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.
Lotion bars are considered pretty basic bath and body products. Melt, pour into a mold or container, wait until hardened, use. Their simplicity makes them a great place to play when we are trying to figure out what oils we like in what combinations. I figured it would be fun to show the process of...
I really do love body wash – they smell nice, they get me clean, they are all foamy and lathery – and I’m always trying to find ways to incorporate moisturizing ingredients into them. So why don’t I use oils more often? I’m always seeing ads for body washes with moisturizers or ribbons of moisture...
I love aloe vera and I use it in a lot of things I make, but what does it actually bring to our products? Like shea butter, aloe vera is celebrated as a liquid for all occasions, being blessed with being soothing, anti-itching, burn and wound healing, and UV protecting qualities. But wait, there’s more!...
I do like anhydrous products, but sometimes there isn’t enough moisture to trap onto our skin. So I thought of making a water based itchy skin spray, something akin to a toner or a modified toner. This way Raymond could spray it on before using the anhydrous products or use in the summer when we’re...
What else can I make anti-itching for Raymond? What about a solid scrub bar he can use in the shower? This is a product I’ve made many times in the past – should I tweak it? SOLID SCRUB BAR FOR THE BODY 50% cocoa butter 20% mango, shea or other butter 3% cetyl alcohol 4%...