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.
Earlier today, I shared with you a duplication of Lush’s Jumping Juniper shampoo bar in which I used sodium coco sulfate. What is this surfactant and why would we use it in a shampoo bar? Sodium coco sulfate (SCS) is closely related to one of the most disliked surfactants, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), so what...
Liquorice root (or licorice root, if you’re American – INCI: Glycrrhiza glabra) is supposed to work as an anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-irritant, demulcent, skin whitening, and wound healing ingredient when applied topically. Let’s take a look at what gives liquorice its awesome qualities. Liquorice root contains amino acids, flavonoids, phytosterols like ß-sitosterol and stigmasterol, coumarins,...
In the May Q&A, firegirl asked: I bought some inulin as I saw it sold on a supplier site. It says it replace quats in a more environmental way. Has anyone tried this? What is inulin? It’s a polysaccharide that can behave as an emulsifier, stabilizer, and surfactant. (This post) They “have a sweet taste and are present in...
I love cucumbers – they’re one of the only vegetables I will eat as I’m super picky – and I love the smell of them in all kinds of products, so let’s take a look at a water soluble way to use cucumbers in our products in the form of a cucumber hydrosol. The version...
I haven’t been answering many comments you’ve been leaving on this new blog because I feel that when I enter a conversation, it stops, and that’s no fun. But I wanted to return to the idea of doing the Weekend Wonderings based on your questions and comments, as well as highlight some of the cool...