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.
SwiftCraftyMonkey 
I’m having great fun formulating all kinds of shampoos suitable for fine hair or other types that don’t want to be weighed down. We started last week by looking at different types of shampoos and coming up with base formulas for clarifying, conditioning, and hydrating shampoos. Then we took a look at using different surfactants...
In the November Q&A, Diana asked, I have a request from one of my customers for a volumizing shampoo. I usually make liquid shampoos for her, and she is very satisfied with my products but now she wants something that will lift her hair more. I wonder, does anyone make these shampoos? What ingredients should I look...
As you know, I’ve been doing a massive inventory in my workshop, and I’m not hoarding ingredients any more, so let’s get to know another one – FSS Walnut Extract G – which was sent to me by the Formulator Sample Shop for free. (Click here to learn more about my relationship with suppliers.) This...
I’ve had a lot of people asking about liquid bubble bath lately, and I thought I’d write up a quick post about this topic. To start, the ingredients I’m using can be found at Voyageur Soap & Candle in Surrey, B.C., and all but one (LSB) at Windy Point Soap Making Supplies in Calgary, Alberta....
Yesterday, we started a series taking a look at how we can make adapations to our products to use more natural, green, biodegradable, and certified ingredients. Today, let’s look at gelling agents. When it comes to making more natural products, I find there are three huge areas where it’s hard to find natural ingredients… 1....