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’m having a love affair with nail polish right now. I’ve always had really strong nails, so strong that I can’t bite through them. (Yes, those are my real nails…) I realize I have my genes to thank – I received a triple helping of whatever gives you hair, nails, teeth, and bones – but I...
I see e-mail messages and comments all the time asking how to substitute something in a recipe because someone has an allergy or are vegan or have a special need or political belief that means they can’t use an ingredient, and my suggestion is to learn what the ingredient brings to the product and learn...
In this post on decyl glucoside, Mandy asks: Does anyone know if there is a powdered form of decyl glucoside? Or, is there another powdered surfactant that would work well as a laundry detergent? I wouldn’t take the chance, to be honest. I know a few people who have ruined their very expensive machines by making...
I’ve shown you this picture many times before, but I present it again as an illustration for this post! Both bottles contain the same liquid – my toner recipe – but I added a ton of extracts to bottle 2. When I made the product and added the extracts at cool down (below 45˚C), it...
Can you tell I’m off work for the week? I’ve created a new SnapGuide visual tutorial on making soy candle wax tarts! I starting making these when my massage therapist mentioned how much she loved the idea but hated the fragrance choices, and I was so happy to see Voyageur Soap & Candle had the...