Welcome to the home of SwiftCraftyMonkey Formulating Inc.! Join Susan as she obsesses about cosmetic chemistry and other things (some possibly related to monkeys)! Here you’ll find over 5,000 posts and formulas written over the past 16 years for everything from lotions, creams, and body butters to hair care products to fancy facial products filled with actives and cosmeceuticals! Enjoy the site without distractions – no ads, pop ups, sponsored posts, affiliate links, “one weird tricks” – all supported by readers like you.
I love solid scrub bars! They’re easy to make, they’re easy to take travelling, and they make great presents! They don’t require a lot of packaging, except for a lovely cellophane bag and possibly a ribbon, a label, a tag, or whatever cute things you can think of to make it special. We use cationic...
Okay, so you’re going skiing (or you’re running for the bus in Calgary!) You want something heavy duty to protect your skin from the elements. What might you choose for a heavy duty winter facial lotion bar?A basic lotion bar has the following formula33% beeswax33% butter33% oil1% fragrance or essential oilIf you are new to...
Lotion bars are considered pretty basic bath and body products. Melt, pour into a mold or container, wait until hardened, use. Their simplicity makes them a great place to play when we are trying to figure out what oils we like in what combinations. I figured it would be fun to show the process of...
What else can I make anti-itching for Raymond? What about a solid scrub bar he can use in the shower? This is a product I’ve made many times in the past – should I tweak it? SOLID SCRUB BAR FOR THE BODY 50% cocoa butter 20% mango, shea or other butter 3% cetyl alcohol 4%...
You can whip mango butter the way you’d whip shea butter, but you might want to consider mixing the mango with shea or another soft butter. It feels very nice, but some people find it astringent and a bit drying. I wouldn’t consider using avocado butter here – the two together will feel very powdery...