Welcome to the home of SwiftCraftyMonkey Formulating Inc.! Join Susan as she obsesses about cosmetic chemistry and other things (some possibly related to monkeys)! Here you’ll find over 5,000 posts and formulas written over the past 16 years for everything from lotions, creams, and body butters to hair care products to fancy facial products filled with actives and cosmeceuticals! Enjoy the site without distractions – no ads, pop ups, sponsored posts, affiliate links, “one weird tricks” – all supported by readers like you.
Cetearyl ethylhexanoate (also known as cetearyl octanoate, and found under the trade name Tegosoft Liquid, Luvitor EHO, Schercemol CO ester, and Crodamol CAP) is a light, colourless liquid that does have a faint odour. It has a shelf life of 24 months and can be used at up to 25% in our creations. Its viscosity...
I think the best way to try a new ingredient is to take an easy-to-make product you know and love – let’s say a whipped butter – and tweak it using the new ingredient. In this case, I’m using C12-15 alkyl benzoate with soy butter. I haven’t used soy butter in a while as I...
C12-15 alkyl benzoate is an ester you’ll see a lot in commercial products as it is an emollient, skin feel modifier (makes other oils feel less greasy), an anti-tackiness agent, lubricant, and binder and wetting agent for mineral make-up products. It also works as a solvent for sunscreen ingredients, making it easier to incorporate those...
Lissa wrote in this post on body oil sprays: Have you tried an ester in a body spray? C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate? I love, love light weight sprayable lotions or after shower oil sprays. I generally use an ester in my body spray – I like to include IPM because it reduces the feeling of greasiness –...
I’m always happy to get e-mails and comments looking for why a product didn’t work, but I’d like to make a suggestion if you’re making a product for the first time…make a basic version of it. I’m receiving e-mails from people who have shampoos – especially shampoos – that don’t work, and it seems like...