Salves are so fun, versatile and easy to make but many people are unsure if they need to put a preservative in their home made salves or balms.
Salves or other oil based products that do not contain water do not technically need preservatives but because all products will eventually come into contact with moisture, some preservative should be added to salves and balms to extend their shelf life and ensure their stability.
If this comes as bad news to you, don’t worry! There are so many amazing preservative options that are natural, safe and effective. Later in this post, I will explore five different natural preservatives that are all Eco cert approved and suitable for use in salves and balms!
Table of Contents
Why do Salves and Other Oil Based Products Need Preservatives?
Preservatives need to be used whenever water is present in a product to prevent bacterial growth and mold. Balms, salves, scrubs and body butters don’t contain water as an ingredient so you might assume that they don’t need to be preserved but you would be very surprised by how much water enters your product from the environment and the way the product is used.
I have seen so many articles recently that are saying you don’t need to preserve anhydrous (oil based) products but myself and all of my past herbal instructors would disagree and here’s why;
A scrub will probably be used in a shower or a bath. Steam will absolutely settle into your scrub and the user will most likely dip dripping fingers right into the jar!
Also, body butters are best applied onto damp or wet skin to lock in moisture. Again, wet fingers will be scooping out the product, likely in a steamy bathroom.
Salves and balms also often come into contact with moisture. Diaper rash balm for instance will be used right after a parent has used a wet wipe and a blister foot salve will be used by the sweaty hands of a backpacker!
Water will most likely come into contact with your product and sometimes it will be visible mold but other times it will be unseen bacterial growth and that is what’s really scary! We do not want to cause infections in our family or customers!
When is it Okay to Not Use a Preservative?
There are a few instances where you can get away with not using a preservative.
If you are making a product that you are going to use yourself and you know you will use it all up in about a week, that will be pretty safe. For instance, you can make a foot balm for a backpacking trip and use it up throughout the week and not have any problems.
Also, products with a very high or very low PH (Like soaps, detergents and cleaners) will not need preservatives.
Can You Use Vitamin E as a Preservative?
Vitamin E does protect your product from oxidation and rancidity but it does not protect your product from bacteria, yeast or mold.
There is a misconception I’ve been noticing about vitamin E and preserving products. I have seen allot of blog posts where the author just says broadly that Vatimine E will preserve your product and that is only very partially true.
When you are preserving a product, you are preserving against four main bad guys; bacteria, mold, yeast and oxidation.
Vitamin E does protect products from oxidation! This is especially important for oil based products like salves, balms and body butters so absolutely add Vitamin E to your products but make sure you also add a broad spectrum preservative because rancidity is nothing compared to bacteria!
Can You Use Essential Oils as Preservatives?
There are some essential oils that are effective at preserving products from specific strains of bacteria and mold but you would need a HUGE combination of them at a very high volume to make your products safe so make sure you also use a broad spectrum preservative.
There are many amazing essential oils that have antimicrobial properties for specific strains of microbes. Tea Tree Oil, Lemon Oil, Lavender oil, Oregano oil all are pretty effective against certain strains of mold and bacteria but none of them are broad spectrum enough to make your products safe.
You would also have to add a very large amount of the essential oils for them to be effective.
As far as preserving goes, I wouldn’t consider essential oils, especially when there are so many great and certified safe natural preservative options!
Best Natural Preservative Options for Salves and Balms
Here is a list of five Eco Certified preservatives that most herbalists and home cosmetic makers agree are the best for oil based products!
| Preservative | Eco Cert Approved | PH Range | Solubility | Potential Issues |
| Leucidal® Liquid SF | Yes | 3-8 | Oil and Water | Not as effective as others against mold. |
| Sharomix™ 705 Plus | Yes | 6 or lower | Oil and Water | None |
| Geogard® ECT | Yes | 3-8 | Best in oil but water will work | Some report an unpleasant smell. |
| Rokonsal™ BSB-N | Yes | 5.5 or lower | Oil and water | Slightly less effective than other preservatives. |
| Dermorganics® 1388 | Yes | 5-5.5 | Oil and Water | Very limited PH Range |
Top Five Natural Preservatives For Salves and Balms
- Leucidal® Liquid SF
- Sharomix™ 705 Plus
- Geogard® ECT
- Rokonsal™ BSB-N
- Dermorganics® 1388
Leucidal® Liquid SF (My Favorite!)
First up on our list is my top pick, Leucidal® Liquid SF. Its first because its a favorite! Leucidal is basically fermented radish root and it is chalked full of antimicrobial peptides and lactic acid.
I love this preservative because it actually adds to the benefits of the products you are making. Peptides are amazing for moisturizing and nourishing your skin and lactic acid is a very gentle exfoliant.
I love that this product has a broad PH range and is both oil and water soluble so that I can buy a large amount and use it in many different kinds of products!
Some have reported that it’s not as effective against mold but I haven’t noticed that in my own products. It is also one of the pricer options.
Sharomix™ 705 Plus
Sharomix™ 705 is a blend of organic acids including; Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid and Benzyl Alcohol. It does not contain any formaldehyde, parabens or halogen. It is a broad spectrum preservative and is effective against mold, yeast and bacteria.
Sharomix™ 705 Plus adds vitamin e oil to the mix which keeps oil based products from oxidizing or going rancid. This really makes Sharomix Plus a one stop shop for keeping your products fresh!
It also its a more cost effective option!
Geogard® ECT
Geogard® ECT is a blend of Benzyl Alcohol, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin and Sorbic Acid. It’s a broad spectrum preservative and is effective against mold, yeast and bacteria.
I like that they use Salicylic Acid and Glycerine as they are both great skin care ingredients!
Allot of people however, have reported a bad smell with the product and there have been some reports of solubility issues but another great thing about this product is that you can email [email protected] directly and they will help you formulate with Geogard® ECT!
Rokonsal™ BSB-N
Rokonsal™ BSB-N is a mild broad spectrum preservative that contains; Benzyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Benzoic Acid and Sorbic Acid. It is effective (though slightly more mild) against bacteria, mold and yeast.
Rokonsal has a mild smell and a light color which means you won’t have to mask any smells or change the color of your product.
It can be a little finicky with PH so you have to make sure your product is under 5.5
Dermorganics® 1388
Dermorganics® 1388 is a blend of plant derived organic acids and organic Glycerine. It contains; Glycerin, Aqua, Sodium Levulinate and Sodium Anisate.
Like Rokonsal, it has a very mild scent and color and does not need to be masked by scents or essential oils!
The main downside to this preservative is its ultra limited PH range (5-5.5). You need to test your products PH very carefully before using this product.
Conclusion
I hope this post was able to clear up some common misconceptions about preserving your oil based products and I hope you try out some of these great natural preservative options!
Comment bellow if you have any more questions and I can update the post!