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.
In this post, using polysorbates in your products, Lisa asks: I’ve tried the bath oil formula, but I noticed that the polysorbate 80 starts to separate from the oil after letting it sit for a while. Everytime I want to use it, I have to shake it up. Is there anything I can add to prevent...
I’ve been creating visual guides to making some of the products you’ll find on this blog – like wax tarts and whipped butters. Check out my SnapGuides to see these tutorials! I thought some of them might be very nice for Christmas presents!...
In this post, Incroquat BTMS-50 in solid scrub bars, Birgit asks: Update on the scrub bar: even though it was soft, I took it to shower after I had “cured” it for a few days. First, I was quite thrilled, the level of scrubbiness was very nice, and it went on well. The problem arose...
In this post, Lotion bars: Tweaking the waxes, Tracy asks: I was wondering if it would be okay to add an antioxidant like ROE or Vitamin E T-50 to extend the life of the oils? If so, does it matter which one is used? Yes, you can add anti-oxidants to any oil soluble product to extend...
I’m seeing a lot of really – hmm, how do I say this without sounding really mean? – less than awesome recipes out there on the Interwebs for products you could give at Christmas. I’m seeing recipes for lotions with no emulsifiers, body butters composed entirely of coconut oil (more about this below), or products...