Can you make skincare without preservatives?

Hello! And welcome to this guide on preservation methods for making skincare.

I want to help you explore the craft of making safe, shelf-stable skincare —using only whole food ingredients and natural preservation methods. 

You’ll learn the difference between anhydrous and self-preserving.

And how to use these techniques to make all-natural skincare —that can keep for months, up to years! 

Preservation matters

Using skincare made with nourishing, whole food ingredients feels gratifying in a way you just don’t get from most commercial products. 

It feels natural —like eating real food, cooked from scratch. 

That’s why, even people who aren’t typically ‘into skincare’ are becoming interested in learning how to make it.

But, one of the biggest questions and challenges in making natural skincare —is around shelf life: 

How long does homemade skincare last? Doesn’t it go bad quickly? Do I need to use a preservative?

These are all great questions! 

Let me share two categories of skincare you can confidently make at home without worrying about it spoiling quickly—or needing any specialty cosmetic ingredients, like preservatives.

Anhydrous Skincare & Self-Preserving Skincare 

Let’s start with anhydrous skincare, which means waterless. 

Anhydrous skincare is made with no water —no added liquids like tea or fresh aloe. And no fresh ingredients, that contains water —no fresh fruits, fresh herbs or fresh botanicals. 

It’s skincare made with only waterless ingredients —like plant oils, dried herbs, dried (freeze-dried) fruits, milk powders, sugar, salt, grains, oils…

And its a great category for homemade skincare because, without the water content —it won’t spoil quickly. 

Why you might love making anhydrous skincare:

• You don’t need to use synthetic, cosmetic ingredients, like preservatives for example. When a recipe contains water, it also requires specialized cosmetic ingredients to stabilize it—thickeners for texture, solubilizers to prevent separation, and preservatives to stop bacteria, yeast, and mold that can harm the skin.
  
  Whereas, you can make anhydrous skincare with very simple ingredients, and kitchen techniques. 
  
• It has a long shelf life (just like dried goods in your pantry). Water-less skincare can last anywhere from 6 months- year!! 
  
  That said, personally, I prefer to make small batches to use up every 3 months —that way I know it’s fresh, and safe, and I like switching things up seasonally. 
  
• You don’t have to refrigerate anhydrous skincare. It can be kept in your bathroom, bedroom, you can travel with it —so it’s really convenient. 
  
• And, it’s incredibly potent. Because there’s no water to dilute things, your skincare is packed with only active ingredients, in their highest concentration. You will definitely feel the difference. 

Types of anhydrous skincare you can easily make from home: 

• Balm & Salve 
• Face & Body oil 
• Exfoliating Scrubs
• Powdered Masks/Cleansers (which you hydrate with water to activate)  
• Whipped Body Butter 
• Solid Moisturizer
• Lip Balm
• Deodorant 
• Bath Salts
• Bath Melt
• Bath & Shower Bombs 
• Perfume Balms 

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Another great category for DIY, homemade skincare —is self-preserving.

This is skincare, made with ingredients and methods, that naturally keeps itself preserved.

Much like pickling, or salting…

Making self-preserving skincare follows a lot traditional food-making skills, that go back centuries when people long ago found natural ways to extend the shelf life of food. 

Many of our traditional herbal medicines —like tinctures, glycerites, oxymels, elixers —are self-preserving because people had to learn how to make remedies that can keep for long periods. And we can use many of these same  techniques, for making herbal skincare remedies.  

I love bringing simple, traditional approaches – into modern skincare making because it means that we’re able to make skincare and natural remedies – that are safe and long-lasting. 

Here’s why you might love making self-preserving skincare:

• You get to make skincare in ways that reconnects us with traditional food and medicine making skills
  
  These are old skills that we’ve lost touch with, but they allow you to be sustainable and self-sufficient and to create beautiful, nourishing preparations that you enjoy. 

• If you grow your own ingredients in the garden —you can use these “self-preserving” methods to preserve a fresh harvest and enjoy its benefits and nourishment for a very long time.

Types of self-preserving skincare you can easily make from home: 

• Anhydrous skincare 
• Infusios: Alcohol, vinegar, honey, glycerine and oil 
• Hydrosol 
• “Flavored” salt (in terms of skincare, use these for baths/scrubs)
• Enflourage

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If you’re interested in making homemade, natural skincare, I hope this article inspires you and gives you the confidence to create beautiful recipes using simple, natural ingredients.

You don’t need to venture into cosmetic chemistry or rely on synthetic additives to make something effective and nourishing. Start with what feels approachable!