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 July Q&A, Mary shared, Today it is 110˚F degrees outside and I have to be outside in this heat. When we were playing with Aristoflex AVC, I made a gel lotion with cucumber hydrosol that I called “cool as cucumber”. It is a perfect lotion for hot flashes! I like to use it around...
In the July Q&A, Kh asked, I just got a pH meter (from Lotioncrafter) (I think I even chased my cat around with it) and now I know the pH of everything in my house. But I was surprised to find that the toner and lotion I measured came out around 4.5 – anyway, I didn’t use...
In the June Q&A, Charlette asked: I am confused about using low and high molecular HA. I understand that the low weight doesn’t gel – but has better penetration. Is it possible to use both low AND high weights in a formula? I like the gelling of the high molecular (especially in toner–gives a bit of...
In the July Q&A, After doing ingredient studies on some of my favorite high end organic products (Tata Harper, Eminence, Tracie Martin), I’m finding that, more often than not, several different emulsifiers, thickeners and preservatives are used in the same formulation. This mystifies me! Why don’t they pick one? I understand using several different humectants, emollients,...
In the July Q&A, After doing ingredient studies on some of my favorite high end organic products (Tata Harper, Eminence, Tracie Martin), I’m finding that, more often than not, several different emulsifiers, thickeners and preservatives are used in the same formulation. This mystifies me! Why don’t they pick one? I understand using several different humectants, emollients,...