyin handmade

but that smell on your hair (much like makeupvixen/tastiredbone 's youtube video) was horrible -- walking around smelling sour basically

 

[Tamster]

I put my Honey Hemp in the fridge to extend the shelf life... I'd consider freezing it but my freezer is too small to start putting hair products in it.

My Darcy's Botanicals products seem to be holding up just fine, as is my Oyin Hair Dew. I have bee mine curly butter out in the bathroom, and that holds up just fine as well...

 

[prettyinpurple]

Ugh I saw some specks of black mold in my DM Super Buttercreme. I haven't used it a couple of months or so at least. But I reorganized my hair products last night and happened to open the lid. The specks are on the lid.

It's barely used too. Didn't see any mold in the container but gotta trash it anyways.

 

[Leeda.the.Paladin]

One way to avoid mold in products is to not stick wet fingers in the jar. Scoop it out and put it in another container for when you style your hair. I also don't leave mine in the shower where it's moist. Otherwise, I go through most of my product so fast it's not an issue.

You could try putting it in the fridge or maybe putting a few drops of tea tree oil, or some other essential oil, in the product to retard growth.

 

[*Frisky*]

Ugh I saw some specks of black mold in my DM Super Buttercreme. I haven't used it a couple of months or so at least. But I reorganized my hair products last night and happened to open the lid. The specks are on the lid.

It's barely used too. Didn't see any mold in the container but gotta trash it anyways.

No ma'am!! ewwww sorry girl...

I think alot of these companies that sell natural products are trying to keep their products as natural as possible so by adding somewhat of an artificial preservative messes that all up. Any product that has any type of water in it should have a preservative. That buttercreme has potassium sorbate in it which is a preservative so I don't know happened with it. Maybe not enough of it.

 

[mzteaze]

One way to avoid mold in products is to not stick wet fingers in the jar. Scoop it out and put it in another container for when you style your hair. I also don't leave mine in the shower where it's moist. Otherwise, I go through most of my product so fast it's not an issue.

You could try putting it in the fridge or maybe putting a few drops of tea tree oil, or some other essential oil, in the product to retard growth.

Amen. I bought a huge box of wooden spatulas to scoop out products I want to use.

 

[isawstars]

Amen. I bought a huge box of wooden spatulas to scoop out products I want to use.

Where did you purchase it from??

 

[mzteaze]

Where did you purchase it from??

Honestly I scoured the internet until I found a box of 500 for $4.80 with free shipping. Don't tell anyone but those expensive wooden spatulas at Sally's are far cheaper when sold under the other name - tongue depressors.

I've had the box for about 2-3 years....cuz it will take me some time to use them all.

ETA: I corrected the price because I found the receipt....I bought them from Discount Office Supplies.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

the only problem I ever had from a company was Honeychild Products.... I am not sure if they are in business any longer....The were QUITE rude - when I called them on their Moldy hair butter....


Oyin has never given me a problem.... But - I love it so that It is used FAST!

Nevertheless....
anything I that I make - I use quickly... But I also have Optiphen... just in case I want to keep something a little longer....

 

[isawstars]

Honestly I scoured the internet until I found a box of 500 for $4.80 with free shipping. Don't tell anyone but those expensive wooden spatulas at Sally's are far cheaper when sold under the other name - tongue depressors.

I'm going to cvs to get some tongue depressors now! haha Thanks mzteaze!

 

[SimJam]

I always check the shelf life of products I buy, and I think most of them have preservatives in them.

as others have said I also keep several products in the fridge to extend shelf life.

Ive had my Oyin HH out for a whole year (I live in a hot climate) and its still good.

I also get concerned about putting products which may be going off on my scalp, rlly dont need no scalp cooties. But so far so good.

 

[Lucky's Mom]

Honestly I scoured the internet until I found a box of 500 for $4.80 with free shipping. Don't tell anyone but those expensive wooden spatulas at Sally's are far cheaper when sold under the other name - tongue depressors.

I've had the box for about 2-3 years....cuz it will take me some time to use them all.

ETA: I corrected the price because I found the receipt....I bought them from Discount Office Supplies.

Terrific idea. Thanks!!!!

 

[crumbling_images]

I have a 32 oz. bottle of Oyin's Honey Hemp Conditioner. I left this along with all my other hair products in a box locked up in a temperature controlled storage unit for almost six months. I took everything out including the Honey Hemp Conditioner and continued using without any issues. The consistency and smell of the product did not suffer. This product uses preservatives, I'm totally sure otherwise, it would have gone bad months ago.

 

[MissErikaM]

Just wanted to point out there is a difference between contamination and rancidity. Preservatives don't affect oils from going rancid. (Which is why stuff like Oyin can go bad so quick even with optiphen.) If you make concoctions at home a good way to prolong oils from going rancid is to add vitamin E/Rosemary Oleoresin extract to your mix or even to your master bottle of oils. Also, I store my oils/hair products in my bedroom instead of the bath room to keep the temperature fluctuations from affecting my products.
If you have any of these oils at home for sealing, treatments or getting your inner mixtress on etc I suggest adding vitamin E/ROE or storing in the fridge:

Rice Bran Oil
Safflower Oil
Grapeseed oil
Hemp Seed Oil

 

[greenandchic]

You hear a lot about people getting products that have gone bad before it even arrives because the company probably didn't do their due diligence and not enough research to know what it really takes to make a product that's save for the consumer. You hear all the time people (not those of us who make our own products for our own personal use, but people who sell) using products such as grape seed extract or tea tree oil and calling it a day. Those are not adequate preservatives as some people would like to believe.

Add to that you don't know where and how they make their products. Is it in their home kitchen, using a mixer they just whipped quiche ingredients in and using a spoon they just blended ground beef for a meatloaf? Did Junior just stick his fingers in the bowl while Ms. Mommy Mixtress was distracted by a phone call? Of course, she's the same person who wants to cop and attitude with you because the products is separated because she wasn't paying attention in the phase B process or its turning purple from contamination and you want an exchange or refund.

These days I tend to tread lightly when it comes to homegrown Etsy type bath and body products. Though its not food, our skin is our largest organ and we still need to be careful what we put on it - not just with chemicals.

 

[Cendra]

Just wanted to point out there is a difference between contamination and rancidity. Preservatives don't affect oils from going rancid. (Which is why stuff like Oyin can go bad so quick even with optiphen.) If you make concoctions at home a good way to prolong oils from going rancid is to add vitamin E/Rosemary Oleoresin extract to your mix or even to your master bottle of oils. Also, I store my oils/hair products in my bedroom instead of the bath room to keep the temperature fluctuations from affecting my products.
If you have any of these oils at home for sealing, treatments or getting your inner mixtress on etc I suggest adding vitamin E/ROE or storing in the fridge:

Rice Bran Oil
Safflower Oil
Grapeseed oil
Hemp Seed Oil

That's interesting because I've used honey in my shea butter mix (without tea tree oil) and it's lasted two months, in the summer heat, without molding or going rancid. There was coconut and jojoba oil in it.

 

[greenandchic]

That's interesting because I've used honey in my shea butter mix (without tea tree oil) and it's lasted two months, in the summer heat, without molding or going rancid. There was coconut and jojoba oil in it.

It helps that it probably didn't have water in it. I've mixed products with just oils, butters, honey, etc with no problem. Once you make a water based product, then you really need to add something to preserve it.

 

[MissErikaM]

It helps that it probably didn't have water in it. I've mixed products with just oils, butters, honey, etc with no problem. Once you make a water based product, then you really need to add something to preserve it.

That's interesting because I've used honey in my shea butter mix (without tea tree oil) and it's lasted two months, in the summer heat, without molding or going rancid. There was coconut and jojoba oil in it.

Yep and those butters and oils have great shelf lives. I think those all have shelf live of up to and over a year.