How do I sterilize my tools and containers?
Short answer
Follow the four-step sterilization chain: wash, rinse, disinfect or sterilize, then sanitize containers just before filling.
Explanation
Anything that touches the product goes through four steps. First, mechanical cleaning in hot soapy water. Second, rinsing with distilled or very hot water. Third, disinfection or sterilization: best practice is a pressure cooker or autoclave (15 minutes at 15 PSI) or a dry-heat oven (160 °C for 2+ hours); the standard option is immersing or wiping with 70% isopropyl alcohol and air-drying on a clean rack. Fourth, just before filling, spray the inside of each jar and its threads with alcohol and let it evaporate.
What to do
- Air-dry tools on a clean rack; never towel-dry, because towels re-contaminate.
- Sanitize containers immediately before filling, not hours ahead.
- Water-based products are the most vulnerable, so be most careful with creams, toners and gels.
Source: The Big Book of Homemade Skin Care, The Big Book of Homemade Soap — The Non-Negotiable Protocol: The Sterilization Chain