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.
I’m having great fun formulating all kinds of shampoos suitable for fine hair or other types that don’t want to be weighed down. We started last week by looking at different types of shampoos and coming up with base formulas for clarifying, conditioning, and hydrating shampoos. Then we took a look at using different surfactants...
In yesterday’s post, we reviewed how we might use sodium cocoyl isethionate (SCI) in a liquid product. We found was poorly soluble in water – 0.01% at 25˚C – so we took a look at a few ways we might incorporate SCI into a daily shampoo. Let’s take a look at a few different formulas...
In the September Q&A post, Melanie asked, I am trying to make a shampoo using glycol distearate and am having no luck. I do as you suggest, and melt this separately but when I add it to the other ingredients the final product ends up gritty. I have tried adding it all at once, and have...
In the August Q&A, Allison asked: I’ve noticed that salicylic acid is an ingredient in some anti-dandruff shampoos (I’m guessing because it helps with flakiness) but it’s also used in a color-protection shampoo that I like. I’m wondering if you know what benefit it might have in hair care other than as a dandruff treatment? I’d...
I’m doing my best to respond to your comments, but considering the other day I made it through three comments before spending a morning researching and writing yesterday’s post on cetrimonium chloride, it’s not as simple as writing a few lines and being done if I want to offer you the most information I can....