Preservatives: Liquipar oil

Liquipar oil is a liquid preservative that's all about the parabens, with an INCI of isopropylparaben (40%), isobutylparaben (30%), and butylparaben (30%) As we know the parabens are great fungal, yeast, and mould fighters, but often need help in the bacteria fighting department, so the manufacturers (ISP) recommend you add some Germall II (phenoxyethanol) at 0.1% and EDTA at 0.2% to create a broad spectrum preservative. It is not a formaldehyde donor.

As we know, the water solubility of the parabens decreases as we increase the chain length of the paraben, so this will be a great ingredient for anhydrous products as it's not that water soluble. You can use it in emulsified products or products containing oils, but only water based products are not an option (like toners or body washes without oils).

It's an effective preservative for products in the pH range of 3 to 8, and it can be added when your product reaches below 80˚C, which means it can be added to the heated oil phase of your product or the cool down phase.

If you want to use this product, I'd definitely include another preservative with better bacteria fighting powers, like Germall II (as suggested, although I've never seen it in our suppliers' shops!), Liquid Germall Plus, Suttocide A, or any of the Optiphen preservatives. (In all honesty, though, you'd probably be better off just buying Liquipar PE as it that contains the phenoxyethanol that helps fight bacteria! More about that tomorrow!)

Summary of Liquipar oil:
INCI:  Isopropylparaben, isobutylparaben, and butylparaben.
Usage at 0.4% to 0.8% when the product is below 80˚C.
Suitable for products containing oils. Not suitable for water only creations.
Good for products with a pH of 3 to 8.