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.
In the August Q&A on Patreon, Anne asked: I am wondering why my room spray with citrus oils has turned orange. It smells perfectly fine and is preserved with 0.5% LGP. I recall you making a body wash with citrus that turned colour. Is it just a natural reaction you don’t need to worry about?...
In the July Q&A on Patreon, Belinda asked: I have two questions…1) do you know if polyquaternium 10 has an expiration date? I’ve checked the website I bought it from (Personal Formulator) plus a couple more that sell it, and I’ve not seen anywhere if it does, indeed, expire. The reason I ask is because...
In the July Q&A on Patreon, Jaime asked: Can you tell me your thoughts on the following three ingredients and if there is a natural substitute? sorbeth-30 tetraoleate (is this just an emulsifier), pentylene glycol (humectant?), stearyl glycyrrhetinate (?) They seem to be simple ingredients but I’m wondering if they are used for something other...
In July’s Q&A on Patreon, Ingrid asked: I’m investigating bath bombs and more natural alternatives to using SLSa for bubbles. I’ve seen bath bomb ingredients listing decyl glucoside as a foaming agent. It’s also supposed to be a solubiliser. Can I use it (in liquid form) instead of the Polysorbate 85 and SLSa? If not,...
In the July Q&A on my Patreon feed, Doris asked: I fell down this particular rabbit hole because I wanted to duplicate a simple shampoo that I love. (It’s this shampoo – Dirty Girl Farm, Bamboo Shampoo.) I think the order of the ingredients is off, but according to the label they are: water, glycerin,...