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.
I had such a great time at Windy Point Soap in Calgary. It was hard to leave as I already miss spending time with Michele, Keith, and Amanda, and I met some new people, like Jenna, Vanessa, and Carla. I felt like a kid in a fireworks, candy, and puppy dog store as they let...
In yesterday’s post, we reviewed how we might use sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) in a liquid product. We found was poorly soluble in water – 0.01% at 25˚C – so we took a look at a few ways we might incorporate SCI into a daily shampoo. Let’s take a look at a few different formulas...
In the September Q&A post, Melanie asked, I am trying to make a shampoo using glycol distearate and am having no luck. I do as you suggest, and melt this separately but when I add it to the other ingredients the final product ends up gritty. I have tried adding it all at once, and have...
In the August Q&A, Allison asked: I’ve noticed that salicylic acid is an ingredient in some anti-dandruff shampoos (I’m guessing because it helps with flakiness) but it’s also used in a color-protection shampoo that I like. I’m wondering if you know what benefit it might have in hair care other than as a dandruff treatment? I’d...
I’m doing my best to respond to your comments, but considering the other day I made it through three comments before spending a morning researching and writing yesterday’s post on cetrimonium chloride, it’s not as simple as writing a few lines and being done if I want to offer you the most information I can....