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.
Susan Barclay-Nichols 
Quick point of interest: I’ve written a new post on this topic with more information – Q&A: Can I make up batches of product and scent it later? How do I do that? And a disclaimer on how much fragrance oil to use in a formula! (July 11, 2022) – which adds more information to this...
Here’s an e-mail question I received from JC:I don’t know anything about chemistry, so I don’t understand the % you put for each ingredient. I’m used to read cooking recipes, where they tell you 1 teaspoon of this, 1 cup of that, but I don’t know how I would measure the % of the ingredients...
I’ve noticed quite a few men are frequenting the site, writing comments or sending me e-mails. And to you, I issue a hearty welcome! (And apparently I think a picture of my husband wearing a Viking helmet will manly up the place…) I’ve noticed quite a few boys joining my craft group for projects other...
The first impression we get of a cosmetic product is with our eyes (especially on-line!). As Mr. Burns says, “You see with your eyes, not with your hands,” so a pretty product is one to which we’re attracted. I know consumers say they want green, organic, preservative free, and fragrance free products, but the main...
All this reading about things that might irritate, hurt, maim, or kill you, I’m feeling like I need a break from the maligned ingredients series. I need something wonderfully uplifting, so for me that means Christmas! And I realize this is early, but nothing annoys me more than to see holiday related tutorials showing up...