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.
Beta glucan is a soluble fibre derived from the cell walls of plants like oat, barley, and reishi mushrooms or from yeast. Beta glucan is claimed to be anti-inflammatory, a promoter of collagen, a treatment for fine lines and wrinkles, and a great wound and care care helper. It’s thought that beta glucan works to...
I thought I’d write a quick post on this topic because I get a lot of questions about preservatives. Almost all of our liquid ingredients will contain a preservative of some kind, especially if they contain water. I haven’t met a surfactant yet that didn’t contain a preservative, and you generally need to read the...
I admit I’m having trouble researching these cosmeceuticals because some of the ingredients are brand names and I can’t find data sheets for them. Or I can’t find others at the various suppliers I check, so I can’t get an idea of how much they cost, whether they’re a liquid or powder, how much to...
Phytonadione (aka phylloquinone or Vitamin K1) is a fat soluble vitamin found in various leafy greens (like the horrid Brassica family), parsley, clove bud essential oil, soy bean, and canola oil as well as some fruits like kiwi and grapes. In our bodies, it is essential for normal blood clotting. Vitamin K2 comes from menaquinones,...
Yep, it’s March 14th, which means it’s Pi Day (3-14, at least in the non-Commonwealth countries)! I’m not the biggest fan of pi – trig and I don’t get along all that well – but if it’s a cheap excuse to eat pi and talk about science, then I’m in! Want some ideas on how...