Welcome to March 2025! The start of spring, although it was 15°C (59°F) yesterday, the 28th, so maybe it’s already here? We’re going forest walking later this afternoon as the prediction is 16°C and sunny!
We had some snow in February, and Sasja wasn’t sure if she liked it, going in and out to see what this stuff was all about. You’d think she’d know by her eighth winter!
I had to buy a new overhead mixer as mine died in the middle of our Zoom workshop, and it’s beautiful and very fancy! The mixer parts I ordered came yesterday, and I’ll share those with you when I get it sorted.
February was an incredibly exciting month!
We celebrated the 16th anniversary of the site on February 28th!
We learned how to substitute tallow into any formula in which we use butters, like lotions, creams, and anhydrous whipped butters!
We learned how to make oily gels using Sapogel Q (NatraSap Q™)!
We had our first Zoom workshop of the year on the 23rd about making oily gels with Sapogel Q (NatraSap Q™). I’ll be sharing clips and the transcript as well as formulas we made and other questions that arose from the workshop shortly.
We had a great series on adding actives to anhydrous whipped body butters!
We took a moment to demythify some myths about Vitamin E.
We started our new Chemistry Thursday series for learning basic chemistry!
I put out my newest e-book about using hyaluronic acid in toners, gels & gel-creams
…all of which totalled over 47,000 words! Wow
I’m really excited for March! What can you expect around here?
What will you see in March?
We’re finishing our series on using active ingredients in anhydrous whipped body butters by creating a formula that has all the actives! (Coming March 3).
We’ll look at why some people think PEG ingredients are “toxic” (coming March 4).
But before those, I’m sharing a few formulas and ideas for making an awesome d-Limonene dishwashing liquid, something that came up in our February Zoom workshop (coming March 2).
We’ll be continuing the Chemistry Thursday series, learning more about the periodic table, then moving on to ions – like anions and cations – and ionic bonds!
Natalie Skiller, the awesome formulator for Sweet Little Crumb (Facebook, Instagram, and her new Patreon, This Formulating Life!, has a very cool,”Chicken Neck Be Gone” serum to share!
I have a gorgeous eye gel-cream to share too!
Oh, and a new liquid shampoo into which I’ll be adding all kinds of botanical extracts along with HydraTress and polyquaternium 11.
And there’ll be more as shiny things catch my fancy and I end up down rabbit holes!
What’s the March e-book?
Right now, my plan is to share part three of the series on using hyaluronic acid in lotions, creams, and moisturizers!
Find part one here: Formulating fun with hyaluronic acid (featuring Oleo HA)!
Find part two here: Formulating fun with hyaluronic acid & hyaluronic acid 4D making toners gels and gel creams
Let’s have another Zoom workshop!
I’d love to know what interests you!
And suggestions for a time and day of the week.
I’d like to hold it the fourth week of March – the 22nd to the 30th. I can’t do Monday morning, Tuesday evening, and not Wednesday or Thursday at all that week, but I’m open to any other time.
I’m not fabulous in the evening as my medication starts wearing off, so I would prefer morning or afternoon.
What kinds of formulas or topics would you like to see in a Zoom workshop? I’m gathering ideas for the year, so please share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m thinking about things I need to make for myself in the workshop, and right now that’s conditioner, leave in conditioner, shampoo bars, body wash, and facial cleanser. I also need to get some lotions ready for the spring, so those could be heated and held ones or ones with cold process emulsifiers. Oh, and a nice light body lotion. But you can choose from anything I’ve written about on the site!
The Zoom workshops are open to Formulation and Innovation level subscribers. If you aren’t one and want to learn more, click here to see all kinds of information on subscribing!
Woo hoo! Looks we’re in for some fun! Thank you for joining us here for March 2025!