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.
The cuticle is the part of the hair that probably concerns us the most on a day to day basis. When our hair emerges from our scalp, it has about 6 to 10 layers of cuticle about 50 micrometres on a side and about 0.5 micrometres thick. The cuticle is attached to the cortex and...
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...
In the monthly Q&A, Chavi asked, Hi Susan, I often see you mention if a surfactant blend can be thickened with salt. Could you describe the actual process of thickening with salt? Thanks! Adding salt – sodium chloride, table salt – is a good way to thicken certain surfactants and blends! It does this in two...