• Essentially Natural Geogard 221 preservative
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Essentially Natural

Essentially Natural Geogard 221 - ECOCERT

Essentially Natural Geogard 221 - ECOCERT

R 39.20
R 49.00 R 39.20
20% OFF

15 in stock — ready to ship.
INCI: Dehydroacetic acid, Benzyl alcohol

Essentially Natural Geogard 221 is a broad-spectrum preservative blend used to help protect water-containing personal care products from microbial growth. It is widely used in natural and organic style formulations and is accepted for compliant products when the rest of the formula is built appropriately. Geogard 221 performs across a broad range of product types, including lotions, creams, shampoos, cleansers, gels and serums. It is typically added during cool down and works best within its recommended pH range.

♡ Why we love it: Geogard 221 is one of the more practical preservation options for formulators working in water-based personal care. It is easy to understand, flexible across many product types and supports cleaner, more reliable DIY and small-batch formulation work.

This product is certified: Vegan and Beauty Without Cruelty.

Need detailed info? COAs and SDSs are available — just send us the product name and batch number, and we’ll gladly share them with you.
  • INCI Name: Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid
  • Function: Broad-spectrum preservative
  • Certification: ECOCERT, COSMOS compliant, NaTrue certified, Soil Association approved
  • Usage Rate: 0.2-2%
  • Recommended pH Range: 2-7
  • Phase: Aqueous phase, commonly added at cool down
  • Profile: Preservative for water-containing cosmetic formulations
  • Suitable For: Lotions, Creams, Emulsions, Shampoos, Body Washes, Cleansers, Toners, Gels, Serums And Water-Based DIY Formulas
  • Storage: Store tightly closed in a cool, dry place
  • Preserving lotions, creams and emulsions
  • Preserving shampoos, body washes and cleansers
  • Preserving toners, gels and water-based serums
  • Supporting shelf life in water-containing DIY formulas
  • Reducing spoilage risk in suitable formulations
  • Natural and organic style formulation work
  • Products formulated within the recommended pH range

    This Product Is For:

  • Water-based personal care formulations
  • DIY makers who want an easy-to-use preservative option
  • Formulas built to sit within pH 2-7
  • Lotions, cleansers, gels and shampoos that need broad-spectrum preservation
  • Formulators working on natural-style cosmetic products

    • This Product Is Not For:

  • Anhydrous products with no water phase
  • Formulas outside the recommended pH range
  • A fragrance or aroma ingredient
  • Use as a finished product on its own
  • Food use
  • Replacing good hygiene, stability testing or preservation testing
  • As a Preservative: Add at 0.2-2% into the aqueous phase, typically during cool down.
  • pH Check: Check and adjust final formula pH to stay within 2-7 for best performance.
  • Manufacturing Tip: Use accurate weighing and good manufacturing hygiene for more reliable preservation.
  • Testing Tip: Check compatibility, appearance, scent, pH and stability in the finished formula.
  • Scale-Up Tip: Challenge testing is recommended for products made for sale.
  • Storage Tip: Keep the container tightly closed between uses.
  • For cosmetic formulation use only
  • For external use only
  • Do not ingest
  • Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes
  • Patch test finished products before use
  • Keep out of reach of children
  • Store tightly closed in a cool, dry place
  • Test final formulations for preservation, stability and suitability before use or sale

Q: Do I still need good hygiene if I use a preservative?
A: Yes, preservatives support clean manufacturing practice, but they do not replace it.

Q: Can I use Geogard 221 in a shampoo?
A: Yes, it is commonly used in shampoos and other rinse-off products with a water phase.

Q: Why does pH matter with Geogard 221?
A: Its performance depends on pH, so staying within the recommended range helps it work more reliably.

Q: Can Geogard 221 preserve an oil-only balm?
A: It is intended for water-containing formulas, not anhydrous oil-only products.

About Preservatives

Our range of preservatives are all suitable for natural and organic formulations, are paraben free and are easy to use. Correctly preserving your products is vital; read more here: Quick Guide To Preservatives

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Produced in South Africa
Natural Origin
Vegan
Palm Oil Free
ECOCERT Approved
Cruelty-Free
COSMOS Approved
C
Camelot. (Wellington, ZA)
Star Ingredient

Use it often, reliable in a formulation

T
Theresa V. (Port Elizabeth, ZA)
Essentially Natural Geogard 221 - ECOCERT

I have only just started using Geogard, but already love it.

C
Cherise B. (Johannesburg, ZA)
Geogard 221

Geogard 221 is a reliable and easy-to-use preservative for my facial wash formulation. It blends well without altering the scent or texture of the product. I appreciate that it’s a broad-spectrum, eco-certified preservative — perfect for natural skincare formulations. It gives me peace of mind knowing my product stays safe, stable, and free from microbial growth, while still being gentle on the skin. Highly recommended for anyone making natural or small-batch skincare products.

P
Plamedi N. (Johannesburg, ZA)
Excellent Product

This oil is good quality , even the packaging is just perfect.

T
Tyler V. (Johannesburg, ZA)
I feel healthy while preserving my projects

I am so glad I purchased this to help preserve my homemade beauty products. Its such a small amount but it goes a long, long way!

M
Michele V. (Harare, ZW)
My go to preservative!

Excellent preservative I've been using for years and never had any negative feedback from clients! Thank you

R
Rosslyn M. (Cape Town, ZA)
Geogard and castor oil

Your service top notch very quick
I'm pleased with your products looking

T
The T.C. (Durban, ZA)
Good Product

Very happy with it’s performance!!!

H
Hailey F. (Cape Town, ZA)
A good beginner's preservative!

While the percentages confused me at first, I now use this for basically everything. It does have a slight scent, but I don't find it overpowering or anything. Would definitely recommend this. It came very fast, packaged well, and delivery drivers were patient and friendly.

A
Anria M. (Johannesburg, ZA)
Geogard 221

I enjoy shopping at Essentially Natural, fast delivery

T
Thabo M. (Johannesburg, ZA)
Georgad 221

First time using this preservative and it's so easy to work with,i think if you are a beginner this should be the preservative you use,it's broadspectrum,meaning it's good for both eater based and oil based products.i won't even say anything about quality because anything that essential natural sells is quality 😉 😀

J
Joelle S. (Durban, ZA)
Good service and products

Fast delivery and excellent service. I can’t wait to use this!

E
Eryn B. (Phoenix, ZA)
Essentially Natural: Geogard 221

Very happy with the fast service, great communication, and fantastic product. Definitely recommend it.

J
Janique N. (Pretoria, ZA)
Essentially Natural Geogard 221

Effective preservative with minimal smell. Great supplier of quality products with an efficient delivery system.

U
Urvashi B. (Johannesburg, ZA)
Affordable preservative

A very affordable preservative. The only problem is that the bottle in which it is supplied in leaks. My new order arrived with leaks in the box. Essentially Natural, please look into this issue.

M
Michelle W. (Cape Town, ZA)
Happy to change to this natural preservative

So easy to work with. Very reliable for face products. Thank you to EN for supplying this product.
Thank you, EN, for your absolutely excellent service. I am a lifetime customer.

T
Thobeka Z. (Sandton, ZA)

Good quality preservative

H
Herna d.W. (Johannesburg, ZA)
Great preservative

I will keep on using this preservatives in all my vegan skincare products. Great service as well!

V
Vassili M. (Vereeniging, ZA)
Good Service and Products

Assisted with updating additional products to my cart and delivered package on time. Well packaged and support team was friendly and accommodating. Geogard is a great product. Thank you for your services.

C
Cornelia S.
Good service

Package arrived quickly and it is packed with much care... attention to very important details... this preservative will go into my next batch of products

R
Raygaanah A. (Pretoria, ZA)
Concerned customer

My bottle was leaking frm the top despite being sealed still. The movement in the box during the shipping process meant the bottle ended up upside down in the box. Other than that the integrity of the product left in the bottle seems fine still.

A
Avril M. (Cape Town, ZA)
Does this work like optiphen?

Is Geogard safe to use in scrubs and does it work like optiphen?

A
Anonymous (Johannesburg, ZA)
Works perfectly

Great product and great service! About to purchase my second batch of goodies

D
Dineo V. (Johannesburg, ZA)
Best

I'm definitely getting more

T
Thinus V.W. (Still Bay, ZA)
Very good preservative

Thank you for an awesome product. Great service!

I
IPELENG W. (Johannesburg, ZA)
Gegard 221

I have used this product before and I love it. It works as a Preservative and we use it in all our products. I would recommend it for any person that is into personal care products.

K
Kapena K. (Cape Town, ZA)

Early days still. So far so good

k
kopano T. (Centurion, ZA)

Really happy with the purchase 👌🏽

G
Gladys (Pretoria, ZA)
Not what I thoughts

This product doesn't mix well with water ingredients. I think I ill try Nautica Geogard Ultra. Maybe that will work better

L
Louise J. (Polokwane, ZA)
Geogard 221

Also not fond of the smell and the product has leaked inbetween HO to me.

J
JOZLIN M. (Polokwane, ZA)
Geogard 221 (Ecocert)

Wow wow wow... I love love it..the best preservative for my home made lotion. Thank you so much for the best service in town💛💛💛 it was my second purchase and I loved everything. Just placed my balck friday order💃💃💃

M
Magriki N. (Cape Town, ZA)
Mrs

Great service thanks!

N
Nqobile M. (Johannesburg, ZA)
Geogard 221

I'm happy with the product so far. No skin irritations have been experienced. I just need to observe the shell-life of my products after using the product.

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