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.
How many times have you heard a lotion, cream, or oil being described as “draggy” on our skin? This word is generally used to indicate there’s some difficulty in spreading the lotion or cream on our skin. This has actually been studied and is considered a “sensory characteristic” of bath & body products, along with...
Happy sneak some zucchini on your neighbour’s porch day! As I’ve decided this is my year for trying new things, I’ve been trying new things (including being obvious Swift!). I put out the challenge out in the middle of June to try something new, and I set out my own goals…and I haven’t really updated...
Okay, get ready for a little organic chemistry. I know, I can hear some of you saying, “But it’s summer. We don’t have to learn!” but it’s a fascinating journey into the world of esters and I know you’ll have fun! What is an ester? (From Wikipedia) Esters are chemical compounds derived by reacting an oxoacid...
Well, that’s it for nails for now. Here’s a quick set of links on this topic… Chemistry of nailsLecithinLanolinFormulating a balm with lanolin and lecithinFormulating a whipped butter with lanolin and lecithinFormulating a lotion bar with lanolin and lecithinOil based scrubsIncorporating water soluble ingredients in an anhydrous creationOther ideas for nail products...
Although I really like yesterday’s recipe – it’s great as a light lotion without having to go to the effort of using emulsifiers and water – I really wanted a balm. What do I need to change? I realized I’d left out the cetyl alcohol or stearic acid, so I added 6% cetyl esters (again,...