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 remember being so excited when I started making products, and I had to make every formula I found. I would sit at the coffee shop near my office every morning to plan out what I’d make next. I would find a formula – something like sweet almond & aloe hand lotion – and I’d...
I’ve never been a very visual person, and making my products look nice is a massive struggle. But regardless, I want to add labels to things to make them look nice and tell whoever might use it what it’s all about. I remember reading a suggestion on the Dish forum to spray your container with alcohol...
I always say I gain confidence from my successes but learn more from my failures, but this doesn’t mean I love to see a lotion fall apart or a conditioner start weeping oil a week or two later. I admit to getting more than a little peeved when I only have a few hours in...
In the January Q&A, Camirra asked: I’m not sure if you have posted about this already, but how do you organize your workshop? I am struggling to organize my ingredients in my workshop in a meaningful way. Right now they are just thrown in boxes and I hunt for what I want when I formulate=bad system....
As you know, I’ve been asking for more participation and engagement, and one of my goals for 2018 is to create a space where we can connect and share. So to foster that sense of community, I thought I could start some of these discussions or open thread where we could share our thoughts, techniques, fails,...