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 June, I decided to undertake the great conditioner experiment to see just how much conditioner my hair might really need! (Click here for more information, although I’ll summarize it below!) I’ve got below-my-waist length, coarse, oily, prone to frizzy hair, but other than the period of time where I went pink (look to your...
Ruth wrote to ask me this question: What does it mean, when a ingredient says it is 25% or 30% or etc. active? Do you use them differently? Depending on the active %? Great question, Ruth! We see this mostly with surfactants in that the ingredient contains 25% of the active ingredient – something like cocamidopropyl betaine...
Angel wrote to me to ask: Why are behentrimonium methosulfate and cetearyl alcohol often written together as though they are a compound solution? I understand your explanation of why the cetearyl alcohol is used with the behentrimonium methosulfate in hair conditioners. But is there a reason why I’ve found the two written together as one compound...
If you’re just starting out or trying a new recipe, consider making small batches of products, maybe 100 to 300 grams to start. (And yes, I recommend using metric because there’s nothing more frustrating than having to figure out what 40% x 8 ounces is when you’re in the middle of measuring in the workshop!)...
I’m addicted to making jam this year! We made strawberry jam in July, and raspberry and blueberry last week. Today was supposed pickling day, but the cucumbers aren’t ready yet, so it’s peach and cherry jamming day! We’re going to make a salsa, a chutney, a spread, and a few jams! I thought it was...