In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Buy skull molds with a front and back section from mexicansugarskull.com or a similar online store. Buy skull molds with a front-side only from Amazon.com. You can buy molds in small, medium and large sizes.  This is a traditional baking ingredient used to hold together sugary frosting.  CK Products, Wilton and Ateco make high quality meringue powder. This product costs about $7 for 4 oz. For large batches of sugar skulls, you will want to buy several containers. Most traditional Day of the Dead recipes say that the skulls will not form properly on a rainy day. Use 4 cups (800g) of sugar, 4 tsp. (13.3g) of meringue powder and 10 tsp. (49ml) of water.   You may add 2 extra tsp. (10ml) of water later. If you are making a large batch of sugar skulls, use 10 lbs. (4.5kg) of sugar, 1/2 cup (80g) of meringue powder and 7 tbsp. (104ml) of water. If you want to make colored sugar skulls, mix food color with the water before pouring it into the bowl. Make sure you continuously incorporate the water at the bottom of the bowl with the sugar at the top, since the water will settle to the bottom. Add 2 tsp. (10ml) of water if the sugar isn’t sticking together. If you press the sugar together with your hands and your fingerprints imprint and stay, it is ready to mold. If the sugar falls apart or fails to imprint, there isn’t enough water in your mixture. Pack it very tightly. Smooth the back of the mold with a straight edge. Leave 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) of sugar on all sides.  Do not scoop out the neck portion, or it will be too fragile. You must remove this section to ensure the skull will dry quickly and evenly. They should take approximately 8 hours to dry.  Pour 1/2 cup (40g) meringue powder with 1 cup (237ml) of water. Mix well with a hand mixer. Add a 2 lb. (0.5kg) bag of powdered sugar to the mixture. Stick the back and front of the skull together to dry. Allow them to dry for 4 to 8 hours before decorating. Pour in drops of food coloring and mix well. Decorate your skulls with colored royal icing.
Summary: Purchase your sugar skull mold. Buy a large container of white granulated sugar. Order merengue powder. Wait for a low-humidity day. Measure your ingredients and place them in a large bowl. Mix together your skull recipe with your hands. Test the sugar. Pack sugar into the front and back molds with your hands. Scoop out the center of the skull with a spoon. Set the molds with sugar side up to dry overnight. Flip out the skulls onto a piece of cardboard. Make your royal icing. Put a layer of white royal icing on the back of each side of the skull mold. Separate royal icing into bowls.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Scientists are still unsure of the exact mechanisms by which itching occurs, but it is possible that itching is relieved when a “counter-irritant” (such as scratching) occurs. Cold water can easily be used to relieve itching on the skin.  Take a cold bath or shower. Since cold is so effective, it can be beneficial to take a cold shower and to let cool water run across the itchy area. If you prefer baths, soak in a bathtub filled with cold water for as long as you can. You can also add essential oils that can help to soothe the skin and stop irritation to the bathwater. Add 2-3 drops of oil to a bath of cool water. Roman chamomile is soothing and anti-inflammatory.  Frankincense (Boswellia frereana) can soothe inflamed skin.  Lavender can help calm stress and reduce itching.  Calendula oil can help reduce itching by increasing your skin’s hydration.   Avoid the following essential oils, which are known to irritate your skin: bay, cinnamon, clove, citronella, cumin, lemongrass, lemon verbena, oregano, tagetes, and thyme. Wet a towel or cloth in cold water then and place it over the itchy area of the skin until your skin feels soothed. Try for about 30 minutes. This soothing occurs because the wet cloths “macerate” (soften) the irritated skin and help “debride” (remove dead skin) the area.  You can also press ice packs or frozen bags of peas or beans against the itchy area, although these should be wrapped in a towel before being placed on the skin. Apply frozen items for between 10-20 minutes, but no more than that. Applying hot water or hot compresses could further irritate the skin. Baking soda is a natural antipruritic, or anti-itch treatment, that can be used on all kinds of itches, although it is especially effective in reducing itching caused by bee stings and insect bites. Add 1 cup of baking soda into a bathtub filled with cool water. Soak yourself for anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour. Oatmeal has compounds that act as antioxidants, which help to soothe the skin and stop the irritation. It is advisable to use colloidal oatmeal, but in cases where this is not available, whole oats or unprocessed oat flour can be used, too. You can use your food processor or coffee grinder to grind them. The effective compounds are more prevalent in the oats that have not been processed (avenanthramides).  You can purchase an oatmeal bath preparation, or add 2 cups of unprocessed and uncooked oatmeal or oat flour to your bathing water. Keep in mind that the water should be cool to lukewarm, but not hot because this can cause more damage to the skin. Soak for one hour in the water daily until the itching has stopped. Unprocessed and uncooked oat flour can also be mixed with water to form a thick paste. The paste can be applied on the itchy skin and left on for 20-30 minutes. Aloe vera contains anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It also has plenty of vitamin E that is useful in the treatment of burns and helps to reduce inflammation and itching. Fresh aloe vera is ideal! If you have a whole aloe plant, take a piece, cut it open, and then apply the gel over the itchy skin. Leave it to soak into your skin and soothe it. Otherwise, you can purchase aloe vera gel from any pharmacy or drug store. Look for 100% all-natural aloe vera gel. Research suggests that bathing with water that is mixed with mint leaves and peppermint oil is beneficial for itchy skin. Mint contains anti-inflammatory and anesthetic agents that help to reduce and stop itching on the skin.  Mint leaves that have been brewed in hot water are even more potent because the steeping helps release the mint oil in the leaves. Make sure to cool the water before you apply the steeped solution to the skin with a cloth.  You could also use peppermint tea if you don’t have fresh mint leaves. You can also dilute 2-3 drops of peppermint oil in 1  tsp (4.9 mL) of coconut or olive oil and apply it directly to itchy skin with a clean cotton pad.
Summary:
Take a cold shower or bath. Make a cold compress. Soak the area in a bicarbonate solution. Take an oatmeal bath or make an oatmeal paste. Use aloe vera on the area. Use fresh mint.