The home of SwiftCraftyMonkey! 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.
This is a long post that didn’t have a logical place to make cuts, so rather than spend time re-writing it, here’s a few days of posts in one! For a while now, I’ve shared charts with you so you can make substitutions for the preservatives that you have in your workshop if you can’t...
Because we’re in the busy season for our suppliers and because we’re seeing shortages of ingredients around the world for basics, like sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) – ethoxylated surfactant – and emulsifiers, I thought I’d start a new monthly page for potential substitution of ingredients where you can share your comments, questions, and formulas. This...
I don’t think we can find the surfactant blend called LSB any more – in North America at least – as it’s been altered to have a very short shelf life of 6 months, so what can you do as a replacement? The short answer is that you can use any liquid surfactant suitable for...
There’s a serious shortage of ingredients out there. As I mentioned in this month’s new substitution request page, it’s not only the busiest time of year for our suppliers as people buy supplies for Christmas markets and presents; we’re also in the middle of a pandemic that has disrupted the entire supply chain from the...
In the December Q&A, Sherri asked, I was hoping to make conditioner bars for my girls’ stockings, but I’m almost out of polyquaternium 7, and my usual Canadian supplier is sold out. Are there any substitutions I can use? Quick note: I’ve started a Q&A post on conditioner bars that you’ll find pinned to the right...