One of the reasons people are moving away from commercial soaps and skin care products is because of the numerous chemicals and preservatives used that have questionable effects on our health. Grapefruit seed extract is a natural (extracted from the seeds of grapefruits) citricidal preservative. It can be used in many ways for household disinfection and can also be used to preserve soaps, toiletries and cosmetics. In the house, it can be used to wash fruit, vegetables and meat/fish, disinfect countertops, laundry, toothbrushes, utensils, humidifiers, etc. It can also be used diluted as a mouthwash, gargle or disinfectant for hands. Pretty much anywhere you use commercial disinfectants, you can substitute GSE and you can rest assured that it is safe for you and the environment. It can even be used to disinfect drinking water if necessary.
Handling GSE
Avoid contact with eyes. If contact should occur, immediately flush eyes/eye with water for at least 10 minutes and see a physician. Always dilute before using on skin or for personal use. There's no need to dilute for use in soaps and toiletries. If it comes in contact with the skin (unless you're using a drop for warts or cysts), you should thoroughly rinse the area with water. As with all other medications, keep out of the reach of children.
Uses
- For a fruit/veggie or meat/fish wash: use 8-15 drops per gallon of water
- For laundry: add 10 drops to rinse cycle
- For humidifiers: add 4 drops per gallon to the reservoir
- For disinfecting toothbrushes: 2 drops in 5 oz. of water. You can store your toothbrush for a week in this solution.
- As a gargle or mouthwash: 3 drops in 5 oz. of water
- To disinfect drinking water: If possible, filter water first or let sit. Add 10 drops GSE to gallon of clear water. Shake and let resettle. It will be bitter but clean.
- For general disinfection of counter tops and other surfaces: Use 8-15 drops per gallon of water.
- Make your own baby wipes: Use 20 drops in 16 oz. of water
- For soap or lotions: Use between .05 and 2% of your total ingredients. Add to oils before adding lye when using in soap.
How Much to Use
Use GSE ar a rate of .05- 2%. To measure out 2%, multiply the total volume (in ounces) of your batch times .02 to get ounces of GSE to use. Usually the amount is too small to measure in ounces so you can multiply that number by 30 to get ml and use an ml syringe to measure your GSE.
How GSE is Made
GSE is made with extracts of citrus seeds/pulp. It is made through a special process of combining polyphenols with the acidic extracts of citrus seeds/pulp until they convert to a stable quaternary ammonium compounds. Some quat. compounds are toxic to animal life but GSE provides very broad anti bacterial activity while demonstrating no toxicity. It is blended with vegetable glycerin to make it non irritating to the skin and mucous membranes. As a blend, GSE is safe enough to use as a disinfectant for drinking water when necessary. Our GSE does not contain any preservatives such as parabens as it shouldn't be necessary if GSE itself is a preservative. While the 33% GSE is suitable for regular household purposes, the 60% Concentrated GSE is recommended for cosmetic purposes. Use at .05 to 1% to preserve most formulations or use at 2% to create antibacterial creams, salves, rinses, soaps etc.
