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.
The strawberries are out and the raspberries are ready early. It’s almost summer, and I thought I’d offer you a few thoughts about summer products! Please please please please please don’t make your own sunscreen. I say this every year, and I’ll continue to say it this year. You simply can’t be sure that what...
It’s summer ’round these parts, which means it’s hot! This affects our products and ingredients in so many ways… Our lotions take some time to cool down to the final temperature with some thickeners and emulsifiers taking up to 48 hours at room temperature to make it to the final viscosity. In general, we want...
Thanks for joining me for part three of making a cooling spray! On Monday (part one), we took a look at some liquids we might use and on Tuesday (part two), we took a look at adding humectants. Let’s put the recipe together now! COOLING SPRAY WITH MODIFICATIONS TO MAKE IT LESS STICKY AND MINTY...
Yesterday we took a look at reinventing the cooling spray with some new ingredients. Today, we’ll continue that adventure by looking at some of the other hydrosols or liquids we might include. Witch hazel is always something I consider when I’m looking for cooling. We use it a lot for its astringency, but it has...
I am not a fan of warmer weather. I’m content around 16˚C to 20˚C, maybe a little warmer when I’m camping, so I get a little cranky when the temperature gets up around 30˚C. Yeah, I have an air conditioner, but that doesn’t help when I’m sweating at the library for the groups or in...