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Beyond colorants and essential or fragrance oils, there are a number of neat things you can add to your homemade soap. One of my favorites is honey (which is a humectant), but there is also milk, glycerin, silk, shea butter, tomato paste, cocoa powder, fruit juice and pulp, dried herbs and flowers, finely chopped oatmeal, cornmeal (for an exfoliating bar), poppy seeds, finely ground coffee beans, beer and wine, citrus zest, berry seeds, yogurt, aloe vera gel, Vitamin E capsule contents (2-3 per pound), seaweed, uncooked adzuki beans or almonds ground into a fine powder, and embedded objects. In cold process soapmaking, whisk in these additives after you’ve blended to an appropriate trace. For liquids, add at a light trace. For anything you want suspended evenly throughout the bar (oatmeal, seeds), add at a heavy trace or else the additive will sink to the bottom.

As far as milk goes, you can really use any type of milk-cow’s, goat’s, cream, buttermilk, half and half, plain yogurt mixed with water, even powdered milk. Use the milk directly in place of the water your recipe calls for. However, I once used Egg Nog, and it turned dark brown and lost its rich smell. Whatever milk you use, freeze it before you use it. It should be “slushy” when added to the mixture. Milk soaps have a tendency to overheat, as do honey soaps.

Additionally, any time you use alcohol in a recipe, let it go flat or boil it to release the alcohol, then chill it before use. If you don’t even a small 1/2 pound batch will start explosively boiling when the lye is added.

As far as honey goes, add about 1/2 ounce per pound of soap. Be sure to spray the honey measuring spoon with non-stick cooking spray to so you don’t have honey residue sticking to the spoon and altering your measurement.

To embed objects in your soap, put, say, a small plastic toy, rope for soap-on-a-rope, or similar item into the soap mold then pour the soap batter into the mold. Of course, this works best with see-through or glycerin soaps, which are usually “melt and pour” projects-not handmade cold processed soap.

When adding dried herbs or flowers, sprinkle them on top of soap just poured into the mold or stir them in with a whisk right before pouring into the mold. Most herbs will turn brown in your soap over time. Dried herbs often bleed a brown color out into the soap surrounding it as well. Some people find this unsightly, while others feel it is beautiful and a mark of the soap being handmade from natural ingredients.

For more information on this and other soapmaking topics, go to How2MakeSoap.Net. This website also offers free soapmaking video tutorials, pictures of the soapmaking process, free beginner soap recipes, and a 50-page soap “how to” eBook for $12.99. The eBook includes 39 one-pound soap recipes, 60 soapmaking pictures, and details on how to make your own soap recipes.

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Innovation is a natural tendency of the human mind to thrive on variety, regardless of the activity involved. All the man-made changes that the world has witnessed are a result of this tendency to look for something different. The urge to try something else is a prominent human characteristic. When properly directed, this urge can have results that enhance the quality of an activity. A positive outcome of this urge to be different is called innovation. There is no end to the new ideas in the world, but when these ideas create value, it becomes innovation. Often enough, it is the application of existing knowledge in a different manner that stands out as an innovative idea. Usually, one idea gives birth to the next and new technologies, processes and methods come into being. Being innovative involves a lot of risks. Only a person who is willing to go out on limb is capable of being innovative. Good ideas are of no use unless they are implemented, and implementation in a new way always attracts criticism. It is only by being optimistic in the face of odds that an individual stands a chance of achieving something unique.

At times, innovation is done by taking an existing idea, concept or product and improving upon it. However what is more remarkable is to be able to think beyond what already exists, and coming up with a brand new concept. Mankind has come this far by riding on the benefits of innovative ideas through the ages. It is the problems that people encounter that cause a solution to be sought. Of course there have always been the gifted few who can go beyond the mundane and come up with brilliant visions. Great scientific inventions that we now take for granted are products of the innovative ideas of great minds.

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When you go shop for a new basin, you may love the look of a ceramic sink. You may hear about how durable they are. They do look amazing but you may get the impression they are going to be expensive. Yet they are more affordable than you may think! Such inks are made from raw materials. It is important to shop for a brand well known for the quality of their craftsmanship.

With a ceramic sink, it is important to understand the use of raw materials means each one will be slightly different. There will be variations in the colours and even in the cosmetic appearance. Such unique elements offer a very special and one of a kind look. Don’t worry though, they are all very nice!

One common questions consumers have is about the sunlight if the sink is in front of a window area. This type of material isn’t going to allow part of the sink to fade and others to remain the original colour. It will all remain uniform from the day you purchased it and installed it.

Cleaning is a Breeze

The materials are hard but also smooth. They aren’t going to be easy to harm in any way. You will appreciate the ceramic sink being very easy to clean too. You aren’t going to need to use harsh cleaners or chemicals to get it done. The materials also make it hard for the ceramic sink to be stained due to the colours in the items you may cook or use to prepare your meals with.

All you need to clean such a sink is a sponge or a cloth. It is a good idea to wipe it down and rinse it out regularly. This will help to remove any germs or debris that may be lingering from the last thing you used it. You will appreciate being able to keep it clean without it being a chore.

Heat Resistant

The heat from a boiling pot of water can cause damages to various types of products. However, you won’t have to worry about it with a ceramic sink. They hold up well to high temperatures such as when you pour boiling water into the sink so that a food product can remain in a colander and the water can go down the drain.

They are completely food safe too so you can prepare any foods in the actual sink part that you would like to. Don’t worry, the materials aren’t going to hold onto any smells from those food items either. That can put your mind at ease as some are very strong and they can make your kitchen smell terrible for a long time if you aren’t careful.

Durable and Stay Looking Nice

When you invest in a ceramic sink, you can feel confident it is going to be durable. The sink is going to get used often, and you don’t want to worry about scratches, scuffs, or blemishes. The strong nature of the materials means it is going to hold up well to daily use, to chores, and to items you put in it. Years after you buy it, the product can still look brand new!

Spend some time shopping around and finding the colour you want. Since it will last so long, you need to be sure you are going to love looking at it day after day! You also want to select the brand carefully. Not all of them are made with the same quality of materials, and you don’t want to settle for a cheap imitation.

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