The home of SwiftCraftyMonkey Formulating Inc.! 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.
Quite a few times in the last week I’ve seen cetyl alcohol referenced as an emulsifier, something that will bring oil and water together. It is not. It’s an oil soluble fatty alcohol that should be treated like you would an oil or anything oil soluble, which is to say you can use it in...
I think conditioner might be the most popular topic on this site, so let’s take a few moments to learn more about it! Hair conditioner: A hair conditioner is a positively charged or cationic product. Your hair is negatively charged, and for something to be a hair conditioner, it must be positively charged to adsorb...
In this post on making a basic lotion, Courty asks: I tried your summer lotion the other day. (Was it this one?) I love it but have a problem I was hoping you could help with. It rubs in very well when my skin is dry but if I apply it after I get out of...
I hope you’ve had a chance to make your whipped butter by now, and are ready to share your thoughts on it! What recipe did you make? What did you love? What didn’t you love? What will you change next time? Please share your complete recipe (percentages or weight, not volume) in the comments! I...
One of the most popular sections of this blog are the hair care products, so I thought we should spend a few days looking at shampoos, conditioners, and leave in conditioners. Let’s take a look at shampoo first… What is a shampoo? A shampoo is a foamy product intended to cleanse your hair, remove dirt...