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.
In the August Q&A, there were a few questions about different mixers! As an aside, I’ve been gathering all kinds of mixers over the last year that I’ve been testing to share with you, but I got bogged down because I wanted to set up my new viscometer so I had exact numbers instead of...
It’s not a good idea to mix emulsified products like lotions or conditioners by hand. A lot of emulsifiers require high shear mixing or mixing with something like a stick or immersion blender. Mixing by hand won’t get the same results, and you may see a decrease or increase in viscosity or a lotion fail....
Yesterday, we took a look at how changes in oils and preservatives might impact a lotion. What else could be an issue here? Fragrance and essential oils aren’t inert ingredients: We know vanilla can make things brown, but it can also thin out a product thanks to the vanillin. This is why we may have...