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 am asked all the time about how much emulsifier to use. If you are using Polawax, the general rule of thumb is to use 25% of the oil phase. So if you have 20% oil, you’d use 5% Polawax. If you have 30% oil, you’d use 7.5% Polawax. And so on. So why am...
You may remember my experiment with Olivem 800, an emulsifier suitable for very light lotions or body milk (if you don’t, here’s the link!) LIGHT LOTION WITH OLIVEM 800WATER PHASE (you can use 78% water if you don’t have the hydrosols!)56% water20% lavender water (my aloe went bad! eek!)2% sodium lactate OIL PHASE4% fractionated coconut...
Is there a difference between a lotion and a cream? Yes.A cream is defined as an emulsion in a semi solid form that doesn’t flow well. It has a heavier consistency than lotion, so the key differences are viscosity and flow. A cream is generally found in a jar because it’s not easy to pump...
Let’s say you find a recipe online that you like, but you don’t have the required emulsifier. You can substitute Polawax, BTMS, or e-wax for the emulsifier, or you could use the HLB system to create your own! I’m going to use the Hydrating Hemp Hand & Body Lotion recipe from Voyageur as an example(scroll...
I was fortunate to get a sample of Olivem 800 (INCI: Ceteareth-6 Olivate) so I’m trying it out! Lotioncrafter describes Olivem 800 as “natural source non-ionic emulsifying system developed from natural olive chemistry designed to provide optimum stability in low viscosity/super-fluid emulsions with a light silky feel. Created using olive oil in an esterification process...