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THIS IS NOT A PRESERVATIVE, IT’S AN ANTI-OXIDANT. PLEASE READ THIS FULL DESCRIPTION IF YOU ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION GSE IS A PRESERVATIVE BY ITSELF. SOME CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE POSITIVELY REVIEWED THIS PRODUCT ERRONEOUSLY CONSIDER GSE A PRESERVATIVE.
Sold by weight for cosmetic applications, not for internal consumption. Our Grapefruit Seed Extract consists of 60% active and 40% inactive ingredients. The primary active component is the grapefruit seed extract itself which contains several bioflavonoids, primarily naringin, that contribute to the efficacy. Additionally there is ascorbic acid (or Vitamin C), that is present in the extract and is also added as an active component. The range of ascorbic acid percentages range typically from 14-18%.
Use GSE at a rate of .5-5%. Usual recommendation is 2% for most applications. To measure, multiply the total volume (in ounces) of your batch times .02 to get the ounces of GSE to use.
Products that contain as little as 0.1 percent GSE have an indefinite shelf life. GSE will greatly extend the shelf-life of hand-crafted soaps. Using as little as 0.05% (one ounce in 16 gallons), soaps could retain color, aroma, and appearance for extended periods (one soapmaker reports having bars that are three years old and they look and smell as fresh as day one).
Citrus essential oils/GSE are noted for their anti microbial properties and some customers "swear by" products made with GSE, especially when traveling and during cold and flu season.
It's a good antioxidant, like ROE or T-50. It can be an effective preservative, but it is neither as potent or as broad spectrum as commercial preservatives like Optiphen or Germaben, etc. It really should be combined with a broad spectrum commercial preservative in items for sale and the items should be challenge-tested in a lab to make sure the preservative system is sufficient and effective under a range of conditions, including heat, exposure to light and over a normal shelf life of maybe a year or so.
GSE should not be expected to prevent mold when used by itself. It needs to be used as an antioxidant or as an add-on with another preservative. If used all by itself as the only preservative, it won't be potent enough or broad-spectrum enough to cover every contingency.
Active Ingredients: Grapefruit Seed Extract 42.72%, Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 17.28% (max., primary source of Vitamin C is from the extract). Inert Ingredients: Glycerin (USP 97.7 and kosher) 38.22%, Moisture 1.78% (max).
INCI: Grapefruit Seed Extract (Citrus grandis). Flash point: 292F deg. Color: Lemon yellow to golden brown liquid, may vary from batch to batch. Shelf life: 7-9 years, stored away from light and heat, kept in a cool place tightly sealed, not in steel or metal containers, store only in plastic or glass. CAS numbers: RN 84696-38-8 and RN 90045-43-5. Manufactured in U.S.
★★★★★
5.00/5 Stars out of 14 Reviews
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Anonymous
(Front Royal) | December 21st, 2019
I use this to extend the life of a couple of my products. Works great and it also adds product appeal to the label.
Anonymous
(Forest Hills, NY, US) | August 24th, 2014
Great product for the price. One of the best I have encountered. Great anti-oxidant to use in conjunction with a preservative for homemade goodies.
Anonymous
(Gastonia, NC, US) | October 13th, 2013
This is a great preservative and as others have said a little goes along way! I use this in my soaps, lotions, and creams and it has worked beautifully at keeping them stable! What else is there to say! It doesn't add any scent to anything nor change the texture, and it only takes a tiny amount to get the desired results! So glad I bought a large quantity with my first purchase!
Anonymous
(Miami, FL, US) | July 8th, 2013
I have been using Grapefruit seed Extract in my skin care regimen for many years. Combined with Vitamin e oil, keeps them fresh and stable. It does not add any unwanted scent or change up the consistency. Not sure just how much to use. I just add a few drops to 4 oz bottle.
Anonymous
(Chicago, IL, US) | April 12th, 2013
For mixing always have a preservative and this for the best turnouts for your handmade treasures
Anonymous
(Staunton, VA, US) | May 8th, 2012
Grapefruit seed extract is wonderful! It prolongs the life of your soaps, lotions, and scrubs many times over and is a completely natural product that I can feel good putting in my skin care products. It doesn't change the scent of your soaps, and only a very small amount (1-2%)will do nicely. I use this in most of my recipes!
Anonymous
(Vancouver, WA, US) | April 30th, 2012
Wow, this GSE is the best! I have been using it in everything. Not only as a preservative, but, for it's anti-bacterial action on skin. I am convinced it helps with acne. Also, like another reviewer said, it does seem to make pores smaller. It's awesome in salves, lotions, creams; the possibilities are endless! If you're on the fence, try it! I love it! Thanks Camden Grey, for providing the highest quality products at affordable prices!
Anonymous
(Humboldt, IA, US) | February 6th, 2012
In making all natural body products, I was very excited to find a way to preserve them while still keeping things natural and good for your skin. Thanks again for providing such wonderful products.
Anonymous
(Colorado Springs, CO, US) | February 17th, 2012
As a true amateur, I can say this is an amazing product. I made a test lotion without it, just a day or two before I received the grapefruit seed extract. I made another couple batches of lotion with the GSE, and a few weeks later, the lotion I had prepared WITHOUT the preservative, had mold. To this day, I saved just a small amount of the lotion with the GSE and it is smooth and un-tainted now for several months. Impressive, since it requires such a small amount.
Anonymous
(wichita, KS, US) | March 17th, 2011
This is the best quality GSE I have come in contact with and I have used GSE for years. I enjoy that it helps my all natural product remain just that...all natural! To me, it makes a great preservative.
Thanks for browsing thru this section which contains answers to many questions that are often asked of us. Here we explain where to locate CofA and SDS for a product, how we dispense and package our products, how products should be stored, basic terminology and the wait time for bulk products to ship from our warehouse. FYI: We're closed on Fridays.
Certificate of Analysis (CofA) and Safety Data Sheet (SDS). We publish on our website those documents for most of our products, some products don't provide either because the product doesn't require it. In this same section where you're at now, look to the tab to the left titled Documents, click on it and that's where you'll find either document for the product you seek. If you do not find the document you require, please email us at customerservice@camdengrey.com so we can research further.
BULK ITEMS: When a customer adds a bulk item to the cart, the customer’s immediately shown on the screen how many number of days should be allowed for the bulk product to arrive at our warehouse. If the bulk item happens to be in stock, we’ll ship sooner than the customer would expect. As we emerge from Covid, logistics operations are not yet back to normal, what used to arrive at our warehouse in 3 days now takes much longer. Should a vendor inform us the ordered product will take longer than what’s mentioned on our website we’ll email the customer with the latest information.
TERMINOLOGY:
EO = essential oil
FO = fragrance oil
HOW PRODUCTS ARE DISPENSED...
BOTTLING/PACKAGING:
Essential oils: in 1/32 oz. to 1/4 oz...amber glass vials with orifice reducers. ½ oz. to 2 oz...in amber glass bottles with white caps and Eurodroppers...3 to 4 oz. in amber glass bottles with black caps and without orifice reducers...7 oz. in aluminum bottles...15 oz. in amber glass bottles with black caps...10 & 25 lbs. in HDPE plastic containers with wide mouths although, occasionally, 25 lbs. may be dispensed in factory-issued metal containers with pouring spouts.
28 lbs. of carrier oils and other liquids are dispensed in individual HDPE plastic gallon containers with handles, each holds the purchased net weight of liquid.
30+ lbs. of carrier oils, other liquids, soft butters, Castile gel and other products are dispensed in plastic HDPE pails w/metal handles & pouring spouts in the lid; those products may remain inside the pails indefinitely when properly stored. After Covid, we reserve the right to use any packaging/dispensing container available to us and not mentioned above because it continues to be difficult many times to restock the same packaging container or material used in the past.
NOTE: An EO may safely remain inside an aluminum container for up to 3 months, but if storing longer than 3 months the oil should be transferred to amber glass. Fragrances and carrier oils up to 8 lbs. may remain inside HDPE plastic bottles indefinitely. If the customer at any time feels more comfortable transferring a product to glass this should be done. ALL PRODUCTS ARE DISPENSED BY WEIGHT, THUS, SOME CONTAINERS MAY BE FILLED HIGHER THAN OTHERS DEPENDING ON THE WEIGHT AND VISCOSITY OF EACH PRODUCT.
Raw materials/ingredients are dispensed by weight. Many customers ask how many ounces in a pound, there are 16 ounces in one pound. These are not fluid ounces, they are ounces by weight.
HOW TO STORE: EOs, FOs and BUTTERS should be stored in tightly-sealed containers away from direct light and heat. Some EOs could be highly flammable, keep away from open flames. Keep all liquids and powders you purchase from Camden-Grey tightly capped and away from the reach of children, the elderly or infirm and pets. Refrigerating butters could adversely affect the consistency of the butter, please join our Forum if you need to learn how to handle, work with and store products. The link is towards the top right green section of our pages.
(Rev. 6/13/23)