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.
In this post, Nancy asks: Okay, here goes. I feel so dumb asking this question. If you make a facial serum out of oils and extracts with vastly different specific gravity, how do they stay together without shaking, or an emulsifier? I’ve seen plenty of shops on Etsy selling these. I make a product, but I...
A few questions have come up around using BTMS-25 in a conditioner when you don’t have access to BTMS-50, so let’s take a look at what we could do here! (Click here for the post on substitutions, click for the post on emulsifiers!) What’s the difference between BTMS-25 and BTMS-50? BTMS-50 is behentrimonium methosulfate (and) cetyl...
Julie was embarrassed to use her name when she asked the question – what happens if our recipe totals more than 100%? – because she felt it was a stupid question. ‘Twas not a stupid question, Julie. It was a great one that hadn’t been addressed before. Stay curious! Ask questions! The only stupid question...
Catherine wrote to me in this post with these concerns: Hi. I’ve had my first epic lotion fail. My question: Can I still use this broken emulsion lotion packed with cosmeceuticals? It has preservative in it so I figure, even if it’s not pretty, I assume I can still use it? Just shake it up...
In this post, Anonymous asks: Hey Susan, This probably is a very weird question, but I was wondering, just for curiosity’s sake, what would happen if you made a change in a lotion recipe, say added extra of an ingredient in the oil phase but didnt reduce the percentage in the water phase (so the recipe didnt...