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.
Cordy wrote this comment in this post: Hi Susan, I get what you’re saying (and would tend to agree with you that there’s a lot of “greenwashing” out there, or pseudo-science) but I have a question: The website you linked to is funded by cosmetics companies. Now, that may not mean that there’s a conflict of interest...
Kathy wrote to me to ask why a recipe similar to this one wasn’t working for her. I knew right away that BTMS-25 was the culprit! If you’re using Incroquat BTMS as your emulsifier, please ensure you’re using BTMS-50 – not BTMS-25 – as your emulsifier! BTMS-25 contains 25% behentrimonium methosulfate, the active ingredient in...
Anonymous wrote in this post: Are phosphate esters derived from chemical or organic? Are they safe in beauty products? As there are really two questions here, let’s take a look at each one. The quick answers are no, and yes. From the post: Phosphate esters are a category of anionic surfactants that include alkyl phosphates and...
What a week! The pickling cucumbers aren’t at their peak yet, so another week goes by without us making some awesome kosher dills! But we did get to be on the TV (the interview isn’t on the site yet, but I’ll link to it when it is!), and we had a great class with the...
It’s been a great but busy week as I’ve been offering craft groups every day! Yesterday, our local TV station stopped by to interview Raymond and me about our groups, the blog, and my obsession with cosmetic chemistry. Today we had 19 tweens make bubble bath from scratch followed by 26 teens making mud masks,...