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.
Welcome back to another instalment of tips & techniques! I thought I should create a separate and updated post on this topic because I see people going through all the work to test and alter pH for emulsions that are just fine on their own. As you’ll see, most emulsifiers are designed to create formulas...
Welcome to this detailed page on how to test emulsions – like lotions and conditioners – with a pH meter! If you’d like to read a longer post with even more information, you can find it here – Acids, bases, and pH – oh my! Part four: Testing our products with pH meters! If you’d like...
In the monthly Q&A, Chavi asked, Hi Susan! I made the attached formula for a foaming face wash. I needed to adjust pH and I did so using some citric acid solution. The next day, I noticed some white settling on the bottom; it disperses when shaken but then resettles. Any idea what it is or why this...
Welcome to part five of this series on how we might create a “no more tears” kind of shampoo bar using various anionic, non-ionic, and amphoteric surfactants. In part one, we reviewed the surfactants that Alexander noted she has in her workshop – sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI), foaming apple surfactant, decyl glucoside, and Cocamidopropyl Betaine –...
Welcome to part four of this series on how we might create a “no more tears” kind of shampoo bar using various anionic, non-ionic, and amphoteric surfactants. In part one, we reviewed the surfactants that Alexander noted she has in her workshop – sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI), foaming apple surfactant, decyl glucoside, and Cocamidopropyl Betaine –...