Techniques

Tips & techniques: Learning INCI names! (Updated April 2025)

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This is an incredibly important skill to learn when formulating, but even more important when you’re buying supplies! I’ve updated this for April 2025 as I had even more to share! What’s the INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients)? The INCI is the name you’ll see in brackets for an ingredient at our suppliers’ shops,...

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Demythifying the myths: There isn’t a negative interaction between Sepimax ZEN and cetearyl alcohol

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I’m sharing this post again as I’m seeing this myth being passed around as if it were not only true but an “everyone knows” kind of a thing   I’ve had some downtime to surf the ‘net and catch up on all kinds of social media posts, and I’ve noticed a few things being said...

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Tips & techniques: Why I recommend weighing all your ingredients directly into the same beaker (when possible)!

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A collage of two photos and the title “Why I recommend adding all the ingredients to the same beaker!” There are two photos of the same beaker: One with about 25 ml of purple liquid, the other with around 4 ml of the same liquid

You’ve probably noticed I encourage you to measure everything you can into the same container when you’re formulating, including the cool down phase full of product protecting ingredients, like preservatives or anti-oxidants, and this is why! Into a 50 ml (1.69 fluid ounces) beaker, I measured the botanical extracts for a 300 gram batch of...

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Tips & techniques: It’s tocopherYl acetate, not tocopherol acetate (plus a bonus rant about misinformation)

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I’m seeing this mistake a lot, especially from those who claim to be chemists, which is weirding me out! Vital post on the topic! What’s the difference between these Vitamin Es? There are all kinds of “Vitamin E” out there, and it’s important to know what you’re getting. I wrote the post above to help...

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Substitutions: Making changes to the oil phase of a lotion, including a bit on using tallow!

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I’ve had a few people asking me how they can use tallow in lotions, and the answer is super simple – yes! And it’s really simple! Making substitutions for oils in the oil phase!  In any of my lotion formulas, unless I indicate otherwise, you can substitute any oil for any oil, any butter for...

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