Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

A Primer on Style and Beauty Courses at PCC Community Ed

PCC Community Ed

Style and Beauty courses at PCC change from quarter to quarter to reflect trends or calendar dates and to encompass a world of fashion, pampering – and even gift giving. You can learn how to design clothing, apply makeup and create gorgeous hairstyles. You can go even deeper, however, by learning how to make the products that style and beauty professionals rely on. Below we’ll share a few of the classes you may expect from PCC Community Ed Style and Beauty.

Herbal Gifts for Valentine’s Day

Learn to make special herbal gifts friends and family will love! Enjoy making rose petal soap, rosemary and eucalyptus bath salts, herbal room spray and perfume.

Spa Products with Coffee

What would the Pacific NW be without our beloved coffee? Learn how to make your own healthy and delicious-smelling bath and body products: coffee mocha lip balm, exfoliating espresso scrub, and coffee soap.

Soapmaking

This is a popular course that reoccurs many times throughout the year. The Babylonians were the first to make soap from fats boiled with ashes around 2800 B.C. (though it was not for beauty at that time). They used their soap to clean wool and cotton before the materials were made into textiles. Modern soaps are often made from a mix of plant and animal fats as well, including tallow, vegetable oil, coconut oil and olive oil. When mixed with an alkali, these fats turn into the soap products that are well-known today.

In the PCC class, you will practice soap-making skills by creating two-layered glycerin soap. You will learn how to use botanicals, colorants and essential oils to create the finished soap design and scent you wish to create. You can also refine your process to make soap that has a purpose beyond cleaning, such as relaxation and stress relief.

Lotion and Potions

You can go one step further in creating healing concoctions by exploring the many different ways herbal lotions and potions are used across the world – before setting off to make your own! Find ways to relieve a wide variety of common ailments, including headaches, muscle pain and fatigue. You will learn how to create herbal oil, nourishing salves, herbal roll-on products and soothing bath tea.

Getting Started with PCC Style and Beauty Courses

You can create your own spa products, herbal gifts, soaps, lotions and potions by learning the skills you need in the Style and Beauty courses offered by PCC Community Ed. As you build your skills, your own products will likely grow in popularity as people realize the quality and effectiveness of your creations. In that case, make sure to visit the PCC Small Business Development Center.