jojoba oil

[vanessa_2010]

I use jojoba oil to massage my scalp and I´ve recently purchased some ingredients that I´d like to add to it (pro vitamin b5-panthenol, squalane..)... But I don´t know how long I can keep the mix... Do you know how long it would last without losing its properties? Can I add vitamin E to make it last longer?

[vanessa_2010]

No one knows?

[slipperlady]

I have just started using jojoba oil on my hair but never thought about mixing it with anything. It would probably be a case of trial and error. Maybe mixing just small portions at a time would give you an idea. I never thought of the jojoba oil itself going bad. Do you know how long it lasts? I have been putting a few drops in my hands, rubbing them together and using it on my face, neck and hair. My skin looks better and I am starting to get compliments on my hair. This is all new to me. I will be checking back to see if someone has the answer to your question.

[Neecola]

Jojoba oil itself is one of the most stable carrier oils. I have made and used infused oils over several months without any problems. I assume all your additives are in powdered/dry form (besides the E)?

It gets trickier when adding liquids or fresh plant material due to bacterial growth. I suppose the only real way to know for sure if it is still good is either testing or adding a preservative. For me, neither of these is something I'm interested in so I make small batches of my products and keep them in a cool, dark place. I try to use them up within a month (depending on the product, of course)

Your concotion sounds lovely! Please share how it turns out~

[Nymph]

If your ingredients are all oil soluble, you can just mix it and it'll be fine. Adding vitamine E will keep it fresher longer, but you'll still need to shield it from light and heat sources.
If one of your ingredients isn't oil soluble, you'll either need to leave it out or to make a solubilisate, but that involves harsher molecules like Spans, or any other water-in-oil emulgator. I'd avoid mixing plant materials at all, since all they'll do is sink to the bottom. At the top of my head I think that VitB5 is oil soluble, not sure about squalene. I can look into it if you want.

[myria]

Maybe not much help since I've only ever mixed it with vit e and essential oils but I used one of the small, amber-glass mixing bottles for aromatherapy from the chemists (i think it holds 25ml and cost £1). It's only a small amount so it gets used up pretty quickly (2-3 weeks at most) but i've never had any problems with it.

Mixing small batches seems like a better idea than mixing a lot - especially if it doesn't work as well as you hope or you want to change the ingredients.

[sedonia]

Most of the B vitamins are water soluble, not fat soluable. I just wiki'ed panthenol and it is listed as soluble in water and alcohol.

[ddiana1979]

Vit B5 is water soluble. Squalene is susceptible to oxidation, so if you can find squalane, it might lend more stability to your preparation. Vit E is a fat soluble vitamin & an excellent natural preservative. I would personally store it in an amber or cobalt glass in the refrigerator to extend its lifetime, or you can always cover a clear bottle with aluminum foil.

ETA: If you want to add herbs, you can either use the essential oils (probably easiest) or make a tincture, then strain the herbs & add the tincture to your oil carrier.

[vanessa_2010]

Thanks a lot for your replies.
Yes, I´ve looked on the website where I got the additives (aroma-zone), and I´ve seen that panthenol is water soluble and squalane is oil soluble.
So I can´t use panthenol (pro vitamin b5) with jojoba oil, but I could add it to my shampoo, right?

[ddiana1979]

If you decide to make a tincture with herbs (using alcohol as your base), you can add the Vit B5 to that. Following straining the herbs out, you can add the tincture to the oil. You'll probably have to shake the vial each time you use it to get a decent mixture, but it should work. I'd try a very small batch to test & see what happens (maybe 5-10 mL).

[vanessa_2010]

If you decide to make a tincture with herbs (using alcohol as your base), you can add the Vit B5 to that. Following straining the herbs out, you can add the tincture to the oil. You'll probably have to shake the vial each time you use it to get a decent mixture, but it should work. I'd try a very small batch to test & see what happens (maybe 5-10 mL).

Thanks, I´ll try that :)