Wow, it’s almost summer! Where did the year go? I know where some of it went – riding bikes! Have I mentioned my newfound love and obsession with my e-bike? I know it must seem so boring, but it’s something I can do when my arms and hands are in spasm and I can’t get into the workshop or write, plus it’s like being a kid again, all excited about seeing “what’s down that way?” or “what’s over that hill?” while exploring my community. We here in the Fraser Valley, B.C., live in such a beautiful (and flat) part of the world, and I’m finally taking advantage of that! So you know what my plans are for the month, eh? BIKES!
I’m still struggling with some health challenges – namely the spasms I’m having in my arms and hands, which you can read about more in this post – but things are getting better. Yay!
I’m still working on two series – one on triglycerides, the other on lamellar gel networks – but I’ve given up predicting when you’ll see it as it’s a massive undertaking that’s required me to commission diagrams and add section after section, making both of them much longer than expected as I add formulas and ingredient profiles and other sections to tie them all together. I liken both to writing the combining emollients series and the increasing mildness with surfactant series – they’ll be big, but so worth it!
I have some exciting cooling and apres sun sprays to share this month – just need to finish up some photos – as well as a lotion for your décolletage and other areas that might be a little too sun exposed. I’m hoping to share some thoughts on sunscreens we’re enjoying in the Barclay Nichols’s household too.
I was thinking of starting a Newbie Tuesday series in August tor September which we’ll learn more about combining emollients by learning how to make anhydrous products like a facial serum, body oil, lotion bar, lip balm, and more with an eye to learning how to combine our oils, butters, waxes, esters, silicones, and so on to achieve different viscosities. skin feel, sensory characteristics, melting points, and so on.
If you’re interested, please leave a comment and let me know! We’ll want to order the ingredients soon to allow for shortages and shipping times and such.
We’ve been playing with different oils, butters, thickeners, and such in the Newbie Tuesday series as it pertains to lotions, but I thought working with different emollients when it comes to anhydrous products could be fun!
As we do every month on the blog…
If you’re in need of supplies, $10 subscribers to the month have five discount coupons this month for Formulator Sample Shop, Lotioncrafter, Voyageur Soap & Candle, and Windy Point Soap Making Supplies. Thank you for this lovely gift out of the goodness of your hearts, lovely suppliers!
The coupons are updated as I get the information from the suppliers. If they aren’t updated, please be patient as we could be waiting for the coupon, it might be I’m in too much pain to type. Please do not write to me asking for the coupon. It will be there when it’s there. Thanks!
If you’re a $3 subscriber or higher, click here to see the duplication request post!
Please note that requests for duplication are only considered if they’re posted in the duplication section as this is part of the $3 and up subscribers benefits and not if they’re emailed, direct messaged, or suggested in comments on social media. I cannot possibly re-create every single formula suggested as this blog would be nothing but duplicated products — how boring is that? – so I can only choose so many. I go into detail about my process for choosing formulas in both the duplication request post and in this post. Thank you for continuing to share them in that post. I have been getting loads of ideas from it the last few months, and there will be more to come soon, I hope.
And don’t forget that you have access to the formula directory! The formula directory is constantly being updated to include even more formulas from around the blog, so if you’re looking for a formula, you’ll find it in the formula directory!
Also check out the latest addition to the monthly posts – Ingredient substitution ideas post ($3 and up)! Because it’s getting harder to find supplies thanks to shortages and shipping issues, if you have an ingredient you’re trying to find or need help substituting for in a formula, please share your thoughts over there!
If you’re a $5 subscriber or higher, click here to see the month’s Q&A post!
And don’t forget about the monthly Super happy fun member-to-member post for June 2022! It’s more important than ever that we connect with other people during this awful time, so please feel free to share your thoughts on this post or others on the blog!
You can always find the links to these monthly posts in the pinned post section, which is found to the right of just about every page on the blog on desktop and most mobile, or the bottom of every page for the odd mobile device. Or do a search for “Q&A” or “duplication” to find them. I’m afraid I don’t have time to do searches for you if you write to me as I’m swamped and my arms and hands are still in minor spasm, so doing one of those two things will find you those posts very quickly.
If you’re a $10 subscriber or higher, you’ll get the e-book for the month – which is generally issued on the 27th or later. I’m never sure what the topic will be until I start reviewing outlines, notes, formulas and everything else, but there are – as always – a few different ones on the go. Watch for the post towards the end of June 2022 for the e-book for the month.
Last month, we issued this e-book – Encyclopedia Botanique: Botanical Extracts for $28 Canadian – which you would have received it as part of your $10 US subscription! (You can still buy it in the shop by clicking the link!)
If you missed one for a month during which you were a subscriber, please click here to see those coupon codes. (Please download them as soon as you can as these links can expire after a year or so.)
Thank you so much for joining us in June 2022 continuing to support the site with your subscriptions! You’re the reason this site isn’t cluttered with really annoying pop ups, ads, affiliate links, sponsored content, and trackers! Thank you for 13 years and 3 months of formulating and writing fun!