Adding Preservative to Your Formula

Your formula, which uses an Aloe Vera Gel base, already contains a preservative (Phenoxyethanol) as part of the base formulation. The slight odor you've noticed after opening might be due to the natural scent of some of the active ingredients in your blend, especially since no fragrance was added to mask these odors. The staff's reply also suggested this possibility.

Adding 1% Mild Preserved™ COS to your formula is possible and compatible with the ingredients you are using, such as Active Resveratrol, N-Acetyl-D Glucosamine, Tranexamic Acid, WhiteCumin 2x, MSH White Absorb, Vitamin B3, and Hydrogenated Lecithin. Mild Preserved™ COS is a broad-spectrum preservative blend that is water-soluble and effective in a wide pH range (2-8), which suits your formula.

Adding this extra preservative should enhance the overall preservation of your product, providing better protection against microbial growth that could potentially cause spoilage or off-odors over time. Using 1% is within the recommended usage rate for Mild Preserved™ COS (0.75-1.5%).

While adding the preservative can help prevent spoilage, it may not completely eliminate any inherent odors from the raw materials themselves. If the odor is a sign of microbial contamination, adding the preservative should help prevent it from worsening.