Candle Making Basics

The use of candles for light and heat is known to have existed in ancient times. The remains of candles have been found in the caves of France. It is believed that cavemen used them while painting and etching on the walls. It is believed those candles where made out of animal fat. The Egyptians used candles as well by dripping beeswax onto leave stems. The burning process of a candle involves the four basic elements of matter which are solids, liquids, gas, and plasma. Today candle making is a fun hobby or craft. For some, it is a very profitable business venture. Candle making provides you with they ability to create wonderful designs and crafts out of your candles. There is no limit to the shapes, sizes, and colors you can make your candles in. A candle is a device to provide light or fragrance. Candles have become very popular for the wonderful aromas more than for their ability to produce light. Some candles give off a popular smell such as vanilla or jasmine. Others smell like a chocolate cake or cinnamon rolls. The body of a candle is generally made of paraffin wax. It can also be made out of beeswax. Paraffin wax is a natural wax that comes from plants. This wax can be purchased from Petroleum Refinery or the Specialty Wax Processor. Beeswax is also considered a natural wax, and is taken from honeybees. This is the substance the bees use to construct their honeycombs. A wick is placed in the center of the wax before it dries. The wick is made of cotton fibers that have been braided together. The wick is very thin, but also very powerful. Sometimes candle makers will use a wick that is wider than normal to increase the size of the flame. Safety is a very important part of candle making. The temperature of the hot wax can result in severe burns. There is also the risk of fire. Make sure your candle making area is set up properly and that you have a fire extinguisher in the area. Clean up spills quickly as they will become very slick, leading to falls if you walk across them. To make candle making fun instead of frustrating, start will making simple candles. This is a great opportunity for you to discover what works well with your set up and gives you the chance to make necessary changes. Initially, work at implementing good safety habits and melting your wax at the proper temperatures. You will also want to experiment with your cooling process. Once you have these areas down, you will start to relax and the process will become more natural to you. This is the right time to start experimenting with dyes, scents, and shapes for your candles. The candle making process is easy to follow if you take your time and learn from your mistakes. Those who are impatient and take multitasking to an extreme will most likely not enjoy the art of candle making. However, it is very enjoyable by those who have plenty of time to take with the process and who enjoy creating things. Candle making supplies arent expensive so use the best you can. This will also help ensure your candles form well and burn properly. PPPPP Word Count 552

Compare Pet Health Insurance in the USA

In Europe over twenty-five percent of all pet owners carry a pet health insurance policy on their pets. Approximately half of Swedens pet owners carry insurance. A recent poll of pet owners in the United States predicted that only three percent had purchased a pet health care plan. Many veterinarians feel that three percent is a very generous estimate. One of the big reasons veterinarians believe so many Europeans carry pet health insurance is because of a bill passed in 1971 that stated if a dog was considered at fault for an accident, like a car wreck, then the pet's owner would be held responsible. This prompted many dog owners to purchase something called Third Party Liability Insurance which would pay for any damages caused by the policy holder's pet dog. Chances are good that if you were to ask ten of your neighbors how they felt about pet health insurance you would probably get ten very different answers. Some pet owners are fanatical about their pets. They will except nothing but the best for their family pet, the best food, the best water, the best doggie bed, and of course the best medical treatments available. Every time it even looks like their cat or dog is about to cough or sneeze they rush the pet to the veterinarians clinic and start a fresh round of antibiotics. Because maintaining the absolute best health care available is quite expensive this type of owner is quick to purchase animal health insurance that promotes good pet medicine. At the slightest hint you are even considering purchasing pet health insurance for your pet and this over the top pet owner is shoving all sorts of flyers and brochures and applications in your hand, sometimes they even offer to call their pet health insurance rep. for you. This is fine and dandy but generally (not always) their monthly pet insurance bills are higher then you can afford. Another owner might love their family pet just as much as the over the top owner. They might wish they could provide their pet with the very best but it simply isn't economically possible. This pet owners advice about pet health insurance would be your own pet health insurance. Put the money you might have spent on a monthly insurance premium aside and use that to cover your pets medical needs. After all if you put aside thirty dollars a month then you'll have enough money to cover the routine visits to the vets office plus have a little extra set aside if an emergency happens down the road. This type of insurance is called self insurance. While it sounds like a good idea there are a couple of problems. One if a medical emergency happens right away you might not have enough money on hand to cover the treatment and be forced to accept economic euthanasia for your pet. A second problem with self insurance is that its money thats just laying around, its way to easy to see it as spare cash and use it on the family vacation or as a down payment on that laptop you've always wanted. If as a pet owner you decide that pet health insurance simply isnt for you or your pet you will want to check and see if your homeowners insurance covers any potential accidents caused by your pet. If a dog or cat bites somebody the bitten person can sue you and in some cases demand that the pet be euthanized. If your homeowners insurance does not cover pet mishaps you should probably give a lot of thought to purchasing pet liability insurance.

Candle Making Additives

There are eight distinct candle making additives used in the candle making process. Some makers choose not to use them at all while others take advantage of what each type of additive has to offer to their candle making process. Candle wax additives are inexpensive and work well if you are educated in how to use them and why to use each kind. Kemamide is a fine powder. It has a hint of ivory in the color, but it is close to being transparent. This type of additive becomes clumped if it is exposed to humidity so keep it in a closed, dry environment. Use this type of additive as a release agent. Add one teaspoon for each pound of wax. Poly-AC is a fine powder, white in color. It has a dry texture and should also be stored in a dry environment to prevent clumping. This additive is a hardener. To be effective, add one teaspoon for each pound of wax. Chimasorb 81 is a powder with a yellowish tint. Of all the additives, this one is the most likely to clump, even in areas of low humidity. Chimasorb 81 is used to enhance color. You do not need much of it, 1/10 of a percent for each pound of wax. Stearic Powder is flaky. The color is white. This additive doesnt react to humidity at all so it is an agreeable product to use for hardening. They amount you will use depends on the type of candles you are making. This additive helps reduce the temperature needed to melt the wax. Add about three teaspoons for each pound of wax. Be careful not to over use Stearic Powder as doing so will cause damage to the wax. 103 Vybar generally is sold in the form of very small beads. The beads flow loosely and do not stick or clump together, even in areas of high humidity. 103 Vybar is a hardener as well. It will add a very creamy texture to your candle wax. This is a perfect hardener to use for scented candles. Add one teaspoon to for every pound of wax. Paraflint is another hardener. It comes in beaded form similar to the 103 Vybar. However, the beads are much larger. You will want to use one teaspoon for every pound of wax. Poly 400 comes in the form of beads that vary is size and shape. This is a UV inhibitor, which will keep your candles from fading in the sunlight. This additive is also to be used at the rate of one teaspoon for every pound of wax. BHT Crystal is a yellowish powder. This is an antioxidant for wax that has been stored in liquid form for a length of time. Using this crystal will also add a very pretty luster to your wax. Candle making additives can add a variety of features to your wax. The type of additives you choose to use will depend on the types of candles you are going to make as well as the climate in your region. Be careful to use candle making additives in the right amounts or you will cause damage to the wax, resulting in ill effects in the visual aspects of the candles as well as their ability to burn properly. There are many great candle making books out there to help you figure out which types of additives to use for the various types of candles you can make. PPPPP Word Count 581

Common Food Allergy: Effectively Managing Food Allergies

It is a fact that you have to eat food everyday in order to give your body the nourishment it needs in order for it to function on its daily tasks. Obviously, food is what fuels your body to go on living. However, there are cases where food can also cause illness that you have to avoid. Today, there are cases where people are allergic to certain kinds of food. In order to properly manage it, you have to consider that you will need to be aware of the food that you are allergic from and also to avoid food that contains certain kinds of allergens that your body will react to. It is very important that you should know how to effectively manage your diet especially if you are allergic to certain kinds of food as allergy attacks can be very uncomfortable and can affect the normal functions in your daily life. In severe cases, allergy attacks may need you to be hospitalized as it can cause swelling in your air passages that will not allow you get any oxygen in your lungs and suffocate to death. First of all, allergy attacks are triggered by the allergens found in allergen-containing foods. Normally, these allergens are considered to be harmless. However, once it enters the body of a person with allergic reaction to specific allergens, the immune system overreacts and tries to destroy the foreign object that made its way to the body. During this process, the body reacts by showing signs of swelling to different parts of the body, skin rashes, redness and increase in temperature, itching, shortness of breath and wheezing, As you can see, allergic reactions of your body can be very uncomfortable and will severely affect your daily activities. This is why you have to be aware of the foods you eat and know what kind of food you are allergic from. Usually, the most common food allergies that the body reacts to are peanuts, shellfish, milk, fish, wheat and soy. If you are not sure what food allergens you are allergic to, you have to visit your physician or an allergist. They will give you a series of tests that will enable you to identify what kind of food you are allergic from. With this kind of information, you will be able to manage your allergy effectively and prevent any future attacks. Here are some ways you can prevent allergy attacks. Firstly and obviously, you have to avoid foods that contain food allergens that your body reacts to. This means that you should never eat food that you are allergic to and never cook food with an ingredient that contains the food allergens. If you are out dining in a restaurant, you should inform the waiter or waitress about your food allergy and ask him or her which food contains the food allergen you are allergic from. If you really want to eat foods that contain the allergens, you have to inform the waiter or waitress to not include the ingredient (milk, peanuts, tree nuts, egg) that you are allergic from. If you accidentally ingested the food-containing allergen, it is very important that you should immediately take anti-histamine medications. This is why you have to take anti-histamine medication wherever you go in case you accidentally ate food that contains an ingredient that you are allergic from. These are some of the common food allergens that you should know about in order to properly manage it and minimize the risk of future allergy attacks that can lead to severe discomfort and in severe cases, death.

Teeth Whitening Treatments: Are they really safe?

Teeth whitening treatment is the best choice for people with low level of confidence yet who wish to make their smile perfect. But still many people are unconvinced with the outcome of this method. People think that risks of undertaking teeth whitening are more important than its benefits. But somewhat it is not totally right. Let as look at some of the possible risks that might arise after undergoing teeth whitening and how to prevent this or overcome them when it happens again. In Colorado, teeth whitening involve application of bleach solution to whiten the teeth. People who have extreme sensitivity or gum diseases might not suitable to undergo teeth whitening. First, their gums should be treated. When gums are in good condition, they can now decide for teeth whitening. Health experts do not recommend bleaching products that contains 3% bleach. Bleach product with only 0.1% are acceptable which might entail human intake. Teeth that are exposed on bleaching product for a longer time will cause severe damage to teeth. It is still recommended to undergo teeth whitening under the direction of an authorized dentist. It is unsafe to undergo teeth whitening for people who used drink or smoke a lot. People will be more susceptible to harmful result of alcohol when high intake of hydrogen peroxide is made. Pregnant and lactating women should also avoid these bleaching products for the safety of their infants. People with sensitive teeth might use medicated toothpaste and have a soft bristle toothbrush after going through in teeth whitening to minimize the irritation and pain. But after several days, the pain will just ease. It is still vital to check with a dentist before deciding through teeth whitening process. There are no other bad effects of teeth whitening aside from the above mentioned problems. Now if you want to have teeth whitening done at your home, below are some tips you should consider before going into it. A conventional plastic tray is used to easily fit into the mouth to put on the chemical inside. This is used in in-house teeth whitening and be careful in applying it to avoid some damage to your gums. Bleaching gel is applied into tray and the person wears it in mouth regularly for consecutive weeks. It takes for 3 to 4 weeks before the effect of teeth whitening appears. Though it is very simple to perform this and it is equally effective as a dentist way of doing a teeth whitening procedure, but remember that the whole process is being done by your own without the advice of a dentist. Be prepared to any risk or problem that may occur when doing this. To prevent some problems and avoid damage to your gums, read the instructions carefully. Know all the ingredients of the bleaching product that you apply in your teeth. Also be careful in applying the right amount of whitening that is being taken by your teeth. To have an effective result, keep on using the specially made tray to prolong the effect for at least a couple of months. It is then very essential to observe the health condition of your teeth and gums. If the tray will cause the swelling or bleeding of gums or irritation, consult the dentist immediately. Home teeth whitening are more economical but it is still recommended to have it in authorized dentist like in Colorado teeth whitening clinic.