Free: Tutorials, Formulas & More

Learn how to formulate
Our scientist below gives you the tools and knowledge to formulate professionally
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Vital formulation information - click the heading below

Did you know, despite what the supplier says, very few natural preservatives actually work.   Learn which natural emulsifiers are effective, how much to use and how to pair them up.  As stabilisers are vital for any emulsion, we teach you which ones to use.   Do you know how to scientifically access whether an active truly works?  

Preservatives

Very few natural preservatives actually work, despite what the supplier says. Click the heading above to learn which natural preservatives are effective, how to pair them up and pass preservative tests

Lotion & Cream Tutorial

Most lotion formulas are unsafe, Click the heading above to learn how to make emulsions properly and safely

How to make an emulsion stable

Click the heading above learn how much emulsifier to use, which natural emulsifiers are effective, how to pair them up and why stabilisers are vital

How to formulate like a pro

Click the heading above to learn how to formulate professionally - how to know which actives really work, how to make improve your lotion, which resources to use, which natural preservatives actually work.

Ingredient Suppliers

Click the heading above to access our worldwide ingredient supplier list

Lotion & Cream Calculator

Click the heading above to access our formulation calculator for different skin types including ingredient costs

Surfactant calculator

Most surfactants are diluted so working out how much to use can be challenging, even for formulators who are great at math. Click the heading above to access our calculator which does all the work for you.

% to Weight & Costs Calculator

Click the heading above to access our formulation calculator which converts % to weight and also calculates ingredient costs

Free online course

Click the heading above to access our free online course. We collaborated with Chemists Corner and Swiftcraftymonkey to bring you this formulation course. Work through the units at your own pace and receive a certificate.

education

Most popular educational posts

We are passionate about teaching how to formulate in a professional, safe way.

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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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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