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.
This week we’re all about getting to the very basics, defining what we need to know about making any product – part one and part two – and what different anhydrous products are called and contain. You might be thinking to yourself that you won’t be making lotions any time soon, but you really can...
Have something you want to ask? Visit the Weekend Wondering comment post and ask away! COMPENSATION FOR EVAPORATION AFTER HEATING AND HOLDING In an e-mail, Brittany asks: I’ve struggled with the heating of the water phase for a while now. You suggest to heat the water phase for 20 minutes, but to add more than...
Every day I see so many great comments and e-mail messages from wonderful readers like you, but I find I have a hard time getting to them when I only have so much time to write in the mornings. So I’ve decided to create a new series called Weekend Wonderings where you can find those...
I’ve been asked this question a lot over the last two weeks and the answer is simple: Lecithin can’t be used as the sole emulsifier in an oil in water lotion like product. Don’t get me wrong – I love lecithin as an emollient and as a water absorber in a few of my mostly oil...
Raymond is doing a lot of work with his hands at his job, and I trash my hands regularly with all the sewing, knitting, crocheting, and other crafting I do, not to mention the cleaning up afterwards, so I thought I’d make some of this hand protectant to help us both. I like this recipe...