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.
While looking at the comments section looking for questions I could answer, I found a link to the Bancroft rule, and I thought I should post it here. (I can’t remember who suggested this, sorry, but you are awesome!) The Bancroft rule states: “The phase in which an emulsifier is more soluble constitutes the continuous...
As I’ve mentioned in the past, The Formulator Sample Shop sent me a bunch of really lovely ingredients with which I could experiment, and I’ve been playing with them one by one in various products. I thought I’d try using their volumizing complex in my leave in conditioner. The INCI for this product is Water &...
I’ve had a few people comment that I use a high concentation of surfactants in my products, so I set out to create a foaming facial cleanser that had low levels of extremely mild surfactants I could use after my Viking workout when I’ve recently washed my face. I also thought it would be a...
I’ve always loved swimming and being in the water, and Raymond is finally enjoying it, too. We both want something to protect our hair from the chemicals we find in a pool, mainly chlorine, as I’ve noticed that my hair is a little trashed those weeks I go every day! There are three things that...
In this post, Julie asks: I was wondering if it would be too abrasive to use a chemical exfoliant together with a physical exfoliant? I’d like to do a SA surfactant based facial scrub with a gentle exfoliator, like jojoba beads or something. What do you think? It depends upon your skin type. I’ve tried it...