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.
Sunflower oil is a fantastic oil if you are looking for a high linoleic acid oil. It is light, meaning you can make some very light moisturizers containing great ingredients, and it’s inexpensive. Its fatty acid make up is…5 to 7% palmitic acid (saturated, C16)3 to 6% stearic acid (saturated, C18)16 to 36% oleic acid...
A simply way to get linoleic acid on your skin is to make a simple lotion bar. (And my picture isn’t great – I have to learn how to use that white balance!) SIMPLE LOTION BAR32% beeswax33% butter33% liquid oil1% Vitamin E or other anti-oxidant at suggested rates1% fragrance or essential oils (at safe levels)Melt...
As an introduction to looking at the various oils we can use in making our bath & body products, I thought I’d take a look at the various fatty acids on their own and see what they bring to the mix…and linoleic acid (C18:2 or octadecadienoic acid ) seemed like a good place to start....
Caroline posed an interesting question…My question is if I use a certain percentage of presevative how long will my product last? How long will it be protected? Is there a timeline? Great question! How do we figure out how long something will last? Preservatives and anti-oxidants are only one part of the equation. We...
Citric acid (or 2-hydroxy-1, 2, 3-propanetricarboxylic acid) is a chelating, anti-oxidizing, and pH altering ingredient that can bind metal ions, help prevent rancidity, and alter the pH of our lotions and surfactant mixtures. It’s also a key ingredient in bath bombs. There are two types of citric acid we can buy – anhydrous (water free)...