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.
Catch up on this series: Part one, the chemistry and nomenclature of esters; part two, types of esters and their sensory characteristics; and part three, chemistry of the sensory characteristics. We also took a look at the hydrolysis of esters, and simple esters! Cetyl Palmitate is a simple ester, a white, waxy flake used as a...
In the September Q&A, Patricia asked, Hi Susan. I have been a subscriber for a while now and just got myself upgraded and am so excited to see all the stuffs that i have been missing up till now :-). I have been using Varisoft in my conditioner bars up till now, but bought some...
This PEG-ester or polyethyleneglycol diester of fatty acids is a good thickener for a variety of surfactant blends, including sulfate free products. The white flakes are soluble in hot water, surfactants, and alcohol, and has an HLB 18.9, indicating it could be paired with a low HLB emulsifier to create lotions. good for sulfate free...
First, we met my new favourite gum, gellan gum, then we took a look at the Moisture Renew Body Wash formula from the manufacturer along with some ideas on which preservatives will work for it. Today, let’s make this formula and take a look at how to mix it along with testing and adjusting the...
In the June Q&A, Heather asked, Can you talk about “coconut alcohol”? I know that it is used an emulsifier but cannot find any place to source the ingredient. It is being used in Oseas Ocean Cleansing Mud. When reading the ingredients list it piqued my curiosity and want to know more about it. They are...