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.
My life changed 15 years ago in May 2006 thanks to a batch of failed bath bombs I tried to teach my youth group. After they turned to dust, I turned to the internet to figure out what went wrong when I’d made so many batches of successful, lovely products. I stumbled upon The Soap … Read more
Welcome to week two of our Formulating Friday advanced lotion making series/course! This week, we’re making a light hand & body lotion using our new emulsifier, Olivem 1000! We made a basic version on Tuesday; today’s version will be more complicated. You will want to read Tuesday’s entry to get a handle on why we’re...
Just thought I’d share a quick reminder about this weekend’s Zoom workshop – the Spring Q&A! You can ask whatever questions you wish and I’ll do my best to answer them! Please check out the original post on this to leave a question or get ready to ask it in the workshop. Here’s the link...
In this month’s Q&A, Deborah asked, I am making a face cream that is 50% oils, 50% aloe vera, with a bit of beeswax, dl panthenol, and Olivem 900. After talking to a Chemist at Formulator Sample Shop, (they sell paddles to check for mold and bacteria in skin care) she says that aloe vera...
For April 2021 subscribers only. You can buy the e-book from the store if you weren’t a subscriber for the month of April 2021. Click here for the link. I’m so excited to share the second edition of one of my favourite e-books, revised with everything I’ve learned over the past three years about humectants...