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What are some of the benefits of pomegranate? This botanical is great for improving your body's health both inside and outside. Many people have found health benefits from this pomegranate and there are many that found it to be useful for certain conditions. Plus, this fruit tastes great, too. At Natures Garden we use Pomegranate Fruit Powder to provide some amazing benefits for our natural cosmetic recipes. This powdered herb has benefits for skin and hair. So, let's get into all of the reasons why pomegranates are great for you!What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: Growing ConditionsThese trees are ideal in climates that are in zone 7-12, which have short winters and low humidity. Also, they prefer areas of full sun. Your pomegranate trees will need about 20 feet diameter to be able to grow into. However, you can trim your tree to keep it more of a shrub size and you will only need about 10 feet. If the winter is too frigid and your trunk was damaged, it is possible to train new suckers to replace the trunk. Although this plant can survive a drought, this will cause a smaller harvest. On the other side, too much water due to over irrigating, heavy summer rain, or high humidity can result in fruits cracking or other problems. Plus, uneven water can result in issues, too. So, you will want to find a perfect balance for watering.While it is not necessary to prune your tree, it may help increase your harvest. When your pomegranate tree is about a year old, you can prune some of the trunks. You will want to keep somewhere between one and six of these trunks. Since pomegranates naturally grow in bush form, there will be plenty of suckers to choose from. Just be warned with pruning you can reduce your harvest. This is because your harvest will mostly come from new shoots growing off of branches that are older than a year. So, you won't want to prune all of your new growth.What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: Industrial UsesThere are all kinds of ways that you can use pomegranate to benefit your products and body. First, you can use this wholesale powder to moisturize and care for your skin. Also, you can use pomegranates to add some flavor to your food and provide you with some nutritional benefits. Further, this fruit can be used medicinally to benefit some ailments and condition. So, there are many different benefits that can be gained from this fruit. Let's get into all the different ways that you can use this wonderful fruit to benefit your body.What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: Bath and Body ProductsOne great way to benefit from pomegranates is to add it into your bath and body recipes. This allows you to use the skin-loving pomegranate powder all over. Since this is one of the natural cosmetic ingredients that is perfect for helping to moisturize your skin, it can be used to reduce certain skin conditions. You will be sure to love this cosmetic herb in your homemade bath and body recipes. So, we are going to get into some of the benefits that this cosmetic herb can provide for you.What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: Making Your Own Bath and Body ProductsFirst, this lovely herb is rich in antioxidants and antibacterial properties. These properties are beneficial for reducing symptoms of certain skin conditions. For example, this herb can be used to combat acne and pimples. Also, many have used it to reduce rashes, eczema, or psoriasis. So, this herb would make a perfect addition to your wholesale facial supplies. Also, including this wholesale herb in your skin care products can help reduce signs of aging, as the herb helps protect your skin from the breakdown of collagen. This breakdown is what causes problems like wrinkles or crows feet. So, reducing this breakdown will reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Additionally, this herb can help to promote healthy cell growth and leave your skin looking radiant and youthful.Plus, this cosmetic powder is perfect for including in your lotion making recipes. This herb will work with all of your moisturizing oils to create an amazing lotion recipe. This herb is able to help hydrate your skin by holding in the moisture. Further, the pomegranate fruit powder will help to protect your skin from pollutants and toxins. Also, this herb will help to restore the pH balance of the skin. Plus, this herb has properties that can be useful for protecting your body from the sun. So, adding this herb to your lotion could provide you with some light sunscreen that can reduce your exposure to harmful sun rays. Additionally, you can use this pomegranate herb powder to benefit your hair and scalp. First, some have found that pomegranate can be used to reduce dandruff by nourishing the scalp. Another benefit that has been noticed is that this herb can be useful for reducing hair loss, as it supports the hair follicles.What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: Foods and BeveragesThe fruit seeds of pomegranates are loved by many people. This is no surprise, as these fruits have a great taste that perfectly combines flavors of both sweet and tart. Plus, each individual seed is bursting with a juicy flavor. So, it makes sense that the fruit is eaten in a variety of different ways. Some people that will drink pomegranate juice or just eat the seeds raw. But, there are others that incorporate the food into recipes and other foods. There are those that have recipes for fruit pies using pomegranate and others will include these fruit seeds in salsa or a salad. Also, there are people that will add some of this fruit to yogurt or dip it into chocolate. There are so many different ways to eat pomegranate that there is a way for anyone to get this beneficial food into their system.Not only is pomegranate delicious, but it has some beneficial properties for your body. First, this fruit is found to help reduce heart disease, as it is thought to reduce cholesterol as well as lower blood pressure. Plus, these fruit seeds are known to help improve digestion by adding fiber to your diet. Also, the vitamins and anti-inflammatory properties are found to be useful for boosting immunity and antibody production.Also, there is some evidence that eating pomegranate seeds can promote brain health. First, there are properties in this fruit that are found to improve memory. Further, a study was done that had found that the polyphenols in pomegranates can provide protection from memory retention deficits that can occur due to heart surgery. Another benefit of eating pomegranate fruit is that there is evidence that it may help to improve Alzheimer's disease, as it contains properties that will help to reduce the deposits of amyloid that try to accumulate in the hippocampus of the brain.What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: MedicinalAlthough there are plenty of vitamins and other benefits found in the seeds of pomegranates, the peel has some great properties, too. Many people will simply toss the pomegranate skin without a second thought, but it has lots of great properties! These skins can be blended into smoothies or mixed into other recipes to disguise the bland taste. This way you can gain all the benefits that you possibly can from a single pomegranate. So, don't waste this opportunity to maximize your benefits and check out these potential benefits.The anti-inflammatory properties of this herb are useful for the body in a lot of ways. In fact, many people have found that pomegranate can be used to help reduce joint pain and arthritis. If you'd like to look into more natural ways to help your joints, then check out Dr. Axe's article on 7 Effective All-Natural Treatments for Arthritis. Also, these anti-inflammatory properties can be useful for improving your gut health. So, you may be able to use pomegranate to reduce hemorrhoid swelling, reduce bleeding or inflammation of the intestines, and improve digestion.Also, some people have found that pomegranates are beneficial for oral health. These properties have been found to help reduce bad breath, gingivitis, cavities, and ulcers. So, it would be a good idea to eat this or incorporate it into your oral care. Not only are these peels good for your teeth, but they are beneficial for bone health throughout your body. Studies have found that pomegranate peel can be useful for increasing bone density. In fact, some studies have found that this peel can help reduce the onset of osteoporosis in older women, especially in menopausal women.What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: Other UsesAdditionally, some have found that pomegranate is great for weight loss. In fact, a study had found that pomegranate can help reduce your fat retention and improve your sensitivity to insulin. While pomegranate isn't a substitute for healthy eating, it can be useful helping to reducing weight gain. Further, the antioxidants in this fruit have been found to prevent insulin resistance in diabetic patients. Plus, this food is low calorie and is known help to keep you feeling full. So, this is a great food to try to incorporate in your typical diet, whether you are actually dieting or not.What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: Recipes and Tips for Eating PomegranateI'm not sure about you, but it always takes me a long time to eat a pomegranate. However, there are actually tips and tricks to easily remove all the seeds. I found that life hacker's article on Deseed a Pomegranate in 10 Seconds Using a Wooden Spoon was especially useful for helping me eat my pomegranates. Plus, there is a helpful video to go along with the instructions!Since there is an abundance of benefits from eating pomegranate seeds, you will definitely want to include it in your typical diet. An easy way to add some pomegranate to your diet is to include it in your food! Whether you are making dinner or dessert, there are always ways to incorporate this juicy fruit. If you are looking for some fun and unique ways to include the pomegranate seeds in your cooking, then check out Healthy Pomegranate Recipes by Eating Well.What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: Ask Us Your QuestionsI hope that you enjoyed this natural cosmetics blog on the benefits of pomegranate powder. Let us know if you learned something new or interesting! Also, anyone that has any more questions about this herb or any others on Herbs and Spices can ask us. You can reach out to ask us in the store, on the phone, or online. We always try to available to help you make wonderful quality products! One great way to find us online is through social media. We have a Natures Garden Facebook page that you can talk to us on. Also, you can use the handle @ngscents for Instagram and Twitter. Hope to hear from you soon!What Are Some of the Benefits of Pomegranate?: Reminder About Our HerbsNote: Natures Garden sells herbs, like our Pomegranate Fruit Powder, for external use only. Although some people use this in food, we do not sell our herbs as food items. So, the information that we provide about our herbs is only for educational purposes. We do not intend for you to use this information to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated any of this information. Make sure that you keep all herbs out of reach of children and pets. Also, pregnant and/or lactating women should take special care and attention when handling any of our herbs. Natures Garden accepts no responsibility (written or implied) for any products you make with our herbs. Also, all product testing is the responsibility of the customer.

Everybody loves the deliciousness of avocados. They are yummy by themselves and add some extra taste to sandwiches and burritos. But, this delightful fruit is not just a tasty treat for you to spread on toast. In fact, there are even more avocado oil benefits that you can enjoy for your skin and hair. So, this means that avocado oil is perfect for creating your own homemade cosmetics! So, we at Natures Garden are sure that you will love adding this cosmetic oil to your own homemade products. You are absolutely sure to feel the moisturizing, nutrient-rich, skin-loving power of avocado oil. In this blog we would like to discuss these amazing benefits for both your products and the body!Avocado Oil Benefits History of AvocadosAccording to a website that is all about avocados, this tasty food have been appreciated by humans for thousands of years. This delicious fruit originated in central Mexico and was domesticated by tribes like the Inca and Maya. Later, the Spanish conquered these tribes, in the 16th century, and spread the use of avocados to other areas in the world. Surprisingly, the use of avocados was not an instant success. In fact, this food was not made very popular until 1950 when it was used in salads. If you would like to learn more, you can find a more detailed historical account of this fruit on their website. Furthermore, those that really love avocados should check out more at Avoseedo where you can even purchase your very own avocado tree to grow at home!Avocado Oil Benefits For Homemade Body Care ProductsIt's important to understand how your cosmetic ingredients will impact and change the qualities of your homemade products. While it is possible to create your products with a vague understanding of the ingredients, it can be hard to tell exactly what you are going to get from your final product. This way you can combine specific ingredients to get a product that fits your needs the best. For avocado oil, this means that you can create a product that is great for sensitive, dry skin that could use some extra nutrients. This oil is a bit heavy, but is perfect for those that could use some extra moisturizing power.Avocado Oil Benefits for Soap MakingFirst of all, you can create some skin loving cold process soap with this cosmetic oil. Using this oil would add some lovely properties to your soap recipe. The oil will add some conditioning properties to the bar, which will soften and moisturize your skin. Furthermore, avocado oil is full of nutrients for the skin. Plus, the soap will have a creamy lather and be a harder kind of bar. Also, this this cosmetic oil is nice for sensitive skin and can be used at a rate of 5-30% for your soap recipe. One of our own soap recipes that includes this ingredient is the Gentle Avocado Cold Process Soap Recipe.Avocado Oil Benefits for Homemade LotionAlso, you can use this cosmetic oil to create your very own body lotion recipes. This lovely oil is a gentle one that is able to nourish and moisturize the skin. This oil has a high percentage of essential fatty acids, which moisturize the skin. Additionally, this cosmetic oil contains beneficial nutrients, like vitamins A,D, and E. Plus, this cosmetic oil is gentle enough to create lotion for sensitive skin types and sensitive areas of skin, like the face. Not only is this oil great for creating a typical body lotion, Avocado Oil was perfect for creating our Natural Facial Night Cream.Avocado Oil Benefits for Making Lip BalmFurther, you can use this lovely cosmetic ingredient for creating your lip balm recipes. This is a perfect recipe for making products that will truly care for your lips. You will love using avocado oil in your very own lip balm recipes and you can even try it out with our Avocado Lip Balm Recipe. Further, you can create the incredibly delicious Chocolate Avocado Lip Balm Recipe. This recipe uses this cosmetic oil along with other luscious oils and butters to create a perfect recipe for soft, nourished lips.Avocado Oil Benefits for Making Your Own ConditionerAlso, you can use this lovely cosmetic oil to create some awesome conditioner for hair. Avocado Oil is perfect for caring for dried out hair in need of some moisturizing power. This cosmetic hair oil is perfect for revitalizing your hair and bringing back the moisture that your hair needs. Since this cosmetic oil is a bit thicker than some of the other oils used in regular conditioner, I would recommend using this oil in hair mask recipes and other deep conditioning recipes. This way you can get the intense nourishment without over doing the moisturizing.Avocado Oil Benefits for Scrub RecipesAdditionally, you can create some skin loving scrub recipes. with this cosmetic oil. This heavy, luscious oil is amazing for the skin. With winter right around the corner, the added moisturizing power of avocado oil would be a perfect addition to your body scrubs. Avocado oil will provide your skin with essential vitamins that your body will thank you for. This lovely oil is perfect for creating unique scrub recipes that care for your skin! One great scrub product that you can create with this oil is the delightful Margarita Salt Scrub Recipe.Avocado Oil Benefits for Making Bath ProductsLastly, you can perfectly use this cosmetic oil to create all kinds of skin loving bath products. So, it would be a great idea to include avocado oil in your bath bombs, bubble bars, or bath melts. This oil is great for moisturizing and nourishing the skin. This will allow you the chance to relax as your skin soaks up all the nourishment from this lovely oil. One fun way that you can use this oil to help nourish the skin is to create the lovely Mandarin Mango Bubble Bar Recipe. This highly moisturizing oil lets this recipe be fun, bubbly, and still good for the skin!Avocado Oil Benefits For Your Skin and BodyIn addition to the avocado oil benefits in your handmade products, avocado oil has some benefits for your body. Of course, a product wouldn't benefit too much from a cosmetic ingredient that didn't do something great for the body! Luckily, avocado oil Is a wonderful cosmetic oil for your skin. If you have dry skin, then this lovely oil is absolutely perfect for your products and your skin. This is a perfect cosmetic oil for nourishing the skin. Plus, this cosmetic oil is nice for protecting your skin for UV damage and other skin damage.Avocado Oil Benefits for Dry SkinFirst, this cosmetic oil is great for reducing dry skin. Avocado Oil is a perfect ingredient for adding the necessary nutrients to the skin. This cosmetic ingredient has fatty acids and essential vitamins that will sink into the skin to nourish your body and leave your skin nice and soft. So, the skin will be able to repair itself and gather the nourishment that it needs to resolve the issue of dry skin. Plus, this oil is known to sink down deeply into the skin to care for the deeper layers or your skin. Overall, this oil is a great choice for adding some extra moisture to your skin.Avocado Oil Benefits for Calming EczemaAlso, this cosmetic oil is great for dealing with inflammatory skin issues. For example, you can use Avocado Oil in your home remedies for itchy, dry eczema. Those that have had to deal with this issue know that eczema can be a difficult condition. This issue involves irritated and inflamed skin that can sometimes include itching, blisters, or red rashes. Definitely not a fun time. But, Avocado Oil has been known to reduce these irritating symptoms after a few tropical applications. The nourishing power of this oil can enrich the skin and lead to the production of anti-inflammatory compounds.Avocado Oil Benefits for Reducing Signs of AgingFurther, you can include Avocado Oil in the products that you create to reduce signs of aging, like dulling skin and age spots. While there is nothing wrong with getting a bit older, some changes aren't always welcome. So, you can try to create some anti-aging products to revitalize the skin and produce a youthful glow. One way that this cosmetic oil can help you to reduce is age spots. This oil will provide your skin with the nourishment it needs to repair and reduce the damage in your age spots. This happens because the cosmetic oil helps to keep the skin plump to reduce aging.Avocado Oil Benefit for Wrinkle ReductionAlso, you can use this cosmetic ingredient to reduce wrinkles, fine lines. So, this cosmetic oil is great for even more age reduction beauty products! Adding in some Avocado Oil will help nourish the skin and rejuvenate your skin. This will lead to brilliant looking skin. Plus, this oil can help lighten and reduce scarring. Obviously, this lovey oil has essential nutrients that can help your skin look beautiful!Avocado Oil Benefit for Skin TighteningAnother great way that you can use this cosmetic oil is for tightening loose skin. Some skin may begin to feel looser as you age, but you can use oils like Avocado to reduce this effect. This oil will promote the production of collagen, which supports cells. Ultimately, this will lead to stronger and tighter skin!Avocado Oil Benefits for Sun BurnAdditionally, this cosmetic oil is a great ingredient for dealing with sun burn. First this oil is perfect for creating healing ointments for sun burn. Avocado oil contains nutrients that may help your sun burn heal faster. Also, this oil is helpful for relieving the burning feeling faster than untreated sunburn. Plus, this oil contains fatty acids and vitamins that help protect your skin from UV rays. While this oil can't act in replacement of high SPF sunblock, it is a perfect addition to your sun block formulations.Avocado Oil Benefits for Clear SkinAnother way that this cosmetic oil can be useful is for reducing blemishes and break outs. This oil contains compounds that work to cleanse and protect your skin from foreign elements. Plus, the oil helps increase blood circulation, which rejuvenates skin cells. Further, Avocado Oil is great for helping to control break outs and acne as well as reducing helping to reduce scars. Together, these properties will leave your skin glowing!Avocado Oil Benefits for Conditioning HairPlus, this oil can be used to condition your hair. This cosmetic oil is a deep moisturizing oil that is perfect for restoring nourishment, which will leave your hair feeling soft and healthy. Further, this oil can be used to heal damaged, dry hair and reduce frizzy hair. So, include this cosmetic oil in your hair care routine and get ready for some gorgeous locks!Avocado Oil Benefits for DandruffFurther, this oil can be used to reduce dandruff. Not only is Avocado Oil great for moisturizing hair, but this cosmetic oil is useful for the scalp, too. The nourishing properties of this oil can reach down into the skin and follicles and provide the nourishment your scalp deserves. Since dandruff is resultant from dried out skin on the scalp, providing moisture and nourishment will prevent this embarrassing occurrence.Avocado Oil Benefit for Hair Damage ProtectionWe all know that sometimes beauty is pain. For your hair this means that heating and styling your hair can lead to some serious damage, which can lead to choosing between gorgeous hairdos or silky, soft hair. But, this oil can help you have it all. Use this cosmetic ingredient to protect your hair to maintain those luscious locks. This way you can show it all off by styling, straightening, and curling. You are going to love your hair!Avocado Oil Benefits for Irritated SkinAnother great property of this cosmetic oil is its ability to calm irritated skin. So, this cosmetic ingredient is helpful for rashes or chafing. Also, this oil would be good at reducing diaper rash. This cosmetic oil is perfect for reducing redness and irritation. So, using this oil will help you to calm your rashes and feel better in no time!

Candles have long been used in rituals, meditation, and spiritual practices, with each color holding its own unique meaning. Understanding the meaning of the colors of candles can help you choose the right one for your intentions. Let’s explore the candle color meanings and how each hue can influence your practice. What Is the Meaning of the Colors of Candles? The meaning of the colors of candles is rooted in traditions and symbolism across cultures. Each candle color is thought to hold a specific energy or vibration, making it an essential tool in rituals and spiritual work. Here’s a brief overview of what some standard candle colors represent: White: Purity, peace, and spiritual connection. White candles are often used for cleansing, healing, and protecting. Red: Passion, energy, and strength. Red candles are powerful for boosting vitality and boosting love spells. Yellow: Joy, intellect, and clarity. Yellow candles can help with focus and creativity, making them ideal for studying or problem-solving. Green: Growth, abundance, and balance. Green candles are often used for prosperity rituals and for attracting wealth. Blue: Calm, communication, and inner peace. Blue candles are great for meditation, promoting relaxation and spiritual awareness. Candle Color Meanings: A Complete Guide Diving deeper into the candle color meanings can help you harness their energy more effectively. Here’s a complete guide to some of the most popular colors and what they symbolize: Pink: Symbolizes love, compassion, and emotional healing. Pink candles are perfect for self-love rituals or strengthening relationships. Purple: Associated with spiritual growth, wisdom, and psychic abilities. Purple candles can be used to enhance intuition and connect with higher realms. Orange: Represents creativity, enthusiasm, and success. Orange candles are often used to boost confidence and attract new opportunities. Black: Traditionally used for protection, banishing negativity, and grounding energy. Black candles are powerful for warding off negative influences and breaking bad habits. Brown: Stability, grounding, and home matters. Brown candles are often used in family, pets, and property rituals. The Meaning of Different Colored Candles for Rituals and Intentions Each candle color can serve a different purpose, especially regarding rituals and setting intentions. Understanding the meaning of different colored candles can help you align your candle choice with your specific needs. Here’s how some of these colors can be used in spiritual practices: White Candles: Use for protection, purity, and spiritual awakening. They are versatile and can be substituted for any other color when in doubt. Red Candles: Ideal for love spells, passion rituals, and boosting physical strength. They often reignite passion in relationships or energize a workout routine. Yellow Candles: Burn during study sessions or creative projects to enhance mental clarity and focus. They are also great for rituals aimed at manifesting positivity and joy. Green Candles: Use in money-drawing spells or rituals for personal growth and renewal. Green is a powerful symbol of fertility and new beginnings. Blue Candles: Light them during meditation or before bedtime to promote calm and peaceful energy. They can also help improve communication and express truth. How to Choose the Right Candle Color for Your Needs Choosing the right candle color can enhance the effectiveness of your spiritual practices and help you manifest your desires. Here’s a simple guide to picking the right hue based on candle color meanings: For Emotional Healing: Pink and blue candles are ideal for those looking to heal emotional wounds or foster a sense of calm. For Success and Creativity: Orange and yellow candles can help bring fresh ideas and motivate you to achieve your goals. For Love and Relationships: Red and pink candles are often used in love spells and rituals to attract or deepen romantic connections. For Spiritual Connection: Purple and white candles can deepen your meditation practice or enhance spiritual awareness. For Protection: Black and white candles are the go-to choices for creating a protective barrier around yourself or your space. Exploring the Symbolism Behind Popular Candle Colors Understanding the different candle color meanings can provide insight into their use in various traditions. Here’s a closer look at the symbolism behind some popular colors: Gold: Represents success, enlightenment, and divine connection. Gold candles are often used in rituals for wealth, prosperity, and spiritual insight. Silver: Symbolizes intuition, dreams, and the moon’s energy. Silver candles are perfect for working with lunar cycles and enhancing intuition. Lavender: A blend of purple and blue, lavender candles offer a balance of spiritual awareness and calm. They are great for self-care rituals and stress relief. Gray: Associated with neutrality and balance. Gray candles are often used when seeking guidance or clarity during uncertain times. Whether a beginner or a seasoned practitioner, using the right candle color can add depth and focus to your practice. Each hue offers a unique vibration that can align with your specific intentions, making the meaning of the colors of candles a valuable tool in your spiritual toolkit. When making candles, they can be colored with liquid dye or dry powder and blocks. Frequently Asked Questions About Candle Color Meanings Can I use a white candle if I don't have a specific color?White candles are considered universal and can be used as a substitute for any other color in rituals. They represent purity and clarity, making them an excellent choice for any intention. How do I choose the right candle color for a love spell?Red and pink are the most popular choices for love spells. Red is ideal for passion and desire, while pink focuses on compassion and emotional connection. What is the best candle color for meditation?Blue and purple candles are excellent for meditation. Blue promotes peace and calm, while purple enhances spiritual awareness and psychic abilities. By understanding the meaning of different colored candles, you can harness their unique energies to support your goals and create a meaningful atmosphere during your rituals. Whether you're looking to attract love, foster spiritual growth, or simply bring a sense of peace into your space, there’s a candle color that’s perfect for your needs.

For all the crafters out there, do you like to experiment with different flowers, plants, or herbs? Have you ever tried anything with flax seed before? Flax seed is a fantastic ingredient! It is very versatile and can be used in many different industries! Did you know that in the old original tellings of Sleeping Beauty, she actually pricks her finger on a sliver of flax and not on a spindle? Cool right? Flax seed can be used for soaping, bath and body products, skin care and even hair care!Flax seed is a very beautiful flower, otherwise known as common flax or linseed. It can be either annual or perennial and is part of the Linum genus. In Northern Ireland flax is used as the emblem and in Belarus common flax is the national flower. There are two basic varieties of flax seed, brown or yellow gold. However the flower is a bright pale blue color. In a cave in the country of Georgia, evidence was found that dates flax seed back 30,000 years! Isn t that awesome? Even in ancient Egypt, there were paintings of flax inside temples and priests only wore linens made with flax because it was considered a symbol of purity. Mummies were even entombed with the flax linens!This flower can be used for so many different industries. Soaping, skin care, hair care, and bath and body just to name a few. Do you suffer from migraines or horrible headaches? Flax is a main ingredient in eye pillows to help with the pain! We even have an awesome free recipe for Relaxing Eye Pillows here at Nature s Garden. It is used as a beautiful natural decoration for soaps, and it contains antioxidants that are great for protecting you from heart disease and your skin from skin cancer. Flax seed also helps with many other skin conditions such as psoriasis, dermatitis and rosacea. It also contains omega-3 fatty acids that are great for helping cuts to heal faster and keep your skin smooth and hydrated. For hair care, flax seed helps to prevent hair loss, makes hair easier to manage and provides it with many essential nutrients.Here at Nature s Garden we actually offer whole flax seeds and even a flax seed class! Just type flax seed into the search bar on our site and it will take you right to a page titled Search Results for Flax Seed that offers our class and the seeds. We even have more great free recipes with this wonderful ingredient. Try our Curl Pop Hair Gel recipe or our Silky Hair Gel recipe. Both of those are an amazing treat that you and your hair will both love!For women, ground flax seed may even help with symptoms of menopause like night sweats and hot flashes. But please don t take this blog as medical advice! We only sell flax seed for external use. Always make sure to talk to your doctor before using anything in place of medical treatment! Fun fact! Linseed oil is used for linoleum and printing inks for drying oil. Flax seed is such a versatile product that you will most certainly love it in whatever project you use it for! Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns and keep watch for more Enlightened by Layla!

In order for your candles to achieve the most vibrant colors or pleasing pastels possible, a candle dye or candle colorant must be used. Using other forms of colorant may result in an nonfunctional candle.Can you use crayons to color candles?Although, staring at a beautiful stack of wonderfully vibrant crayons, we can understand why there would be an urge to use crayons as a colorant for candles. I mean, let's look at what a crayon is...a stick of colored wax, right? Logically, they should work. However, this is absolutely not the case.You should never use crayons to color your candles. The reasoning behind this is the actual colorant of the crayon. These colors are achieved with the use of pigments, and pigments unfortunately are not soluble. What this means is that when a crayon is melted, the color of the crayon breaks down into small pigment particles that exist in a dispersed manner among the melted wax. These pigments appear as if they had changed the color of the wax; like candle dyes do because dyes dissolve into the candle wax, but remember the pigments are simply dispersed.Now, due to the way that a wick works in candles, there must be a melt pool apparent to keep a candle flame going. As the wick continues to burn, the melted wax from the wet pool is pulled through the wick. This is how the fragrance (or hot scent throw) of the candle is released into the air. The problem that coloring with crayons in candles presents is that since the pigments and the wax never combine, the pigments are also pulled up through the wick. But, these pigments will not, unlike the melted wax, flow properly through the wick. These pigments will in fact clog your wick.The results of a clogged wick prevent your candles from burning properly, inhibit your candles hot scent throw, and will even cause your candles to smoke.So, in summary no matter how tempting that box of 64 crayons look, never use crayons to color your candles. You will want to stick with dyes specifically formulated for candle making; Natures Garden offers liquid candle dyes and color block dyes in an array of vibrant colors.

We at Natures Garden would like to share with you some awesome castor oil benefits that could work for your entire body. So, this oil could benefit certain aspects of your body on both the inside and the outside. There are benefits to be had for areas like the skin, hair, and even your well being. You can use castor oil to create luxurious bath and body products or you can simply use this oil on its own. Regardless of how you use this cosmetic oil to help, you are sure to benefit from the amazing qualities of this oil. This oil has moisturizing benefits, hair growth stimulation, and much more!Where Does this Oil Originate?Castor Oil is a type of vegetable oil that comes from a specific species of plant. This plant is often called Castor Bean, but its scientific name is Ricinus Communis. The castor bean plant, which is featured to the left, produces the seeds that are pressed to create this wonderful oil. Many believe that this oil has some properties that our bodies can benefit from.Further, it is thought that this plant originated in tropical Africa and that the Egyptians were among the first to utilize this oil. While we have come a long way from that time, castor oil has become widely used for cosmetics, soap, and other products. So, the beneficial properties of this oil have become more widely sought after and used as the years have progressed. So, check out this oil's benefits in a variety of areas to determine whether you could benefit from this cosmetic oil in some way.Castor Oil Benefits for Homemade ProductsHomemade products are only as good as their ingredients. It is important to know exactly what you are looking for to select the ingredients that will provide you with your desired properties. Each oil is unique, so castor oil's properties may or may not be what you are looking to add to your product. While it is a thicker oil, it is an amazing moisturizer with some beneficial properties for various products. So, here is how this oil will act in certain products that you can make at home.Castor Oil Benefits in Soap MakingThis lovely cosmetic oil is great for creating luscious, handmade soaps. For example, our Blackberry Sage Soap Recipe contains castor oil. Since castor oil naturally contains a variety of fatty acids that are great for the skin, this is a perfect soaping oil. First, adding this oil to soap will create a bar that is more conditioning, so your hands will be left softer after using. Plus, this means your body will be better moisturized and more nourished due to this oil. Also, this oil provides a more bubbly and creamy lather in your finished soaps. However, you do want to be careful not to add too much. Soap recipes can contain 5-7% of this wonderful oil. Some will add as much as 10%. However, adding more than 10% castor oil in soap can produce a sticky soap.Castor Oil Benefits Lotion and Body ButterAlso, you could use this cosmetic oil to create lotions, creams, or body butters like our Natural Facial Night Cream Recipe. This oil has properties that are perfect for skin care products. Castor oil is a very conditioning oil that reaches deep into the skin to nourish your body. So, your skin will be softened all the way through and fully hydrated. Further, this oil helps stimulate the production of elastin and collagen, which are very important for beautiful skin. So, this oil can help maintain a more youthful appearance for your skin.Castor Oil Benefits Natural MakeupAnyone creating natural cosmetics could include Castor Oil in some of these products. First, many have found homemade mascara can be made perfectly with this oil. Plus, some believe that castor oil will lead to growing thicker, darker eyelashes over time. Alternatively, you can use castor oil to create an eye makeup remover.Castor Oil Benefits Lip BalmCastor Oil is a perfect cosmetic oil for creating lip balm. This thick, moisturizing oil is perfect for locking in exactly what your lips need. Plus, this oil is perfect for adding extra power to your lip balm recipe that can help bring cracked, dry lips back to life. While you can apply this oil on its own to your lips, we'd recommend adding this oil to other amazing oils to create a perfect lip balm! Be sure to check out our Silky Vegan Lip Balm Recipe, not only is it amazing, it also contains castor oil.Castor Oil Benefits for External CareCastor oil cosmetic oil is full of nutrients that your skin and hair can benefit from using. This oil is moisturizing and full of nutrients. Plus, this oil has been known to have antiviral, anti-inflammation antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties for the skin. In addition, this oil is great for hair growth and conditioning power. Since this oil is fairly thick, some may find it easier to mix this oil into homemade cosmetics before applying. But, you can use castor oil on it own, as well.Castor Oil Benefits for Skin InflammationYour skin can become inflamed for a variety of reasons. This could be due to a recent sunburn, stubborn acne, dry skin, or many other reasons. Regardless, castor oil is great for relief inflammation based issues. This cosmetic oil is a good choice for soothing these dilemmas because it has anti-inflammatory properties that can be utilized by directly applying the oil to the afflicted area. While you can directly apply this oil, you could incorporate this oil into your handmade skin care products.Castor Oil Benefits for Wrinkle ReductionAlso, castor oil is great for reducing wrinkles! This oil nourishes the deeper layers of your skin to rejuvenate the skin. This will lead to healthier skin and reduced wrinkles for some after a few months of applying this oil. This cosmetic oil would be perfect when added to homemade night cream recipes. This way you can add a few other beneficial ingredients to the cream and create the perfect wrinkle reduction. Plus, you will be able to leave this thick, moisturizing oil on your face overnight, so you will get the full benefits of this oil!Castor Oil Benefits for Brittle NailsNot only is this oil great for the skin, but your nails can benefit from castor oil, too. If you have brittle or cracked nails, then this oil is perfect for you. After about a week or so, you should be able to notice a difference. The oil provides your nails with nourishment, which for some, helps them be stronger and healthier. Furthermore, this oil can be used to nourish your cuticles, too. So, you'll have healthy nails in no time.Castor Oil Benefits for Soften CallusesDue to castor oil's strong moisturizing power and anti-inflammatory properties, it is a perfect oil for home callus treatment. While this alone won't remove these hindrances, it certainly helps. First, the oil moisturizes deep into this rough, callused skin to provide a softer feel. Also, the anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce the pain and swelling. So, this oil may make a callus a bit more manageable. Simply soak a cotton ball in castor oil and tape it to the affected area for several hours. Personally, I'd recommend wearing this to bed to get all the benefits without being annoyed by this treatment all day. Also, it may help to pull a sock or glove over the cotton ball after it has been taped.Castor Oil Benefits for Hair CareNot only is castor oil good for the skin, but your hair can benefit, too! This conditioning oil is perfect for moisturizing and caring for the scalp. So, this oil is great for helping treat dandruff. Plus, the healthy acids in this oil restore the roots of your hair and increase circulation. This will stimulate hair growth and help reduce hair loss. Further, this natural hair conditioner it perfect for locking in moisture. This hydrates hair and reduces split ends simultaneously. Furthermore, this moisture locking property makes the hair thicker and darker, which would enhance naturally darker hair colors. Thus, this oil would make a great addition to homemade hair products for certain hair types.Castor Oil Benefits for Growing EyebrowsWhen it comes to eyebrow growth some believe castor oil is one of the best. Whether you are wanting to regrow your eyebrows or wanting help with your thin eyebrows, this oil is just what you need. Castor oil benefits your eyebrows with the same amazing hair growth benefits as it does for the hair on your head. So, this oil will nourish the deeper levels of your skin and stimulate the follicles. This will lead to thicker, lashes because Castor Oil provides the nourishment to stimulate healthy hair growth.Castor Oil Benefits for Beard CareDue to Castor Oil's wonderful benefits for healthy beard growth, this oil was specifically chosen to be included in our recipes for beard soap and beard balm. First, this oil's antibacterial properties and antifungal properties are perfect for helping to keep facial hair clean. Also, the nutrients in the oil are perfect for stimulating growth and leading to a thicker, fuller beard. Also, its conditioning strength perfectly reduces split ends and softens hair. This will lead to more luscious, touchable facial hair that everyone is sure to love. So, adding this to your homemade beard soap or beard balm will keep you looking fresh.Castor Oil Benefits Castor Oil PackMany have found Castor Oil to have beneficial properties for the inside of the body. It is thought that allowing castor oil to sit on your skin for long periods of time could sink into your body and begin to work for you. This is thought to detox your liver, reduce inflammation, and improve lymphatic function. While this has not been officially certified, many people swear by this method of detox. They simply create a pack by soaking a cloth in castor oil and allowing it to set on their skin for between thirty minutes and an hour. Also, they use plastic to wrap the cloth and place heat over the plastic. This could be an electric heat pad or even a hot water bottle.Castor Oil Benefits Sore MusclesAlso, this oil has been said to be great for relieving sore muscles. Since Castor Oil is a warm oil, it promotes circulation in the body. So, adding this oil to your aching body may reduce the pain of overworked muscles. All you need to do is apply the oil and it will absorb and work its magic. You can either rub this oil into the target areas or create a massage oil with other beneficial ingredients. Either way, the soreness should be reduced by this oil.Castor Oil Benefits for Internal CareThis naturally derived oil is a perfect addition to any healthy lifestyle. Not only does this oil care for your body externally, but there are many that believe that Castor Oil has some beneficial properties for your insides, too. Some use this oil as a natural way to detox and clean out the body. So, depending on your body's needs this could be a great oil for you to use.Castor Oil Benefits for ConstipationIn the past, this oil has been medically used to treat constipation. Now, there are those that continue to use castor oil as a laxative. This oil can be used as a stimulant laxative for those that need the assistance. This oil will increase the movement of the intestines, which will help reduce constipation. So, Castor Oil is perfect for those who are a bit backed up and need help moving things along. Just make sure to not take too much at one time, as laxatives have the potential to dehydrate you from extreme cases of diarrhea. This oil is safe in regular doses, but overdoing it can be dangerous. So, you will most definitely want to consult a doctor before ingesting this natural laxative.Note: Natures Garden sells castor oil for external use only. We do not sell this cosmetic oil as a food item. The information that we provide about this oil is for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

All of us at Natures Garden understand that it can be difficult to create perfect candles. Especially if you have serious scent throw issues popping up, it can be frustrating to put time and money into candles that don't work that way you want. So, we want to answer some common candle making questions to prevent confusion and save you from all that extra troubleshooting. So, let's talk about common problems so we can get back to creating gorgeous homemade candles!Candle Wax Questions:How Do You Melt Candle Wax at Home?You can use a pouring pot and a stove top to melt your wax at home. Also, we recommend using a double boiler method where you have a larger pot with water in it and set your pouring pot full of wax inside. Turn the stove on to medium and allow the water in your pot to boil. This will safely heat your wax without letting it get too hot.Which is the Best Wax for Candle Making?Choosing the best wax all depends on preference of what you prefer in a finished candle. First, we have soy waxes that are vegan, gluten free, and natural candle waxes. This is the least expensive wax, has a fantastic cold throw, and has a cleaner burn, but it is tricky to get a great hot throw with some fragrances. Also, Soy Wax often has frosting and a rougher finish.Next, we have paraffin wax, which has the best scent throw, and is in both the Wow Wax and Joy Wax. The Joy wax uses a mixture of paraffin and soy, so it has a cleaner burn due to the soy wax and a really good hot scent throw due to the paraffin wax. Also, it clings to the candle containers better and has less frosting. An option for creating a translucent candle is gel wax, but it isn't compatible with all fragrances.Additionally, you can use palm wax, which comes from sustainable sources, has a beautiful crystal finish, and has a great scent throw. Natures Garden carries sustainable palm container and pillar wax. Lastly, Pillar of Bliss Wax and Palm Pillar wax are great options for creating pillars or wax tarts.Soy Candle Questions:What is the Best Temperature to Pour Soy Wax?This temperature depends on the type of soy wax being used. We recommend pouring our 100% soy wax at 110 degrees Fahrenheit. For the Golden Brands 444 or Golden Brands 464, we suggest pouring at 135 degrees FahrenheitWhat is the Best Temperature to Add Fragrance to Soy Wax?For heavier fragrance oils with high flash points, we recommend adding the scented oil at 185 degrees Fahrenheit. However, lighter fragrances with lower flash points, Ike citrus scents, would be added around 160 degrees FahrenheitWhich Wick is Best for Soy Candles?Many customers perfer to use a cotton wick for their soy candles. We have two types of cotton wicks available, which are HTP and CD candle wicks.How Do You Make Soy Wax Melts?Although we don't carry soy wax in a pillar form for melts, you can still create soy wax melts with container wax. Often, customers will use individual portion cups to package wax melts like these, which can be used to squeeze the wax into the wax burner. This is because it is softer than pillar wax and is difficult to get out of clamshells. However, this wax will not hold the shape from a mold. In fact, it will get stuck in your mold and be difficult to clean. Another option when making wax melts with a container wax is to add stearic acid to the wax to harden it.Fragrance Questions:Why Don't My Candles Have a Good Scent Throw?This issue could have a few different possible causes. First, you may not have added enough fragrance, which should be 1 oz. per pound on average. However, Natures Garden waxes will allow you to add up to 10% in most cases. Also, your candle may have a clogged wick. This could be due to adding too much fragrance, vybar, or another additive. Also, additives like mica and crayons will clog your wick.Another possibility is the type of wax you are using. A wax like paraffin will have a better scent throw than soy waxes. Finally, it is possible that you have the wrong size wick. If you wick is too small, then the flame will not be hot enough to get the aroma into the air. On the other hand, a wick that is too large will burn the scent oil before it can be released into the air.What is Vybar Used for in Candle Making?If you have a poor scent throw and you have tried trouble shooting, then you may want to use vybar. The vybar can be used to increase scent throw by adding some amount between a fourth and a half teaspoon per pound of wax. Just be cautious not to add too much or it can clog your wick and reduce your scent throw. We suggest using Vybar 103 for pillar candles and Vybar 206 for container candles.Why Is Fragrance Oil Settling to the Bottom of the Candle?If you notice that fragrance is settling at either the top or bottom of your candle, then there could be a few reasons to explain it. First, you've added too much fragrance oil. Another option is that the wax you are using isn't porous enough and you may need a more porous wax. Along with this idea, waxes that have been burned or heated too much may reduce in their ability to hold fragrance. Finally, you may have not stirred enough to fully incorporate the fragrance oil.Can You Use Essential Oils in a Wax Warmer?While some essential oils can be used in wax warmers, it can be a bit tricky. You need to make sure that they are diluted with either a carrier oil or DPG. Additionally, some essential oils have flashpoints that are too low for a wax warmer. So, you will want to do some testing with the essential oils that you choose.Wick Questions:Why is My Candle Wick Drowning Out?This could be due to either a small wick or a high candle. First, the wick you used may be too small for a candle of this diameter, which you can use our Candle Wick Chart for reference. Also, your wick could be drowning if you poured your candle wax up too high. You should stop pouring before the wax passes the part of the candle jar that changes shape and begins to curve for the lip.Why Isn t My Candle Wax Not Burning Evenly All of the Way Down?Uneven burning could be due to either the wax or the wick. First, the wick may be too small for your candle's size. Also, the wax that you chose could be too hard. While you could use a softer wax instead, you could also switch to a hotter wick.General Questions:Sometimes I Follow All Recommendations and I Still Can't Seem to Get it Right. Why is That?There are many factors that can influence the outcome of your homemade candles. First, fragrance oils can impact a candle, as thicker scented oils require you to wick up to get a hotter burn. Also, the room temperature can effect your candles. If the room is too cold, then you can have more issues with glass adhesion and frosting because your candle will setup very quickly.Additionally, you could have an issue where the scent doesn't smell as strong because you are used to it. When you are around a scent for too long, your nose will adjust and you won't notice it as much. If this happens to you, then don't worry too much just take a break from the scent for awhile and your nose will recognize it again after a long enough break.Why are My Layers Bleeding in my Candle?This color issue could have one of a few different causes. First, the layers were too hot. If you don't wait long enough or pour your wax too soon, then the layers can melt one another and start to run into one another. Also, it could be due to over saturating your candle with fragrance, as the extra scented oil will blend with colorant and bring the color with it as it seeps out of the candle.Can I Use Mica in Candles?We recommend that you don't mix mica into the candle itself, because it will clog the wick. But, you can use mica to decorate the outside of pillar candles! After your pillar is created you can then, use the mica on the outer portion of your candle. This shimmery mixture can be used to provide a beautiful sparkle on the outside of your candles.Can Mica be used in Wax Melts?Sure! Since we don't have to worry about clogging the wick, you can mix it straight into the candle wax. How Do I Get Rid of the Air Bubbles in My Candles?There are a few reasons why air bubbles could get trapped in your candles, which include water exposure and pouring at a cooler temperature. So, how do you prevent air bubble in a homemade candle? First, keep water away from your work station. Also, you can try pouring your wax at a hotter temperature. Further, pour your candle wax slowly and make sure to stop before you hit pour point where your jar begins to change shape. Can You Melt Old Candles to Make New Ones?We don't recommend re-purposing old candles to make new ones. While this may seem like a create idea to take all you half used candles and make a new one, the scent is a big concern in this case. If these candles are scented, then they will already contain fragrance oil. Once you melt your old candles, the scent may fade, but many of the wax particles are still holding on to some of the scent oil. This means that you won't be able to add enough fragrance oil without over saturating your candle. Since the candle already is holding scent, this extra fragrance will seep out and sit on the top of your candle, which is dangerous and can result in a flame that is too large.Reach Out to UsHopefully, we were able to get some of your more pressing questions answered. If you have any more questions or concerns about making your own candles, then please reach out to us. We are always happy to help! You can stop by the store, give us a call, or talk to us on social media. If you want to find us online, we have a Natures Garden Facebook page, Twitter (@ngscents), and Instagram (@ngscents). Good luck and have fun with candle making!

Hello all of you wonderful people out there! Are you looking for new crafting ideas? Maybe something new to use for the holiday season? Or maybe you re trying to find something that would be a great Christmas gift for your friends and family to remind them of the real meaning of the season? Have you ever tried anything with frankincense? Or frankincense tears? In the Bible, frankincense is one of the gifts brought to the baby Jesus from the three wise men. There are many frankincense uses in different industries and products such as soaping, candles, hair care, skin care, foods and beverages, and medicinal purposes.It can be used in many common bath and body products such as creams, ointments, lotions, bath teas, emulsifying scrubs, incense, potpourri and perfumes. When used in these products, frankincense has many skin care and hair care benefits. For hair care, frankincense helps to strengthen and make the roots stronger. It helps to keep the hair healthy and shiny, and is also a great cure for dandruff problems. For skin care, frankincense helps to fade many scars. It helps with surgery marks, acne, and stretch marks. It is also used to rejuvenate, smooth, and soften the skin, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.Frankincense also has many wonderful medicinal benefits. It has many great antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, sedative, anti-infectious, anti-tumor, and even anti-carcinogenic properties. It can be used to treat many ailments such as back pain, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, asthma, bursitis, sore throats, hay fever, abdominal pain, and tonsillitis. Frankincense can also help to treat pneumonia, warts, jaundice, restlessness, hyperactivity, and even prostate problems. Frankincense helps to improve the immune system and relieves itching and joint inflammation. For women, it can be used to help stimulate menstrual flow. It can even help to improve concentration and to treat and improve many visual problems. Did you know that frankincense can even be used to treat syphilis and fight cancer?For candle making, frankincense can be used as a beautiful natural decoration. It can even be used in food and beverages! Have you ever had frankincense ice cream? Yes, that actually exists and sounds delicious! It is mainly used as a dessert enhancer and can even be used to make frankincense shortbread cookies! Did you know that some people use frankincense as an ingredient for homemade salad dressing? Its cancer fighting properties are utilized in beverages.Are you wondering how to get your hands on this amazing product as soon as possible? All you have to do is type frankin into the search bar on our website. That will take you right to a page that offers our free Frankincense and Myrrh Soap recipe, our actual Frankincense Tears, our Frankincense Fragrance Oil, and our Frankincense and Myrrh Fragrance Oil. If you click on Frankincense and Myrrh Fragrance Oil, on the top of the fragrance picture, there is a little green box that says Recipe. If you click on that tab, it will show you the name and picture of our Frankincense and Myrrh Soap. That is a link that will also take you to that awesome free recipe! Make sure to try out these amazing products as soon as possible! They are perfect for this holiday season!Nature s Garden sells frankincense tears for external use only. We do not sell it as a food item. The information above talks about frankincense in many industries, however we only sell it for external use. We provide this information for educational purposes only. Nothing in this article is to be construed as medical advice. Please consult your doctor before using this product or any of this information for treatment purposes.

You'll go coco-nuts for coconut oil 76 in CP soap. What does the '76' mean? It simply denotes that this type of coconut oil has a melting point of 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Coconut oil has many beneficial properties for use in all sorts of products--it's even edible!!--but for our purposes, we're going to discuss coconut oil 76 in CP soap. (Please do NOT attempt to eat the soap.)Coco CleanOur cold process soap testing recipe features coconut oil as the second most abundant ingredient (by weight) after water. Rightfully so, for you see, coconut oil is comprised primarily of lauric and myristic fatty acids which are characterized in soap-making by providing cleansing properties, a bubbly lather, and hardness. Coco-o is a surfactant, meaning it reduces the surface tension of a liquid when it is dissolved, allowing the dirt and impurities to be rinsed off of the skin.Coco CreamIn addition, the high content of saturated fat serves to give coconut oil a higher SAP value (the number of milligrams of lye that is needed to completely saponify, or turn into soap, one gram of a specific oil, butter, or fat. -- Lye, while generally thought of as a bad guy, is a necessary evil for the saponification process. Always remember to follow safety procedures when handling lye. [Add lye to water, the mixture will get hotter; add water to lye, you'll probably die]). Remember that rhyme to ensure safety. While you will likely NOT actually DIE, you can certainly get hurt from the lye volcano you will create if you add water to lye. SO... Don't ever do that! Always add your lye to your water. The high SAP value of coco-o helps to superfat the soap (the amount of lye used is less than the given SAP value), giving it a nice, creamy texture and more lather ability. You can thank coconut oil for making your homemade CP soap clean and bubbly.Coco - What the heck does that mean?Furthermore, coconut oil serves as an emulsion stabilizer. What the heck does that mean? You may already know, but I just learned about this today, so I'm going to recap for myself and the benefit of anyone out there who's not entirely sure. An emulsion is a mixture of two things that don't really want to go together-- for instance, oil and water. Water is the number one ingredient (by weight) in our CP soaps, and just about everything else is some type of oil (apricot kernel oil, castor oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, fragrance oil, and- of course- coconut oil 76). An emulsion stabilizer helps to keep this mixture from separating. This means, not only will it help hold your soap together, it will also help hold the fragrance. (Don't worry, the coconut oil itself has been refined so it is odorless. Unless you ARE looking for a coconut fragrance in your soap. If so, we've got ten coconut-related scents you may enjoy using!)Coco No-noOh, wow, you're thinking. Coconut oil 76 in CP soap is so great, I want to use as much of it as possible! And of course you do, but how much is too much? A typical soap recipe calls for 20-30% coconut oil. It's important not to use more than 30% coconut oil. Why? Is it possible to be TOO clean? The excess coconut oil 76 in CP soap will interact with the natural oils on your skin and dry it right out. But if you use the appropriate amount of coconut oil, it works in the soap to help clean skin and even reduce inflammation.CococonclusionCoconut oil 76 in CP soap is awesome as long as you're careful not to use too much in your recipe. So go ahead-- what are you waiting for? Follow the links above to purchase coconut oil 76 and other ingredients for our CP soap testing recipe or one of our other fun CP soap recipes. Browse our wide array of fragrance oils to find a scent that you love. Thanks for reading and happy soaping!

Cocoa butter is considered a luxury butter that is actually a saturated, very hard fat. It can be used be in very many products. The obvious, chocolate, is just pure delicious. I couldn t help but mention it, what girl doesn t love chocolate! Now that I got my chocolate thoughts out, it can also be used in very many of our products here at Nature s Garden. Cocoa butter can be used in bath and body products such as lip balms, lotions, soaps, scrubs, massage bars, and lip gloss.There are many benefits to your skin when using cocoa butter in your bath and body products. Cocoa butter is very high in antioxidants which helps fight signs of aging and many skin stressers. Come on ladies, who doesn t want to look younger? It helps fight signs of aging, how awesome is that? Many people also use cocoa butter to help reduce their stretch marks, however there are no guarantees that it actually helps. Cocoa butter also helps to keep your skin hydrated and some people also use to help with skin irritations like dermatitis and eczema. See why so many bath and body products contain cocoa butter? It s just amazing!Our cocoa butter at Nature s Garden is consisted of many essential fatty acids: palmitic (28%), stearic (33%), linoleic (3%) and oleic (35%). For all the soap makers, when using cocoa butter in your products, make sure to use the right amount. If too much is used, it can result in a very hard and dry soap. Use it in conjunction with unsaturated oils like castor oil or olive oil or with sticky ingredients like lanolin or shea butter. The easiest way to get to our cocoa butter on our website, is to type cocoa butter into our search bar at the top of our site. It will take you right to a page titled Search Results for Cocoa Butter. That page shows all of the cocoa butter products we offer. You can choose from our Golden Natural Cocoa Butter or our Deoderized Cocoa Butter. Our cocoa butter melt and pour is also available on that page as well.Cocoa butter is awesome to use in your bath and body products! It is a fat actually taken from cocoa beans! Come on ladies, if you don t already use it, I m sure you re dying to now! It actually helps signs of aging and I know you just can t get the thought of that out of your head! This is a great product to try in your next projects, and watch out for more Enlightened by Layla! Please Don t hesitate to contact us with any thoughts, questions, or concerns you may have! Looking for more fun projects? Try one of our free classes or recipes!Note: Natures Garden sells our butters for external use only. We do not sell them as food items. (The information we provide is for educational purposes only. This information is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration). Keep all butters out of reach of children and pets. Natures Garden accepts no responsibility (written or implied) for any products you make with our herbs. All testing is the responsibility of the customer.

With all the effort that comes along with making your own soap from scratch, it is nice to know the cold process soap benefits. We at Natures Garden would like to remind you about all the wonderful reasons why homemade soaps are the best.Further, if you are a looking to become a soap maker, we'd like to share the advantages of making your own soap. Depending on what you are looking for in a soap, you may find different aspects of homemade soap appealing. Those that have a difficult time finding soaps that don't irritate their skin will rejoice after using this soap. People that enjoy crafting and would like to make soaps that are more fun and creative than the typical bar will enjoy this method of soaping. Not only can you combine any scent with any color, but you can create crazy fun designs that are not not often found in soaps. Regardless of what you are looking for in a soap, I'm sure you will be able to find something special in cold process soap!Cold Process Soap Benefits Main Reason to Soap At HomeThe biggest reason you should want to create your own soaps from scratch is that they are better than store bought. It all boils down to quality and making your own soaps is the best way to ensure a quality product with total control of the ingredients. We will discuss exactly what we have found to convince us that homemade soaps are better for the skin.Cold Process Soap Benefits Better for Skin Than Commercial SoapWhen you can simply go out and buy a bar of soap, there are some benefits from making your own soap. Though both bars will get you clean, many store bought soaps aren't as nice for your skin. Cold process soaps can be made with skin nourishing oils, butters, and herbs that really work well for your skin.On the other hand, commercial bar soaps can contain ingredients that leave your skin dry. Further, store bought soap could have some of the natural moisturizing elements removed. For example, the glycerin in store bought soap, which is created during the saponification process, could be removed in these bars. Thus, leaving you with a bar that really dries out your hands. So, creating your own soap will leave you with a creamy lather that is softening and provides amazing moisture for your skin.Cold Process Soap Benefits Get Ready For Softer HandsSince you will have a bar of soap that is more moisturizing than those soaps at stores due to the glycerin content remaining, you will have softer, more moisturized hands! So, say farewell to your lotions and creams because you may not need them as much as you used to need them. These soaps will care for your skin and make sure that they don't dry out your hands. While your soap will still clean hands effectively, it won't dry out your skin. Also, you won't need to buy as much lotion due to your soap extra moisturizing power! So, this is the best soap recipe to create for hands that will help your skin hydrate and heal.Cold Process Soap Benefits Freedom to Control All IngredientsWhen you make your soap at home you have all the control. You can create any kind of soap that your skin could possibly need. You can easily account for sensitivities, allergies, and your skin type. No need to find a specialty bar of soap at the store, you can simply leave out or swap ingredients to create your perfect bar of soap.Cold Process Soap Benefits Crafting the Perfect Bar of SoapSince you are going to control exactly what is in your soap bars, you have the power to create a soap that cares for your skin exactly right. You know your skin best and can learn about the properties of different oils to create the perfect soap! Whether you have oily skin, sensitive skin, or dry skin it is within your ability to make kinds of soap, as well as many others, to formulate the bar that will fit your skin type perfectly. Changing the types and amounts of oils in your recipe will impact the bar's appearance and how it treats you.An easy way to create the exact soap recipe that you need is to enter in different oils into a soap calculator. This program will tell you exactly what kind of bar your recipe will create. It does help to know a bit about the oils. You can learn quite a bit about soaping oils through our Soaping Oil Properties class.Cold Process Soap Benefits Soaps that Care For Your SkinFurther, you can choose from a wider variety of soaps when you have control of your ingredients. Stores don't often have a wide selection of soaps. Often, there are different brands of the same old, generic kind of soap. Additionally, those that do find the rare, more natural bar of soap are likely to find it to be too expensive. So, you are more likely to be stuck with very little choice regarding your soap. However, creating your own soap from home will open the door to so many possibilities. You can literally make any kind of soaping recipe to find the exact recipe you enjoy best. No more waiting and hoping in the cosmetics aisle, it's time for you to get more and better choices regarding you skin care!Cold Process Soap Benefits Potential to Create All Natural SoapSince you can control all of your ingredients, you have the option to create soap bars that are fully natural. For those that prefer to live on the more natural side, you can create soap without anything synthetic at all. You can include some herbs and spices to naturally enhance your soap with some nice properties. For example, you can add Chamomile Flowers to your soap for its relaxing and skin softening properties. There are so many herbs that provide different kinds of benefits that are explained for each one on the Natures Garden website.Further, you can use powdered herbs to naturally color your soap, such as Beet Root Powder, Spirulina Powder, or Cocoa Powder Organic. Additionally, an additive like Activated Charcoal has both deep pore cleansing properties and the ability to color your soap! You won't have to turn to unnatural colorants or additives if you don't want to, because there are plenty of options. All the decisions on ingredients are up to you!Cold Process Soap Benefits Can Make Sensitive SoapsAs I mentioned before, you are able to create bars of soap that are perfect for sensitive skin. So, those that have had a difficult time with typical bars of soap may have more luck creating their own bars of soap. There is no fear of the recipe being changed all of a sudden to add an ingredient you are avoiding and no worries about finding the exact right product, because you control it all. If you have sensitivities to certain colorants, fragrance oils, or other ingredients, then just leave them out of your soap batch and enjoy the freedom!First, there are many substitutes for colorants that have been mentioned and you can even leave the soap batch uncolored. Also, you can either create an unscented bar of soap or add one of our all natural essential oils. This option can be easier for sensitive skin and allows you to still scent your bar. Lastly, you don't have to worry about unnatural ingredients in a natural soap bar! You can make everything homemade from natural ingredients to create a sensitive bar that will be gentle on your skin.Cold Process Soap Benefits Creating Soaps With PurposePlus, you can create soaps with a specific function. Instead of looking for a product that will fit the needs of a certain situation, why not create exactly what you need? We have a few recipes that were made with a specific activity in mind. So, all of the ingredients were researched to ensure that they would work properly for their intended use. For example, the Cold Process Shaving Soap Recipe was specifically formulated with the intention of creating a rich lather for shaving. So, every ingredient has a purpose and they work together to create the desired effect, which you can see on our blog for this recipe.Cold Process Soap Benefits Total Creative FreedomOr course, with full control over the ingredients comes full creative power. Since you are making your soaps from scratch you can make any kind of shapes or designs that you'd like. Some designs and techniques take more skill to master, but even the soaps you use to practice these techniques can be used. So, you won't lose too much from working on your soap making abilities.Cold Process Soap Benefits Ability to Make Creative SoapsAnother benefit of creating cold process soap is that it is a form of art. There are many different ways to change the appearance of you cp soap whether you are using swirls, layers, or a modeling soap recipe. You can get in touch with your inner artist and create something beautiful. While it can take time to get really good at making pretty soap, eventually you will be able to make any kind of soap you'd like!First, you can create swirled soaps like the Lavender Cold Process Soap Recipe or the Peeps Cold Process Soap Recipe. While swirled soaps are lots of fun, you can create more simple recipes that are just as cute. For example, the Peppered Poppy Seed Cold Process Soap Recipe is a solid color with poppy seeds that was placed in a flower shaped mold. While this recipe looks more fun than a typical bar, it is very simple to create differently shaped soaps. Further, we have even more cold process soap recipes that you could look through on our webpage.Cold Process Soap Benefits Customizing Your SoapsAnother great benefit of creating cold process soap is creating any style you'd like. Ever have the problem of trying to find soap you like that actually matches your home? With cold process soap making, you can create soaps to match your home or make them your favorite color. But, there is one twist that makes homemade soap making better than store bought soaps.This twist is that you will be able to create any kind of scent and style combination. For example, you can create a blueberry scented soap that is colored red. While it's unlikely that you would would want this exact soap, you have to admit it would be pretty hard to find this exact soap in stores. This is just a single example of all the fun combinations you can get into. All you have to do is pair a favorite scent with a fun recipe or design! So, if you want a unique scent and color combination this is the best option! Never settle for soap when you can create cold process soap with your favorite scents that match your bathroom perfectly. This gives you the opportunity to use you favorite scents in soaps without compromising the soap's appearance.Cold Process Soap Benefits Additional Fun with Soap MakingWe aren't kidding when we say that you can add many fun things to your soaps! The possiblites are endless. In fact, we created a Wine Cold Process Soap Recipe that used real wine to add some authenticity and create an even better scent with our fragrance oil. Also, we added real, raw honey to our Oatmeal Milk Honey Cold Process Soap Recipe to add the beneficial properties of honey to our bars of soap.We would love to see your cold process soap creations! Show us what you have created by tagging us on Instagram or Twitter @ngscents. You can also post pictures of your handmade soap on our Facebook Page!

We at Natures Garden would like to share with you the supplies and materials needed when making cold process soap! We know that the majority of our customers are familiar with the soap and candle making industries. However, we think that it is important to provide educational blogs, videos, and recipes for beginners and anyone looking to learn or expand their knowledge. There are many different classes and recipes on our website that help guide our customers when making homemade projects. One of the main topics that these center around is cold process soap. We will dive into the process, some of our classes, and mention multiple recipes we have. Let's get started!Cold Process Soap:In general, soap crafters consider cold process soap to be one of the most common methods for soap making. This method has been termed "cold process" because there is no outside heating source applied to initiate the process of saponification. Hot process soap uses different types of heating sources, such as the stove or a crock pot. On the other hand, in cold process soap, the lye mixture creates heat and saponifies the oils by itself. The lack of a heat source unfortunately means that this type of soap will take a lot longer to cure. The typical curing time for cold process soap is between 4 and 6 weeks. Although lengthy, this curing time is necessary to allow the soap to harden. The longer cure time will also help your soap to be more tolerable on the skin.After creating your soap, you can decide whether or not you want to insulate it. A lot of the research we read suggests insulating, but it is mostly up to your personal preference. We have written a blog in the past about how you can insulate soap to promote gel phase. After pouring the soap into your mold, surround it with layers of towels or blankets. The layers will absorb the heat while your soap undergoes saponification. This process is the gel phase, where the fats in your soap become hardened. The key to this process is evenly heating the soap in order to prevent a partial gel from occurring. If you insulate, it will accelerate saponification and the finished look will look slightly shiny. By deciding to put your soap in the fridge instead, saponification will slow down and the finish will look more matte.Ingredients in Cold Process Soap: LyeNow that we have discussed the process of insulation, we should mention ingredients that are important for cp soap. In order to get your bars of soap to turn out correctly, measuring the ingredients to a tee is very important. Starting with the main ingredient, sodium hydroxide, which is also known as lye. This is completely necessary to make cold process soap. Lye is an emulsifier, which allows oils and butters to mix with water and make soap. Without it, these ingredients would not mix which would prevent any soap being made. By adding too much lye, it can result in your soap having a higher PH level, which may end up causing burns and irritation to the skin. On the other hand, if the lye is not balanced properly with the oils, it can interfere with the reaction, which can lead to greasy and oily bars of soap.Ingredients in Cold Process Soap: OilsPalm oil, coconut oil, and olive oil pomace are all commonly used when making cold process soap. They contribute different qualities to your soap depending on their main properties. We have a chart on our website that breaks down the soaping oil properties for each type of oil. The properties we looked at are hardness, cleansing, conditioning level, bubbly lather, creamy lather, and sap value. Also included in the chart is some miscellaneous information to provide you with more knowledge about each of the oils. Palm oil is high in its hardness, conditioning, and creamy lathering elements. Coconut oil contributes to hardness, cleansing quality, and bubbly lather. Olive oil pomace is very high in conditioning, which is definitely an ideal quality for soap. The combination of these three oils would create a soap that cleanses thoroughly, lathers nicely, and is gentle on the skin all at the same time.Ingredients in Cold Process Soap: ColorantsSome other ingredients that are commonly added to cold process soap are FUN soap colorants, soap dyes, and mica pigments. We have many different color options to choose from in colorants, dyes, and beautiful diamond dust and 24K gold micas. When it comes to adding colorants or pigments, some may cause color morphing, which could affect the appearance aspect of your soap. To save yourself the frustration of ruining a batch of soap that discolors to something you do not like, you can test this out before hand. This can be done by taking a small amount of soap dye or mica pigment and adding it to a little of the lye mixture. You will be able to see your results quickly.Cold Process Soap TestingWe have taken the time to test each of our fragrance oils in cold process soap. This way, our customers are able to see the results before they decide to use them. When we tested them, we were specifically looking for acceleration, discoloration, ricing, separation, and scent retention. We have the results for each of them on the website in video form as well as a chart. These videos can be found when you search by the individual fragrance oils. Over 300 of them did not cause any discoloration. A few included in these are the Aromatherapy Energizing, Blueberry, Egyptian Musk, and Magnolia. Some of the ones that caused discoloration include Absinthe, Blue Cotton Candy, Cream Soda, and Pomegranate Cider. If you would like to see the rest of the criteria we tested like ricing and separation for each fragrance, use our soap testing results chart to find out!Cold Process Soap Class 101We have a couple of classes on the website that are good for beginner soap makers. The first one is our Cold Process Soap Class 101. It is easy to follow along with this class, but you will need to get your ingredients ahead of time. As we mentioned before, the most important one you need to create cold process soap is lye. You will also need distilled water, vinegar, some soaping oils, a fragrance oil that is body safe, and colorant(s) that are body safe. Doing your research before making cold process soap for the first time is extremely important. For example, if you have never worked with lye before, you will need to learn about it before hand. Your top priority when making soap should be practicing proper safety because accidents may happen if precautions are not taken. Another thing when it comes to lye is that it cannot be stored in or combined with any containers or other products that are made out of aluminum or tin. The reason for this is that the combination will cause a violent reaction. For these reasons, we implore you to use the safety gear that is provided by Natures Garden including safety goggles, a safety mask, and gloves. One last thing to remember is that the materials and equipment used when making soap should never be used for food again. By keeping these steps in mind and being cautious, making soap can be both easy and fun!Beginners Cold Process Soap RecipeAnother one of our cold process classes for beginners makes an easy to follow cold process soap recipe. This is the perfect recipe to start with if you have no experience making this type of soap. Natures Garden sells each of the items featured in this recipe. This makes it possible and convenient to get your products from a single source. This soap uses Rain Barrel Fragrance Oil which is a fragrance oil that is original to this company! It has notes of leafy greens balanced with lavender, cedar, musk, highlights of lemon, and fresh water. You will also need some pieces of equipment including a thermometer, a stainless steel mitre box with a cutter, and disposable pipettes. Also remember to always use your safety glasses, gloves, and a mask when preparing your recipes.Thirty Free Cold Process Soap RecipesFor a blog that we wrote in the past, we created a list of thirty cold process soap recipes. Many of the homemade recipes on our website are for melt and pour soap and cold process soap. We want to share with you some of our favorites for you to try out for yourself! In this list of thirty, we have our Hot Fudge Brownies CP Soap, Caramel Custard Soap, Energized CP Soap, and Peppered Poppy Seed CP Soap. The ones in this compiled list are fun and easy recipes to create, are homemade and original to us. The two classes that we mentioned above are sure to help you get started on making your cold process soap.Bastille Cold Process Soap RecipeOne specific type of soap that you can make is called bastille. The term "bastille" commonly refers to a type of cold process soap but it can also be made as a hot process soap. There is a very high percentage of olive oil in this soap, 70% or more. We like and prefer to use olive oil pomace in many of our recipes, in addition to other types of oils. Olive oil will increase the lathering quality of your soap and helps it to cure faster. We want to share this recipe for Bastille Soap from Natures Garden, which will make about three pounds of soap. It is an easy to follow recipe and can be made into your own by adding in a soap colorant or mica pigment!Natures Garden is not responsible for the performance of any of the recipes provided on our website. Testing is always the responsibility of our customers. If you plan to resell any of the recipes that we provide, it is also your responsibility to follow all FDA regulations. For any products and ingredients listed in recipes that are not sold by Natures Garden, we can not offer advice on where they can be purchased. When you use Natures Garden recipes and/or raw ingredients, you are agreeing to indemnify Natures Garden against any liability of performance, any lack of performance, or any problems that you encounter with the finished products..