The home of SwiftCraftyMonkey! 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 July Q&A, Charlette asked, I’ve been looking into developing some skincare for acne/break out prone skin. I’ve been reading about Zinc PCA-but cannot find it ANYWHERE among our usual wonderful suppliers. I ended up requesting samples on Knowde. From what I read-it is not the same as Zinc Oxide? Do you have any suggestions…...
What exactly is a salt? “A salt is a chemical compound consisting of an assembly of cations and anions. Salts are composed of related numbers of cations (positively charged ions) and anions (negative ions) so that the product is electrically neutral (without a net charge).” (Reference) If you’ve taken my introduction to chemistry course – free…...
If you want to catch up on the acids, bases, and pH – oh my! series, please visit the pH & pH meter section of the blog! On the 7th, we created the water phase of this light summery lotion with Varisoft EQ 65, and yesterday, we looked at the oil phase and considered which…...
Want to learn how to make creamy, decadent conditioners, eco friendly cleansers, luscious lotions, or exfoliating scrubs? Do you want to make shampoo bars, conditioner bars, body butters, and more? Then sign up for the upcoming classes newsletter to be amongst the first to know when I’m teaching in your part of the world! You … Read more
Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday in creating this light, non-greasy summer weight lotion using Varisoft EQ 65. We figured out what we wanted to include in our water phase, so let’s take a look at the oil phase. As I mentioned yesterday, I’m using Varisoft EQ 65 as the emulsifier to create a…...
I hate summer so very much, but I’m handling it far better this year because we just had central air conditioning installed, and it can get so chilly, I need to put on a light cardigan. (I’m the type who wears shorts all year ’round, so this is a big big deal!) But I know…...
I’m having a serious love affair with this water soluble silicone wax – Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane – that melts at 29˚C to 34˚C – 84˚F to 92˚F, well below body temperature – which you might find as Gransil VX-406. It offers a silky, smooth, powdery skin feel without being too waxy or draggy, the…...
We found we had a lower-than-expected pH with our burst of citrus clarifying shampoo yesterday, and I attribute that to the pH of the two hydrosols I used. Yep, these are just a few of ingredients that might affect the pH of your products! I have so many hydrosols in my workshop, but I thought…...
Let’s take a look at using our pH meters and strips to test, then potentially adjust, the pH of a formula for a citrus-y clarifying shampoo perfect for hot summer days! For some reason, I’m feeling really oily this summer, so I thought I should create a clarifying shampoo full of surfactants, hydrosols, and essential…...
On my blog’s Facebook page, Jigna asked, Hi Susan, i could not find any mention of Varisoft EQ65 to be ecocert compliant on evonik website or on any of their documents. Can u please point me in the right direction. It only talks about this ingredient to be bio degradable! First thing I did was seek…...