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.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is being used in cosmetic products as a moisture booster, preventer of moisture loss, humectant, and anti-inflammatory. It is an anionic polysaccharide that has great water binding activity that might work as an anti-wrinkle ingredient at low levels, like 0.1% to 2%. Hyaluronic acid is found in the middle spinous layer of...
I’ve started using a lot more niacinamide these days, and this article really reminds me why it’s such a great ingredient! This water soluble powder can be included in your toners, moisturizers, and other facial and body care products suitable for all skin types. It’s inexpensive – $3.95 for 1 ounce at Lotioncrafter or $4.50 for...
I’ve become interested in date palm extract lately – I’ve seen quite a few references to it lately as an anti-wrinkle ingredient, and I was given a sample of it from the Formulator Sample Shop*. I’m already using it in the form of their Volumizing Complex PF (Water & Rice Amino Acids & Lactobacillus/Date Fruit Ferment...
I’ve had a few people comment that I use a high concentation of surfactants in my products, so I set out to create a foaming facial cleanser that had low levels of extremely mild surfactants I could use after my Viking workout when I’ve recently washed my face. I also thought it would be a...
As I mentioned in yesterday’s eye cream post, I wanted to use an ingredient from the Formulator Sample Shop called Revital-Eyes (INCI: Water and Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Camiellia sinensis leaf Ferment Filtrate, Punica granatum Ferment Filtrate, Caffeine Ferment Lystate Filtrate). I was intrigued by the various components in this ingredient and thought I’d take...