The home of SwiftCraftyMonkey Formulating Inc.! Join Susan as she obsesses about cosmetic chemistry and other things (some possibly related to monkeys). Often strange, occasionally useful, and always worth a stop as a point of interest on your journey through the Intertron.
Before we meet a new humectant, AQUAXYL™, let’s take a look at how humectants work! Before we start… Take a look at my humungous humectants section of this site, found under the “ingredients” tab in the menu bar. What does it mean that humectants have “water binding” ability? Humectants are hygroscopic, meaning they draw water...
I’m editing this post to remove the word “occlusive” referring specifically to allantoin as someone who thinks they’re anonymous – but doesn’t realize we have an activity log on the site 😝 – has written a diatribe to my friend Michele about how I’m wrong, which has been “happening more often lately” and that I...
If you’ve been around this site long enough or have read a few of my e-books, you’ll have noticed my signature combination of ingredients* popping up all over the place, in everything from conditioners to lotions to toners and anything else containing water. It goes a little like this – 3% glycerin, 3% propanediol 1,3,...
Quick note before we begin*: Maggie from Formulator Sample Shop just let me know that they have a deal on this ingredient, FSS Hyalurosome (INCI: Polydimethylsiloxane/Polymethylsilsesquioxane Copolymer & Phospholipids & Hyaluronic Acid), Hyaluronic Acid that’s released over time in our products. It’s normally as high as $167 a kilogram, but they’ve reduced it to $67 a...
In this month’s Q&A, Susan asked, I’m wondering whether humectants are fully interchangeable, the same way that hydrolyzed proteins seem to be. Specifically, I’m looking at a Lotioncrafter formulation (Time Defy Facial Serum) which calls for butylene glycol but I don’t have any. I do have vegetable glycerin, honeyquat, sodium lactate, and propanediol 1-3. I’m hoping...