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.
I’m seeing these two questions asked quite a lot in the various solid shampoo bar groups I’m in – including the one I moderate, Syndet Shampoo Bars – and the short answer is no, you can’t dissolve a shampoo bar into water to make a liquid shampoo. Why? Let’s take a look at a few...
Deanne asked in the Q&A post, Hi Susan! Just wondering what’s the best storage option for shampoo and conditioner bars? An air tight container or out in the open air? I am just curious because I make several bars at a time and have just been storing them on a table! Thank you so much. Great...
In this month’s Q&A, Dalel asked, I am making solid conditioners. I use panthenol powder and I think it might be the culprit in the issue I’m having. It is very difficult to dissolve it or melt it. The temperature of the mixture when I put it in is always above 60°C (140˚F) (sometimes up to...
I’m getting a lot of questions about this, which makes me think you’re all making conditioner bars out there! Yay, they’re so much fun! The short answer is that you add the “cool down phase” to the heated conditioner phase after you remove it from the heat, mix, then pour it into moulds. In my...
In the December Q&A, Sherri asked, I was hoping to make conditioner bars for my girls’ stockings, but I’m almost out of polyquaternium 7, and my usual Canadian supplier is sold out. Are there any substitutions I can use? Quick note: I’ve started a Q&A post on conditioner bars that you’ll find pinned to the right...