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 October Q&A, Kristina asked, Happy October! I have an easy question this month, yay! My question is: have you used the Siligel yet, if so, what do you think? Lotioncrafter has been sold out for a while now. Lorraine shared, I have used Siligel, I like it better than xanthan gum, but my fave is...
In the April Q&A, Kirsten asked: Hey here’s a question…have you played with glyceryl caprylate caprate? I am considering playing with it, and wondered if you had any insights, or “for the love of God…don’t do ——-” lol. I haven’t used this ingredient, so let’s take a look at some of the things I found out...
We’ve been talking a bit about increasing viscosity over the last few days as we worked on a potential duplication for Bath & Body Works CocoShea Honey Shower Jelly (Member exclusive). I’ve been working with so many new thickeners over the last 2 years, and I’m getting it all together to finally share what I’ve been...
For more information on how to work with HEC, please visit this post – Q&A: How does one work with hydroxethyl cellulose (HEC)? I bought some hydroxyethylcellulose from Lotioncrafter* for a duplication of ASDM Beverly Hills Ultra Firming Cream over on my Patreon feed, and I realized that I haven’t worked with this ingredient before. I...
What have we learned about stearic acid this last week? 1. It’s a fatty acid derived from animal or vegetable sources. (Ask your supplier if this concerns you.) It’s found in almost all our butters and oils, and even in ourselves! 2. It’s oil soluble, meaning you can combine it with oils and butters well,...