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 
In the monthly Q&A, Susan asked, I have a number of age / liver spots on my hands and face, as I was part of the “let’s use baby oil to get a suntan” generation. I am hoping that you could tell me the best actives to tone these little beauties down. I am specifically...
Oh wow, did I go down the rabbit hole for a question posed by Susan on the monthly Q&A quite a few months back. As with many of the awesome questions you ask there, this one took a while because it’s become a series that might end up being an e-book as well. Thank you for...
This is a long post that didn’t have a logical place to make cuts, so rather than spend time re-writing it, here’s a few days of posts in one! For a while now, I’ve shared charts with you so you can make substitutions for the preservatives that you have in your workshop if you can’t...
There may be restrictions on certain preservatives in your part of the world, something to keep in mind when you’re following formulas or creating new ones. I do my best to keep up to date on these things, but I can’t possibly know every single restriction outside of Canada or the USA because I only...
In the monthly Q&A, Chavi asked, You also use the term “fish eyes when using rheology modifiers. Could you provide a photo so I know what to look for? Thanks! “”Fish eyes” are agglomerates of partially hydrated powders characterized by a tough outer layer which prevents the complete wetting of particles within the interior.” (Reference) Basically, they’re...