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.
My mom absolutely loves this lotion. She uses it every night, and she makes a point of leaving the empty jar where I can see it when she runs out. I love this lotion as a hand and body lotion. During the summer months, I up the humectants just slightly from 3% glycerin to 4%....
In this post on decyl glucoside, Mandy asks: Does anyone know if there is a powdered form of decyl glucoside? Or, is there another powdered surfactant that would work well as a laundry detergent? I wouldn’t take the chance, to be honest. I know a few people who have ruined their very expensive machines by making...
In the Weekend Wondering post, Topher asks: I want to create a 2% salicylic acid toner without alcohol. I noticed that in your toner recipes you do not use alcohol, yet the SA is completely dissolved. How do you do this? To be honest, I use white willow bark most of the time because I don’t...
In this post, Anonymous writes: I am really sad right now, though, because none of my lotions work. I have only made a lotion successfully a few times, and the rest are utter failures. It looks almost emulsified, but then it turns out to be the consistency of applesauce! I use BTMS-25. I heat and...
If you’ve never made a lotion or just want to see the WOW! moment again, check out this little video I made on the moment of emulsification. I never get tired of seeing that! Should you add the water to the oil or the oil to the water? Click here for that answer! If you’d...