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.
Yesterday we took a look at Lush’s Sugar Plum Fairies scrub, but I feel this won’t be moisturizing enough for most skin types. I think it will be lovely and scrubby, but it’s more about the bubbles and lather than about the moisturizing. So let’s take a look at how we can modify this product...
If you want to formulate your own products – whether they’re duplicates or something you’ve cooked up in your head – you need to know INCI names so you can figure out what ingredient is what. The common name for an ingredient – evening primrose oil – is not the same as the INCI name...
I thought we should take a look at a few recipes and see if we can figure out how long the shelf life should be for them. And I do want to point out that my goal is always a product that will last 6 months to a year. I make small batches and use...
Yesterday we took at look at the first three steps we need to take when we’re considering duplicating a product by analyzing Lush’s Afterlife facial moisturizer (a discontinued product). Please refer to that post if this one isn’t making sense! Step 1: Get the complete ingredient list.Step 2: Look at what each ingredient brings to the product.Step...
I know a lot of us get into making products in the hopes of duplicating products we love by making it more moisturizing, more concentrated, or better smelling. Oftentimes we’re motivated by saving money (and you know that isn’t going to happen until we’re out of the playing and experimenting phase). Sometimes it’s easy –...