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.
There are so many great suppliers in the States, and as with the other “where can we get supplies” posts, I encourage you to add your favourites with your opinion of their selection or service. If you get specific ingredients from these retailers that are hard to find, please note that as well. Lotioncrafter: You know … Read more
In the September Q&A, SuZanBare asked, Do some conditioners really benefit your hair by leaving the conditioner on longer? The short answer is there really isn’t a benefit when it comes to conditioning, but there may be when it comes to oils. From this post, How much conditioner should we use and how long should we…...
In the same post, Alexandrea asked, I am really interested in how the ingredients in a product can affect skin or hair colour. For example a purple shampoo to take out the bronze colour in blonde hair, or the GRADUAL tanning lotions give you colour over a period of time. I am a new subscriber this…...
In September Q&A post, tessarex asked, I’m wondering about the use of lye/sodium hydroxide in lotion/cream formulas. I’m curious because I’ve got a friend using Vicco’s Turmeric Cream, which lists its ingredient as – Active Ingredients: Turmeric 16%, Sandalwood oil .5% Cream Base: Stearic acid, Sorbitol, Methyl Paraben, Propyl Paraben, Sodium Hydroxide, Water. It’s probably not…...
In the September Q&A post, Nelly asked, I’m so excited that I finally have a chance to ask you a question, because I gotta admit, all the questions that I generally have by some kind of magic are answered in your blog. Sometimes I feel like you’re a mindreader. Thank you so much for your hard…...
Sorry for the silence this week, but I’ve been furiously working on this month’s e-zine – Mineral make-up & colour cosmetics – and resting after a super fun but exhausting day at Voyageur Soap & Candle last Saturday. Subscribers can click here to download the formula package! You’ll find formulas for whipped butters, foaming bath … Read more
Check out this month’s new e-zine – Mineral make-up & colour cosmetics! I’ve been dying to share my mineral make-up formulas with you for quite some time, and we’ve finally put together my favourite formulas for pressed eye shadows, loose eye shadows, glitter gel, translucent finishing powder, and nail polish as well as formulas for…...
Over the last few months, the most frequently asked question has been, “What can I use instead of panthenol?” And my most frequently answered answer is always, “What are you making?” Substitutions need to be considered in light of the product, other Ingredients, and function of the substitution. Related post: Let’s talk about substitutions In…...
So, I’m a bit of an idiot. I was ordering a few things from New Directions Aromatics, and didn’t want to incur their “small order” fee ($100 is not small!) so I threw some lime butter into my basket. And when it came, it turns out I bought a kilogram of it! Thank goodness it…...
As I mentioned yesterday, I presented at Voyageur Soap & Candle’s grand opening at their new store in Surrey! So many of you came down to say “hi”, and I can finally put some faces to the names I see around here! Thank you so much for joining me yesterday to talk about formulating while…...