The home of SwiftCraftyMonkey! Join Susan as she obsesses about cosmetic chemistry and other things (some possibly related to monkeys). Often strange, occasionally useful, and always worth a stop as a point of interest on your journey through the Intertron.
If you ever consider getting me a present – and why wouldn’t you? – this periodic table of the elements blanket would be just perfect! How is this only $30? And if you’re really in the mood to get me a present, consider this lovely atomic necklace! Yeah, I’m subtle! (ThinkGeek) To everyone who keeps asking…...
There are loads of you with loads of questions about preservatives, so let’s take a look at some of those comments now! HOW MUCH PRESERVATIVE SHOULD I USE?In this post, Question: Why would you leave preservatives out for sensitive skin?, Mariena asks: I use Phenonip in my lotions and emulsified scrubs and was wondering about…...
I was amazed to see that the most popular post on the blog this month was the post on cucumber extract. In light of that, it makes sense that we should take a closer look at this ingredient and formulate with it for a bit! Cucumber extract (INCI: Cucumis sativa (cucumber) extract) can be found…...
Sarah asks in this post, Lotions: Making a cream: I made an unscented cream yesterday for my friend with very sensitive skin. I left the cream in the bowl over night with a stainless steel spoon in it. Today I noticed on one side of the spoon the cream has been discoloured (purple in colour). From…...
What have we learned over the last little while about using sunflower oil in our products? We’ve learned that sunflower oil contains linoleic acid, which helps repair skin’s barrier mechanisms and helps prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL); oleic acid, which softens and moisturizes skin; and phytosterols, which reduce inflammation and itching as well as TEWL.We’ve learned sunflower oil feels light…...
As we saw on Friday, sunflower oil is a great addition to a lip balm. And it’s a great addition to a solid perfume because it offers no odour and is light in colour and skin feel. Solid perfumes are very basic in nature because the main goal is to keep them solid in all…...
WHY CAN’T I USE GERMABEN II IN AN EMULSIFIED SCRUB?In this post on making a black cocoa emulsified scrub, Sophia asks: Oh no, I can’t use germaben II? I thought because there is e-wax in it I could use it? So what will happen? I watched a lady use it in her e-sugar scrub and it…...
When we’re adding or removing water soluble ingredients from a recipe, we tend to remove or add to the amount of water in the product. Let’s say we have a recipe that looks like this…. BASIC LOTION RECIPEHEATED WATER PHASE74% water HEATED OIL PHASE20% oil5% emulsifier COOL DOWN PHASE1% preservative …and we want to add…...
As we saw yesterday, sunflower oil is a great addition in a balm. So what about lip balms? Yep, it’s a great addition there, too! As a light feeling, tasteless, and odourless oil, it’s a great addition that offers a bit of shine. LIP SHIMMER STICK BASE8% candellia wax9% beeswax18% shea butter12% mango butter52% liquid…...
Why should you choose sunflower oil for an oil based balm? Because…oh, I’ll just let you read this post on sunflower oil to find out more as I’m sure you’re sick of hearing me go on about the linoleic acid, oleic acid, and phytosterols already! What is a balm? (From this post: Back to Basics:…...