October’s birth flower, the Calendula, is truly a symbol of fall and crisp mornings. It’s bright golden and burnt color palette makes it reminiscent of a beautifl autumn sunrise. Also referred to as the Pot Marigold, the Calendula is truly a delight for florists and in the garden due to it’s beatuful colour and it’s hardy nature. Whether potted as a unique hioliday gift or planted in your border, the Calendula will delight and inspire.

History, Meanings and Uses

The calundula’s name comes from the English “calendar”. It is dsaid that the Calendula took this name because of it’s monthly blooms. Monks used to enjoy its beautiful blossoms year-round as the flowers would surround their altars and bloom until they were covered with snow.

Like the Sunflower, the Calendula’s blossoms follow the sun, and were used as protection against evil by early Christians. The Calendula represents affection, jealousy, grief and many other feelings associated with love.

The Calendula uses are well known throughout the culinary and homeopathic healing worlds. In the kitchen, the Calendula is used to brighten up and add a slightly spicy flavour to greens. The petals were also used to substitute for saffron in the cooking pots of the poor – hence the name “Pot Marigold.”

The medicinal uses of the Calendula are almost limitless. Its leaves and petals can be used for everything as a tincture for headaches to an ointment for insect bites. Oil from the seeds is used in soap products and the extract, to combat acne.

CULTIVATION

Like their cousin, the Common Marigold, the Calendula is extremely hardy and weather resistant. The can withstand a moderate frost and do well in full sun or part-shade. They actually thrive in cool weather and will bloom until the ground is completely frozen.

Plant Calendula seeds mid-spring and be sure to deadhead often to prolong blooming. They like rich, well drained soil but can survive just about anywhere and are perfect to mix into your vegetable patch for a shock of colour.

Go ahead and stock your gardens full of Calendula. They are perfect for unique holiday gifts; a Thanksgiving table would shine with their bright golden blooms. They are perfect for bridal bouquets and a simple token to show your appreciation and feelings. And they are a gardener’s delight; as hardy and useful as the day is long.

What is actually involved in bring it to supermarkets and homes? It can be purchased in bottles and is popular in countries that have embraced it as a cooking oil. Some of us might not be aware that it can also be present in many of the products that we enjoy eating. Even many of the popular scented soap brands use Palm Oil as a major ingredient in the manufacturing process. Palm is plentiful and a major source of vegetable and cooking oil. If you happen to live in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, you cannot help but notice that certain parts of the countryside are populated with millions of palm trees. Palm Oil has become a major commodity on the world market and it is a growing industry and can even be used to produce biofuel.

First of all the Palm Trees have to be picked. It is actually the seeds that contain the oil. These seeds are then crushed in a Mill and separated by process systems to produce something called CPO (crude palm oil).

Once the mill is satisfied with the quality of the oil it can be transported to refineries. If it is being transported by land it will most likely be kept in large containers on trucks. These trucks will deliver the product to refineries who will process it even further into purer oil. When palm oil is being delivered to refineries it is either sampled manually or goes through electronic “palm oil quality monitors”

CPO Refineries are always watching the price of the commodity which is also traded on the stock market so timing can be important.

Finally, these refined products are sold to agents and distributors in smaller quantities who then use the palm oil as a base product or a component of goods that will be found on supermarket shelves and used in homes.

Palm competes with other types of oil such as Canola and Sunflower Oil. The distribution of palm oil and palm oil related products will depend mostly on the preferences of end manufacturers of products which also can be influenced by consumer preferences. Palm for cooking is highly respected in countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia where it is commonly found in restaurant food. There are many benefits to using Palm Oil in these locations but one of the major benefits is that it will be competitively priced compared to other types of vegetable oil which might be costlier to import.

Palm oil is a natural raw material which can be used almost anywhere and is thus one of the most popular agricultural commodities. The versatile oil has been used from washing liquids and soap to margarine and cosmetics production. Almost every consumables product contains palm oil. In the European countries, the crude palm is also a primary substitute for rapeseed oil.

Palm Oil For Bio-diesel

In Europe, there is a high demand on crude palm oil for bio-diesel purposes. Many major producers are investing heavily in the refineries needed for the process to convert crude palm into bio-diesel. Due to the current high prices of fossil crude oil, bio-diesel is deemed as the alternative fuel source to gasoline for vehicles.

Edible Oil For Food Production

Palm oil is an important and versatile raw material for both food and non-food industries. It contributes to the economic development of the producing countries and to the diets of millions of people around the world. The oil is approximately 50% saturated fat and 50% unsaturated fat. Due to such a unique characteristic palm oil may be separated under controlled thermal conditions into two components, a solid form (palm stearin) and a liquid form (palm olein). Palm oil is often used in healthy organic foods since the only other solid organic fats are highly saturated butter and coconut oil.

Crude Palm Oil Production

Due to its natural form, palm oil is entirely Genetic Modified (GM) free and has the highest yield per hectare than any other nature oil. This is recognized as a key benefit due to environmental pressures on its expansion to eco-sensitive areas. Plantation land areas are widely located in tropical region of Asia, Africa and South America. The largest producers are Malaysia and Indonesia with a combined output of around 90 percent of the world trade. Malaysia claims that in 1995 it was the world’s largest producer with 51% of world production.

In summary, palm oil and its fractions are practical and attractive choice for importers and food manufacturers especially in third 3rd world countries. This is due to its price competitiveness, year round supply, diversity and versatility for edible and non-edible applications.

Are you worried about your acne infection? Are you still concerned about your facial skin? Is your flawed skin tone starting to bother you way too often? If the answer to even a single question is ‘yes’, it’s time you read this article with care.

Keep Your Face Oil Free

Blemishes are known to strike at will. Especially if you are a teenager, the chances are that you may be suffering from either blackheads or whiteheads. To be able to get rid of them, you would be required to cleanse your face with fresh water and mild soap. You simply need to remove the excess oil from your face.

Make Use Of A Face Pack

Pollution and stress play a major role in aggravating the acne infection. In order to remove the pollutants from the surface of your facial skin, you simply need to apply a face pack, preferably a fruit facial, on a weekly basis. Likewise, you can try and soothe your mind by listening to soft music.

Apply An Anti-Acne Cream

There are plenty of anti-blemish supplements available in the market today. In order to avoid the occurrence of whiteheads and blackheads, you need to try and apply an anti-blemish cream on a regular basis. These creams are readily available through an online store. Simply place an order and the cream of your choice would be delivered to your doorstep.

In order to look good and maintain a flawless skin tone, you need to try and make use of the above mentioned tips on a regular basis.

Watching telenovelas, or Spanish soap operas, is a great way to learn Spanish. Via telenovelas, or just novelas for short, you get access to everyday, real Spanish, which is way more fun than studying grammar books.

Where to get access to telenovelas

If you live in the United States, there are two major networks here that provide Spanish language programming: Univision and Telemundo. Both show telenovelas, usually in their evening programming. Most of these programs have subtitles in Spanish that you can turn on if your television is capable of viewing closed captioning for the hearing impaired. If you have multiple captions, then the Spanish subtitiles usually would be viewed on CC1. Some novelas on Telemundo are even captioned in English on CC3. This requires a more modern television with multiple closed captioning channels.

If you are unable to view the novela in its usual time slot, you can also go to each network’s website to view the video. These videos, however, are not captioned, which may make it more difficult if you are still learning.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if you are not in the United States, you may be blocked from viewing the novela online. It is becoming more common for internet video providers to block viewing from outside of the originating country. For example, since I live in the United States, I cannot usually view novelas online from, say, Mexico or Columbia, via the network’s website.

However, there are video providers online that have content, both free and paid. Novebox.com is one such provider that has both free and premium (paid) content.

How to learn Spanish by watching novelas

The best way to get started is to find a novela that is subtitled, either in English or Spanish. If you are just starting to learn Spanish, the rate that native speakers talk will be challenging and, at times, frustrating. Having the subtitles will help.

Start out watching a short segment (for example, one scene) with no captions, to see if you can get the gist, or general sense of what is going on. Then replay with captions. If the captions are in Spanish, you may need to pause and use a dictionary to look up unknown words. When you pause the video, take advantage of this time to also repeat the phrases to work on your pronunciation. You may not understand completely what you are saying, but you will get your tongue accustomed to making new sounds.

In the beginning, this process will be very slow. But over time, your comprehension and pronunciation will improve, and you will spend more time watching and enjoying the novela instead of pausing it to look up words.

I define cultural tourism as a form of active tourism which seeks to enrich individuals while strengthening the cultural heritage of local communities. As a consultant on cultural development and promotion, I often encounter key officials in the realm of tourism. I have understood through time and personal experiences that the quality of tourism and its offers does not simply rely on a country’s resources. It also relies on the demand of today’s tourist.

I decided to write this article to help you look for better activities as a tourist. Here I propose cultural activities as a main backbone to your travel and discoveries.

It is quite unfortunate that certain countries in the Mediterranean have acquired the reputation that they offer, how shall we put it delicately, ‘love-related’ tourist attractions. This is also the case for many Asian countries. I acknowledge this form of tourism exists and is mostly linked to poverty other than ‘local cultural practices’. These same countries, on the other hand, are paradises on earth for quality tourism.

For a cultural view of a country, I recommend the following 5 activities:

1. Visit local landscapes. Such can be sacred places, often linked to ritual practices. It gives you both a glimpse of local people and local customs. One of my favourites is Mt. Agung in Bali. You will feel such a strong local vide and new spiritual horizons.

2. Take the opportunity to stroll around artisan quarters in old towns. My all-time favorite is the soap-making ateliers in Nablus, Palestine. It produces the best soap ever, related to Damascus soap making. You will learn soap-making and acquire some treasures for home, while strengthening a local trade practiced for 1,000 years now.

3. Every country has food specialties. I love Turkish ice-cream, otherwise referred to as ‘dondurma’ salep flavor. Try these varieties and admire them. Soon you will be getting free samples. This ice-cream is cut with a knife!

4. Visit a local music event. I suggest to stay away from the tourist-oriented concerts, they can get cheesy. My most intense musical experience was outside a traditional Greek coffee place. A few locals had gathered and played improvisations on the bouzouki instrument. I danced all night! I even learned some myself!

5. Participate in a local sport. I did make a fool of myself trying to play rugby in India and laughed at myself as never before. The locals appreciated it so much, I got invited over for curry dinner every evening!

As in all my articles, I encourage you to make a difference in the way you approach tourism for yourself and others. Go out of the ordinary way to spend an extraordinary vacation.

Cheers

Just how important is skin care to the average woman?

I believe that many women do not think a lot about the importance of keeping their skin hydrated, healthy, clean and protected from UV damage.

I know many women who still use only soap and water to cleanse their face. Using only soap and water strips your skin of important protective layers that can lead to your skin looking older than it should. There are also many women who put on grocery store face creams that do nothing more than clog their pores. The women who use these products are believing the creams are helping but many of the ingredient’s molecules are too large for our skins pores to get down into our skin where the hydration is needed; the cream ends up just sitting on or very near to the surface of our face. It is most apparent when you use a heavier, greasier type skin care product you still feel it on your skin even after 10 minutes or so.

Yes there are some face and skin care products that are excellent, some are very expensive, some work, some do not. some have chemicals in them, some are organic; the selection is endless. What does a women do? — they go to facial parties, use coupons, grab the prettiest bottle on the shelf, ask their friends what they use, research, buy products on line.

It can get expensive and frustrating to keep trying different brands some of the products will get used and others will wind up sitting in the cupboard, some get old and the ingredients break down and have to be thrown away.

When it is all said and done no wonder women just use soap and water, it is so much easier.

Some women also use too many products each day and that can get very expensive.

To possibly help narrow down some of the choices I feel it is important to find a product that hydrates your face, feels smooth to the touch, lessens wrinkles, is easy to put on, feels good when going on, is not greasy or heavy feeling, is affordable, and something that you love using each day.

I do believe that face cream should not contain alcohol or any drying ingredients, chemicals, coloring or products that may make your face break out and the product can be used by all skin types. The product should be safe enough for everyone to use no matter what type of skin you have.

It is important, however, to use the product/products each day to get the best benefit. Also the group of products if you choose to use a skin care system should compliment each other and work together. As you use each product it builds on helping your skin to be healthy and radiant with each product that you use.

If you are not seeing results in 30 days or less, then you may need to reevaluate if the facial products you are using are right for you and your skin.

I recently conducted a such a test for 30 days where I put a skin care system on only half of my face to see how long it took me to see a difference and boy did I ever. The lines on my face were quite diminished, my jaw line tightened, the bags under my eyes lessened and my cheeks looked so much more radiant. If I had just put it on my whole face I might not have seen how amazing the product I was using really was. I am now using it on my whole face hoping the other side catches us.

Diet, nutrition and water play an important part in how are skin looks and feels also.

In conclusion price is not always a good indicator of a good facial product, neither is the packaging, TV radio commercials, magazine or store reps. It is important to learn a little about our skin, what is good for our skin, what helps it to be hydrated, glowing, and will protect it from UV damage and help it to be soft like baby skin (yes it is possible). There are skin care products on the market that are very affordable and do a superior job in keeping our skin healthy and radiant looking.

If you are interested in the skin care system I am using and what to know where I get it email me at kathy.hoagland@gmail.com

The most important thing to keep in mind after your body piercing has been performed is that you have essentially just sustained an open wound, and you should be caring for it exactly like you would a surgical wound or injury. That is, with the same kind of care, cleanliness and attention that you would to a serious injury to make sure that you don’t scar or get an infection. There are two different types of body piercings to consider: non-oral and oral.

Non-oral body piercing aftercare Keeping your piercing clean can’t be stressed too much! It just can’t. Twice a day, every day, without fail. No excuses. Use a mild antibacterial soap that doesn’t have fragrances in it, such as Provon® Antimicrobial Lotion Soap or Satin® Therapeutic Skin Cleanser, both of which are approved by the Association of Professional Piercers (APP). The best place to clean your piercing is usually in the shower, where the warm water will help you loosen and remove those crusties around the base of your jewelry. Use a cotton swab or a Kleenex to remove these, and then throw the swab or Kleenex away. Never use a washcloth — these things are breeding grounds for germs and bacteria! The same for bath towels after your shower! Then, with clean hands, gently cleanse the area with the soap and turn the jewelry so that the soap gets in the piercing and let this sit for a minute or two. After rotating it again, rinse thoroughly with warm, clear water. Make sure you get all of the soap out to prevent irritation. The rinsing is very important, so try to be thorough without irritating the area. It often helps to cup your hands and drizzle water over the area, since the shower stream can be a little too hard to aim directly on the area. Don’t forget your sea salt soaks After cleansing, a sea salt soak helps to draw out any piercing infection and impurities while soothing the area and calming any inflammation that may be present. Mix about ¼ teaspoon of sea salt with 8 ounces of warm water. Using a disposable cup, soak your piercing in this for ten minutes the first time, and five minutes each time after that. If your piercing is in a location that makes this difficult, apply the solution with cotton swabs, tissues or some other disposable product that’s soft and clean. Never use a hanky, washcloth or any other item that is going to be reused. Always pat your piercings dry with cotton balls, cotton swabs or tissues — don’t rub them, pat them. This reduces irritation and possible tearing of the skin and helps promote healing. Although it seems to be a minor step, keeping your piercings dry is actually an essential part of piercing aftercare because it reduces the opportunities for bacteria to breed (they love a warm, moist place to play). If you aren’t sure about mixing your sea salt soaks properly or it’s too inconvenient, there’s a new alternative on the market that’s less messy and is portable. H2Ocean® Piercing Aftercare Spray is a pre-mixed sea salt solution containing lysozyme, a natural antibacterial that is gentle to the skin. Simply spray it on the area and allow to drip dry; it’s easy to use because of their patent-pending compressed air delivery system that produces a fine mist. This product is guaranteed to heal navel piercings in only a month and a half if used regularly and is highly recommended by numerous piercing communities like BME and Prick magazine. H2Ocean® also comes in a portable size for your pocket or purse, which makes piercing aftercare away from home easier. X-pressions Piercing Aftercare Spray is also available for both oral and non-oral body piercings and is a mild antibacterial solution with purified water in a non-aerosol, pump spray with a pleasant, peppermint flavor. Once a day (not more often, because you’ll be unnecessarily irritating the area), check that the ends of your piercing jewelry are firmly screwed on. But wash your hands with antibacterial soap first. And now, a few “don’ts”

• Don’t ever put hydrogen peroxide or alcohol on a piercing — they are too drying and will delay healing.
• Don’t ever use Neosporin on a piercing — it can actually trap bacteria. Read the label; it actually says, “Not for puncture wounds.” Guess what? A piercing is a puncture wound.
• Don’t ever remove your piercing jewelry before the piercing is completely healed, which may take months or up to a year. If you suspect a piercing infection, see your piercing professional or doctor first.
• Don’t sleep on your piercing until the initial healing phase is over.
• Don’t wear tight clothing over your piercing during the initial healing phase.

Oral piercing aftercare During the first three to six weeks after an oral piercing, rinse your mouth with an antibacterial agent after every meal to kill bacteria and make sure not tiny food particles aren’t lodged around your piercing just waiting to fester and turn into problems later. There are several excellent products on the market for this, including APP recommended Biotene and Tech2000 Dental Rinse; these have the proper ingredients and have the right potency to get the job done without being too strong. Don’t bother with mouthwash, because it’s not strong enough to do anything but cover your bad breath, which won’t be much consolation when you have a swollen, tender tongue because of improper aftercare. You can also use a commercial antibacterial rinse, but dilute it so that it isn’t too strong. If your tongue develops a whitish or yellowish look, your mouth rinse is too strong and will slow healing. Sea salt rinses … ahh! Mix the familiar warm water solution of 8 ounces water to ¼ teaspoon sea salt and swish this in your mouth for 15-20 seconds after drinking anything other than water and after smoking. It’s not only an aid to healing, but can be very soothing to the pierced area. If your oral piercing is sore or swollen, you can find some relief by allowing crushed ice to melt in your mouth. Popsicles, ice cream and the like also work, but will need to be followed up, like everything else, with a sea salt rinse (or H2Ocean®). Brush, brush, brush You can keep your tongue and piercing as clean as you want, but if you don’t brush your teeth well, you’ll still have millions of bacteria in your mouth. Try to brush your teeth three times a day during the first several weeks of healing. Buy a new soft-bristle brush that will be gentle on your piercing. Don’t use a brush that you’ve already used before your piercing, as it will harbor old germs. You should also gently brush the balls on the ends of your piercing jewelry to prevent the natural build-up of plaque on your jewelry. Oral piercing “don’ts”

• Don’t smoke, chew gum or use snuff or rub during the healing period; these increase the risk of piercing infections astronomically.
• Don’t play with the piercing jewelry or click it against your teeth; this can cause cracking of your tooth enamel.
• Don’t engage in any activities, including kissing, that exchange body fluids during the initial healing period of several weeks.

General tips to improve healing success Proper piercing aftercare is the primary reason for a successfully healed body modification, but your overall health and how well you take care of yourself is also a contributing factor. If you are run-down or your immune system is compromised, you will not heal as quickly and you will be more prone to infection. For that reason, you should keep in mind a few things whenever you have any kind of piercing in order to help ensure that your piercing aftercare measures are given the best chance of success:

• Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Eight glasses of day at the very least.
• At least eight hours of sleep a night
• Try to limit the amount of stress in your life
• Vitamin C and Zinc supplements to help speed the healing process
• Lots of fruits and vegetables, and a multi-vitamin if needed
• If the pain bothers you, take Ibuprofen. If you are comfortable, you are less likely to fidget with the piercing.

Signs of trouble Even with excellent piercing aftercare, there will be some swelling at the site of a piercing for a few days. You’ll also have some clear, watery discharge and perhaps some mild bleeding. The bleeding will usually stop within 24 hours, while the discharge may last for several days or weeks. This is simply drainage of the wound and actually helps prevent piercing infection. Signs that the piercing is in trouble include:

• Discharge that becomes noticeably thicker and is yellow or green in color. This is a sign or infection and should be checked by a doctor.
• Inflammation that lasts longer than a few days, with redness and irritation. See your piercing professional or doctor.
• Red streaks from the piercing site and a fever, along with body aches. See your doctor.
• Hives, redness, itching and irritation around the piercing, which may signal an allergic reaction to the piercing jewelry. Your piercing professional can try replacing it with an alternative metal.
• Difficulty breathing or wheezing after your piercing, or a feeling that your mouth or throat are swelling closed. Seek emergency attention immediately!

So how long does all this healing take? If you perform your piercing aftercare properly, your body piercing will heal cleanly and leave you with a beautiful new piercing with no scarring, migration or keloids. The time it takes to achieve this, however, will vary depending upon what kind of piercing it is. The general timeframes listed below are just for reference. All of these depend upon your individual body’s response, how much stress you are under and a thousand other variables. Earlobe or Eyebrow: 6 – 8 weeks
Genitals: 4 weeks – 4 months
Labret/Lip: 6 – 8 weeks
Navel: 6 – 18 months
Nipple: 3 – 6 months
Nostril: 3 months – 1 year
Septum: 6 – 8 weeks
Tongue: 4 – 6 weeks
Cartilage: 3 months – 1 year Disclaimer: All piercing aftercare information provided herein is for information purposes only. It is not meant to be a guideline for body piercing aftercare, but a starting point in making an informed decision concerning body piercing. If you have any questions or proceed with a body piercing, please be sure to discuss the procedure with a medical or piercing professional and get complete and clearly understood piercing aftercare instructions at that time. Evaluseek Publishing claims no responsibility for the accuracy of this content, which is based on the general consensus of the piercing community, which is constantly evolving and changing. This article on the “Body Piercing Aftercare & Healing Essentials” reprinted with permission.
Copyright © 2004 Evaluseek Publishing.

There are many options when it comes to coloring your homemade soap. Artificial colorants are often more vibrant than natural colorants, but many people like the idea of using all-natural ingredients in their soap.

There are also safety concerns with some artificial colorants, and they can have some unanticipated effects on the final soap product. If you decide to use natural colorants for your soap, there are endless possibilities to choose from, and you can give your soap almost any hue you desire.

Many of the natural materials you can use to color soap can be found in your kitchen, or local supermarket, and many are already used to color food and drug products.

These dyes can easily be extracted from fruits, vegetables, spices and even your morning coffee.

For example, beets will yield a dye that is bright purple, and depending on how much you use, will turn your soap pale pink to a deep red. To make the dye, cut the beets into half-inch slices, and boil three cups of beet slices in two cups of water.

Red onions will produce a red dye that will turn your soap reddish-brown; to make the dye you’ll use only the skin, so the onions can be used for cooking later.

Remove the outermost dry layers of skin, and the first moist layer; boil two cups of skins in three cups of water.

Red cabbage, oddly enough, produces an inky blue dye, which can be used to color soap pastel to deep blue.

Shred one head of cabbage, and boil it in two cups of water until the cabbage itself is a pale blue.

If the dye you get using these methods isn’t concentrated enough for your tastes, simply boil the mixture longer to evaporate more water.

Be sure to strain the liquid through cheesecloth before use, to ensure that any vegetable matter is removed.

Typically, you will add your homemade dye at trace, or when hand-milling a batch of cold-process soap.

You can use spices to dye soap as well, but the dye needs to be oil-based, instead of water-based.

Making an oil-based dye from spices involves three simple steps. First, mix two teaspoons of the spice with two tablespoons of oil. Let the spice soak in the oil for a while.

Next, heat the oil and spice mixture in the microwave for one to two minutes. Finally, strain the mixture through cheesecloth, or a coffee filter, to remove the spice particles, and you’ll be left with an oil-based dye that retained the color of the spice you used. Here is a list of some common food-based, homemade dyes, and the colors they will yield in your soap. (Always test dyes before use, to avoid unwanted results in final soap product.)

oAlfalfa – medium green

oAlkanet – deep purple to muted blue

oBeet root – muted pink to red

oGround calendula petals – yellow

oCarrots – yellow to orange

oGround chamomile – yellow-beige

oChlorophyll – medium green

oCinnamon – tan to brown (can be an irritant)

oCloves – brown

oCochineal powder – deep red

oCocoa powder – brown

oCoffee – brown to black

oComfrey root – light milky brown

oCucumber – bright green

oCurry powder – yellow

oElderberries – light brown (steep in lye solution)

oHenna, ground – olive green, drab green, greenish-brown

oIndigo root – deep blues (can stain)

oJojoba beads – come in many colors, and are exfoliating

oKaolin Clay – white

oKelp/seaweed – green

oMadder root – rosy red to purple

oMilk (goat’s or cow’s) – tan to brown, depending upon sugar & fat content

oMoroccan Red Clay – brick red

oPaprika – light peach to salmon (can be an irritant)

oPoppy Seeds – blue-grey to black specks

oPumice, ground – grey (also exfoliating)

oPumpkin, pureed – deep orange

oRattanjot – lavender to purple

oRose Pink Clay – brick red

oRosehips, ground – tan to deep brown

oSafflower Petals – yellow to deep orange

oSaffron – yellow

oSage – green

oSpinach – light green

oSpirulina – blue-green

oTitanium Dioxide – bright white

oTurmeric – gold to amber

Making unique soap molds out of everyday items is a cinch once you start thinking outside the box. There is definitely no need to buy professional soap making molds when fun and inexpensive alternatives are readily available.

One of my favorite ideas for creating unique soap molds is forming circular soap out of PVC pipe. Not only does it create a great looking finished product, but this soap molding method is also extremely simple to put into practice.

Creating a PVC soap mold requires 5 pieces of equipment which includes: PVC pipe, a cutting board, a funnel, a ladle and freezer paper.

So what are the steps? Once you are ready to pour your initial soap into its mold, place the PVC pipe vertically on the end of the cutting board. Be sure that all the edges are firmly placed against the wood and held there with a decent amount of force. After all, you wouldn’t want soap running out of the bottom!

Now place the funnel into the pipes opening for easy pouring. Make absolute sure that you use a funnel made out of silicon or stainless steel as this early stage soap will be extremely caustic and harsh. Never use plastic equipment of any sort. Once the soap has time to cure, the ph levels will drastically change resulting in a mild skin care cleanser, but for now, you need to be a little bit careful.

Next, begin transferring the soap from the pot into the PVC pipe using your ladle. Again, you need to make sure that the scooper is also made out of the proper materials. Never fill the PVC pipe all the way to the brim as the soap will expand during the curing process. I personally recommend that you leave about 3 inches at the top.

Cover the opened area of the PVC pipe with freezer paper using rubber bands to secure it in place. This will help keep the heat trapped inside the mold.

Now it’s time to insulate your soap even further. Take old blankets or large towels that you don’t mind ruining and thoroughly wrap the outside of the mold. Be as liberal as possible. I recommend using about 7 – 10 towels or 4 blankets. It’s important that the heat caused by the soap making reaction dissipates as slowly as possible in order for proper curing to occur.

Patience is crucial for the cold process soap maker as you must now wait about 72 hours for the soap to harden. Keep in mind that once it’s hard, it is still too caustic to use as it is not fully cured yet.

Slip the soap out of the PVC pipe and Cut it into bars of approximate even width. If you find that removing the soap from this unique soap mold is difficult, you can either use a jar to help push it out or place the soap in the freezer to make it contract.

Lay your new bars on a rack to cure allowing air to circulate around it. Be sure to flip them every few days. After 6 – 8 weeks, you are ready to test PH levels and use your new all natural skin care product!