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.
Earlier today, I shared with you a duplication of Lush’s Jumping Juniper shampoo bar in which I used sodium coco sulfate. What is this surfactant and why would we use it in a shampoo bar? Sodium coco sulfate (SCS) is closely related to one of the most disliked surfactants, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), so what...
I’m sharing this with everyone as I’m finding it very strange that everyone wants to use sodium coco sulfate as the base of a shampoo bar when the pH is far too high – over pH 9, which is alkaline, when we want to be pH 6 or lower – and can damage your hair...
We’ve spent the last week looking at various ways we can “improve radiance” and “brighten skin”. On Monday, we took a look at using hydrating and moisturizing ingredients to increase hydration and reduce dryness. On Wednesday, we created a hand & body lotion for more humid climates, and Thursday, we created one for more arid...
Liquorice root (or licorice root, if you’re American – INCI: Glycrrhiza glabra) is supposed to work as an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-irritant, demulcent, skin whitening, and wound healing ingredient when applied topically. Let’s take a look at what gives liquorice its awesome qualities. Liquorice root contains amino acids, flavonoids, phytosterols like ß-sitosterol and stigmasterol, coumarins,...
I’m very aware of cost these days as I’m getting into more and more expensive cosmeceuticals or ECOcert ingredients, and as of yesterday, I’m working hard to share with you a rough estimate of how much less common ingredients and formulas may cost. I’m also really aware as a Canadian that there might be all...