The home of SwiftCraftyMonkey Formulating Inc.! Join Susan as she obsesses about cosmetic chemistry and other things (some possibly related to monkeys). Often strange, occasionally useful, and always worth a stop as a point of interest on your journey through the Intertron.
It’s been a while since we enjoyed a deep dive into cyclomethicone, one of my favourite silicones for hair and skin care products. I’ll be starting a series on making hair conditioners without silicones shortly, and thought it was time we learned a bit more about this awesome silicone before we tried replacing it with...
Let’s take a closer look at this really interesting oil I found at Lotioncrafter, Buruti oil (INCI: Mauritia Flexuosa (Buriti) Fruit Oil)! Buruti oil is derived from the bright orange fruits of the Mauritia flexuosa palm tree from South America. This oil is sustainably produced, obviously plant-derived, and vegan. It might be cold pressed, refined or...
I’m always excited to meet new surfactants, and new powdered or flaked surfactants are even more exciting as we have so few available! This one – sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) and disodium cocoyl glutamate (DCG) – is an exceptionally mild, conditioning, elegant powdered surfactant that’ll leave your hair and skin feeling awesome after rinsing, suitable...
Plantasil® Micro (INCI: Dicaprylyl Ether (and) Decyl Glucoside (and) Glyceryl Oleate) is a transparent microemulsion of these three ingredients used to increase conditioning and emolliency in rinse-off surfactant based products, like shampoos, body wash/shower gel, and skin cleansers when combined with cationic or positively charged ingredients. It also works as a moisturizer by depositing emollients,...
Amla oil (INCI: Emblica officinalis (Amla) oilis the fruit oil of the Indian gooseberry, a deciduous tree fund in tropical and subtropical areas. The fruit itself is a “fleshy pale yellow with six obscure vertical furrows and spherical in shape” (Reference: Fruit oils textbook). If you’re been using or making hair care products for any length...