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.
I love leave in conditioners! They offer so much wonderful awesomeness to your hair with low levels of ingredients. Where to start making a leave in conditioner? As usual, think about your goals? What do you want in this product? That answer will help you move in the right direction! I have oily, frizzy hair…...
I’m planning to share a recipe with you that contains this ingredient kera straightening and curls (INCI: Hydrolyzed Keratin & Trametes Versicolor Extract), so it seemed like a good idea to take a look at it! We’re all familiar with keratin – it’s the protein we find in our hair, skin, and nails. The hydrolyzation of it…...
If you want to know more about chemistry, I cannot suggest enough that you hie thyself to your local retailer of books and pick up this gorgeous and giant tome, Molecules, by Theodore Grey, and his other book, Elements (which also comes in calendar form, something I also received for Christmas!). I was surprised to see…...
I’m extremely fortunate to receive awesome free stuff from the Formulator Sample Shop*, but I can’t just use an ingredient without doing some research, so let’s take a look at what I’ve learned about lycopene bioferment. Lycopene is a tetraterpene, a carotene, and a major pigment in tomatoes. It is a strong anti-oxidant that scavenges…...
I’m a big fan of having highly coloured products, as you can plainly see. The easiest way to get those colours is from LabColours (link to Voyageur Soap & Candle, but available elsewhere), which are suitable for melt & pour soaps, surfactant mixes and yes, even our lotions. (Although I don’t know how I’d feel…...
How to measure small amounts? There are a few hints I can share with you about this! Get a small scale, like the one you see in the picture. This is a jeweller’s scale. I purchased it in one of those places that smells a bit like incense and skunks, if you get my meaning,…...
I can’t write this blog without your wonderful suggestions and input, so I wanted to remind you that I’m always looking for ideas for the one ingredient, five or ten products series and want to hear what you have to suggest for the what do you want to know? post! If you have a few…...
Raymond really likes his 3-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, and body wash product that I originally made for him for his after swim shower, and I thought I’d make more for daily life without the swimming ingredients. I kept the ingredients relatively the same – I liked the surfactant mix I used and I liked the other…...
If you’re part of the Commonwealth or former parts of the Commonwealth, you know what I’m talking about when I say Happy Boxing Day! This is our Black Friday, the day all the stuff goes on sale and we go nuts buying big ticket items. Or, if you’re like me, you stay home and play…...
Merry Christmas to everyone from the Barclay Nichols’s household! We hope you’re enjoying this morning with your family and friends! May your day be merry with loads of love, giggles, and loudly sung songs! Thank you so much for supporting our youth programs this year by donating funds for the e-books! Your generosity enabled us…...