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.
I introduced you to a new emulsifier, Aristoflex AVC, yesterday. Today I’ll share the first recipe I tried with it! As with anything I get new, I like to make a small batch of the product so I can see what I think. I made a 100 gram batch of this product, and it filled...
I was recently sent a large bag of Aristoflex AVC (INCI Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer), a polymer that can create gels as well as emulsify up to 5% oils or silicones. Because it doesn’t work well with electrolytes, it’s not suitable for thickening things like shampoo or body wash. Don’t use things like aloe vera, sodium...
We took a look at a foaming facial cleanser that might be good for lash extensions yesterday, and I thought we’d look at another version today. WITCH HAZEL & MARSHMALLOW FOAMING FACE AND LASH CLEANSER58.5% distilled ater10% foaming soy surfactant10% witch hazel5% cocamidopropyl betaine5% marshmallow extract5% white tea extract (liquid)2% panthenol2% quaternized rice (or another...
I’m a huge fan of my foaming facial cleanser with foaming soy surfactant, but I thought I’d try a variation on this recipe that would be more suitable for normal to dry skin. I started getting eye lash extensions in October because I have short eye lashes and I was tired of messing up my...
I notice there’s been some controversy about whether we need to heat and hold our lotions, and here’s my position on it: It works for me. I have been making lotions for 9 years – I can’t believe it’s been that long! – and in that time I have only had a few lotions fail...