[Herbalist] Bacteria

[foxryde]

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While I appreciate your comments about yummy garlic oil (make and use right
away), the issue I was addressing was bacterial growth in water and oil
mixes.  I was talking about creams or lotions (water or water infusion,
oil, beeswax and some emulsifier).

Dry conditions do not encourage bacterial growth.  Wet conditions do - if
they are also oxygenated the aerobic bacteria grow, if not anaerobic
bacterial grow (which includes botulism).

There are tons of bacteria, funguses (fungi?), viruses and germs floating
in the air, living happily in you, and in everything in your
refrigerator.  No matter how clean your kitchen, they will get in your
products.  Unless you work in a clean room - even then they struggle with
contamination.

This is not to say don't make things!

I make a living making things.  I sell them to hundreds of happy people.  I
don't use preservatives.  I sell them to people who know I don't.  I do use
antioxidants.  I expect a year of shelf-life from most of my products.  I
don't sell lotions or cremes because I don't want to work with
preservatives and I don't want to sell bacterial factories.  I do sell oil
only balms.  I only work with dried herbs.  I triple strain my oils before
using them to reduce the amount of organic material in my balms.

There is a lot of research going on to find a natural preservative
(introduced buggie killer).  I am currently about 6 months out of date due
to overwhelming work pressures.  I plan to catch up after Estrella.  I will
let folks know if I find anything out.

I gotta go get to work,

Hope all this helps,
Leonora

At 01:23 PM 2/6/03 -0500, you wrote:

> > Any time you add oil and water together, it has the potential to spoil in
> > very nasty anaerobic ways.  Remember all the flap about garlic oils a few
> > years ago, serious botulism infestations.
>
>Actually, the trouble there was NOT water, it was the garlic introducing
>botulism spores into the anerobic environment of the oil. That's why
>homemade flavored oils are now considered only safe if you make them by
>hot infusion and use them right away- the lack of water, or not, doesn't
>significantly help with the botulism.
>
>Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise        jenne at mail.browser.net
>"I postpone death by living, by suffering, by error, by risking, by
>giving, by losing." -- Anais Nin
>
>_______________________________________________
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>
>
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Fox Ryde Gardens - Handmade herbal products for bath, body, & spirit
7743 West First Street
Loveland, CO 80537
970/669-3835
Visit our website: http://www.foxryde.com

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