Home Testers for Lotions

If you make your lotions at home and would like to test your creation prior to selling, Snowdrift Farms (http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/) has a home test lab in a box. In 24 to 48 hours you will be able to find out if your lotion has any aerobic bacteria, yeast or fungi. This home testing kit from Snowdrift Farms costs $44.95 for 10 testers. For more information about this product go to: www.snowdriftfarm.com/chek-it.html.

For those who have taken my lotions crafting class, I tested my lotion creation from May 2008 (3 months ago) and there was no trace of bateria. So far citric acid does work well for a perservative. I should test it again in 3 months to see if it has gone bad. If you want to err on the side of caution in this case and you can add another perservative such as a powdered germall or a liquid germall. There are plenty out there.

There is a big debate on preservatives. Supposedly there is no natural perservative on the market. To tell you the truth in most recipes, the amount you add is so small to me it is worth it. Because I will tell you that there is so much other junk in commercial lotions that for most at home recipes contain water, oil, fragrance, and an emulisfying wax. So by adding a small amount of preservative is well worth keeping your lotion fresh.

You can also purchase a roll of pH Test Papers for Soaps and Toiletries for $7.25, pH Adjusters, pH Indicators and many more items for your other bath and body products from Snowdrift.

While you are checking out their website, you can get some great recipes. Have Fun!