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’ve always loved the words “sea kelp” (say it fast) and even created a “therapeutic body wash” to go with the name. But what’s the deal with sea kelp bioferment? Sea kelp bioferment is derived from the fermentaiton of sea kelp using the bacteria Lactobacillus, which breaks down the cellular walls of the kelp, which...
I still haven’t received the cosmeceuticals I ordered – I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa, only I know what’s inside the box – but I thought I’d take a look at some of the cosmeceutical ingredients we’ve reviewed in the last week and how we can incorporate them into a...
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...
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,...
Resveratrol is a “polyphenolic phytoalexin” that certain plants use as a defence against bacteria and fungi. The main way we see this in our bath and body products without being a pure version of it is in grapeseed extract. It is claimed to be a good anti-oxidant and free radical scavenger, but might also offer...