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.
In the May Q&A, Sarah commented, I have some questions!!! 1) Regarding changing pH; can I make and bottle a 50% citric acid solution and an 18% sodium hydroxide solution or do I need to make it fresh each time? 2) If bottling, does it need a preservative with the extreme acidity/alkalinity? 3) How long will each last...
Let’s continue with Mia Makes Things’ questions about using Germaben II in products and her third question about allantoin: The closest thing I’ve found is Sepimax ZEN, a gel former, which is anionic. And even then, as an anionic ingredient it prohibits the use of the cationic (at typical pH) allantoin. Which pretty much defeats my...
I’m not sure what’s going on out there in the world, but there seem to be some serious misunderstandings about acids, bases, pH, and more, so let’s just get down to it. I’ll give you a quick summary in bold, and a longer explanation, if you want it. WHAT DOES pH MEAN? pH is a...
In the January Q&A, Marta asked: What is the recommended pH for a facial product containing fruit acid complex or willow bark extract? You have discussed concerns about a pH being too low in formulations containing (straight) alpha hydroxy acids or salicylic acid. Yet, should one be reducing the pH in a product containing fruit acid...