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.
Rosehip seed oil (INCI: Rosa rubiginosa (rosehip) seed oil) is a light, non-greasy feeling oil that not only moisturizes our skin but promotes a more even skin tone and may help with reducing the appearance of age spots or scars thanks to the beta-carotene, which is a pre-cursor to Vitamin A. It may also speed...
In this post, Adapting your products for summer, Taryn asked: I make body products and this will be my first summer. What can I do to better safeguard my products from turning into liquid pools while at markets and in the mail? I am just starting out and I am worrying that I may have to take...
I’ve had a few questions this week about substituting one oil for another. In general, you can substitute any oil for another oil in most recipes. You will change the skin feel, viscosity, colour, and other features, but you won’t change the chemistry of the product. (Meaning that your lotion will still emulsify well…) For...
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I like water soluble olive oil! It gives me a chance to add some moisturizing to products that normally wouldn’t contain oils, like body washes or toners. Today’s favourite ingredient is similar to yesterday’s – water soluble shea butter (INCI: PEG-50 shea butter). Like the water soluble olive oil...
I love love love water soluble oils! Water soluble oils are oils that have been esterified to become more water soluble. Some of them can be used as emulsifiers – like Cromollient SCE – but all of them can be used in water only creations, like body washes or shampoos. One of my favourites is water...