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 admit it: I don’t like coffee. My parents were very British, and we were a family of tea drinkers, so I didn’t get much exposure to coffee until my first day of university when I was surrounded by at least 300 people all sipping their morning brew, the smell of which was completely overwhelming....
I admit it, I’m in love with plum kernel oil (INCI: Prunus domestica seed extract). It’s light, non-greasy, and smells absolutely of almonds, although I think it’s more like marzipan, which I adore! On top of all of that, it has a richness I generally only find with thicker oils. (It reminds me of pomegranate...
Rosehip seed oil (INCI: Rosa rubiginosa (rosehip) seed oil) is a light, non-greasy feeling oil that not only moisturizes our skin but promotes a more even skin tone and may help with reducing the appearance of age spots or scars thanks to the beta-carotene, which is a pre-cursor to Vitamin A. It may also speed...
Chia seed oil (Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil) is a light to medium, non-greasy oil derived from the seeds of the salvia hispanica flower, a member of the mint family. Is it wrong that all I can think about it is “Ch-ch-ch-chia!” when I’m formulating with this oil? It contains 5% to 8% palmitic acid 1%...
In this post, Lotion bars, asks: BoCron asks: I’m excited to make my first lotion bar. I’m trying to get something like the Lush Buffy bar. I love how it moisturizes but not how it smells. I was going to try 33% beeswax, 33% shea butter, 33% coconut oil and 1% fragrance. From what I’m learning,...