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what we do

We are passionate about education. Our founder, Jane Barber, teaches on a Cosmetic Science BSc Degree in the UK, heads up formulation groups (34,000+ members), and runs a free online course with Chemists Corner and Swiftcraftymonkey which has over 17,500 students. Our goal with this is website is to provide free formulas, tutorials, calculators, latest ingredient innovations and trends, and other essential information that chemists and homecrafters need to formulate professionally, effectively and safely. These resources can be accessed from the menu above.

With experience formulating for clients such as The Body Shop, our development consultancy helps brands, whatever their size, create innovative and effective formulas.

Formulation

latest posts

diy multichrome gel eyeshadow tutorial
makeup
Making Skincare

Let’s make multi-chrome (3 colors in 1), gel eyeshadow

This article (video below), reveals how to create vibrant, mesmerising multi-chromatic eyeshadow.  Each of these color changing gel eyeshadows reflects three different colors depending on the viewing angle – side, straight on, etc., Duochromes (two colors), have been around for a while but dramatic three

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seabalance by carbonwave seaweed based natural emulsifier
lotion, cream, moisturizer
Making Skincare

Exploring SeaBalance, a new natural cold process emulsifier

SeaBalance 2000 from CarbonWave is a new COSMOS approved, natural, cold-process emulsifier derived from sargassum seaweed. (INCI name: Sargassum Fluitans/Natans Extract (and) Xanthan Gum (and) Pentylene Glycol).   Above is our second lab video and the video at the end of this post is of our first

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solid lotion recipe
Conditioner
Making Skincare

Make a lotion bar which doubles up as a conditioner bar

Sustainable, solid cosmetics are trending. Our natural, moisturizing lotion bar recipe is easy to make. To make your own, add more emulsifier, butter and thickener in place of water. For an easy to melt, non-greasy bar we like: BTMS-50, berry wax, cetyl palmitate, mango butter,

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cosmegreen conditioner
Conditioner
Making Skincare

Making conditioner with Palm Oil Free CosmeGreen ES1822+

Hair conditioners contain cationic surfactants which condition the hair. These cationics adsorb (rather than absorb) to the hair, reducing frizz, increasing shine and help detangle. In this video we tested the new cationic palm-oil free surfactant, CosmeGreen ES1822+, from SurfactGreen. Since its release, many French

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loccitane ultra gel dupe
Cosmetic Formulation
Making Skincare

Let’s Dupe L’Occitane’s Ultra Thirst-Quenching Gel

To understand the process of how to reverse engineer a cosmetic product, check out the two YouTube videos below which we created with Christine Hwang, Annalisa Branca @skinperspective and Alex Tolstoy for The Ecowell:   Analyzing lotions and creams video  Reverse engineering video    Before

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scmi
face and body cleanser
Making Skincare

Sodium Cocoyl Methyl Isethionate

SCI (Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate) is a commonly used anionic, sulfate-free surfactant, loved by syndet makers for it’s mildness and creamy lather.  However, due to its poor water solubility it is usually replaced with SLMI (Sodium Lauryl Methyl Isethionate) in liquid products. SCMI (Sodium Cocoyl Methyl

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