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.
SwiftCraftyMonkey 
I see people asking all the time where to start the process of learning how to make lotions, and my first suggestion is to check out the beginners’ section of my blog where I have starting formulas for all kinds of products, from whipped butter and lotion bars to lotions, creams, and body butters along...
Euxyl K 900 (INCI: Benzyl Alcohol (and) Ethylhexylglycerin) is considered by the company to be a strong broad spectrum preservative. “euxyl® K 900 is a liquid cosmetic preservative based on benzyl alcohol and ethylhexylglycerin. The addition of ethylhexylglycerin affects the interfacial tension at the cell membrane of micro-organisms, improving the preservative activity of benzyl alcohol....
You might see this ingredient in preservatives like Euxyl® K900 and Euxyl® PE 9010, so what’s it all about then? Ethylhexylglycerin is an alkyl glycerol ether we can use to boost the preserving power of ingredients like phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, and methylisothiazolinone, and works as an effective deodorant, inhibiting the growth of bacteria that might cause body odour....
In the August Q&A post, Brian asked, What are these new products using “Essence” in the name? Fresh Black Tea Kombacha and Tatcha The Essence, Plumping Skin Softer, both listing saccharomyces as the first ingredient, and both hitting near $100 in price. The dictionary definition of “Essence” makes no sense here but it is a...
Welcome to September! I always feel like this is the start of a new year as I always loved going back to school, so I get into serious learning, experimenting, and writing mode. Plus, it’s a great time to stock up on all kinds of stationery, to which I’m definitely addicted! Can you ever have … Read more