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.
What exactly is the difference between a cream, lotion, butter, milk, or moisturizer? They’re all oil-in-water emulsifications, meaning there’s more water than oil in the product, but the key difference is the ratio of the water phase to the oil phase. In a body milk or facial moisturizer, you’re looking at about 90% water...
Wasn’t the point of all the oil research supposed to be making lotions? I mean, I’ve been going on since October 10th about oils and butters and exotic oils, when am I going to get to the lotion making? Well, here’s a start! I’ve been trying different things to help my wonderful husband’s itchy legs...
Although I find it can get overwhelming trying to choose the perfect oil for your creation, I always think of my end goal for the product, what skin feel I want, and what I can access and afford. (I’ve been looking at cranberry oil at various on-line retailers, even considering order from the States, only...
You may remember my experiment with Olivem 800, an emulsifier suitable for very light lotions or body milk (if you don’t, here’s the link!) LIGHT LOTION WITH OLIVEM 800WATER PHASE (you can use 78% water if you don’t have the hydrosols!)56% water20% lavender water (my aloe went bad! eek!)2% sodium lactate OIL PHASE4% fractionated coconut...
Gamma linolenic acid (C18:3) is another essential fatty acid, one our bodies can’t produce. It has three double bonds, meaning it is a fatty acid that is going to oxidize quickly, so we need to combine it with some good anti-oxidants or use it quickly in our lotions. It is found in small quantities in...