Embalming Description by a Funeral Director: The preservation process 

Kari, that was the most real and detailed explanation. Good job to both of you. When I was in my undergrad, I had to take communications. Big grade was on demonstration speech. I used freezer paper and drew a 6 foot body, added all the systems to it, laminated it and EMBALMED it. The class was huge and frightened. The professor was a small Franciscan Nun. I had needles with different color yarns for different fluids, etc. When I got to the trocar part, the nun fainted. I DID get an A!

I have been very ill for sometime until major weight Loss of over a 100 pounds so far. I was terrified of dying because I was afraid of the funeral home process. Today because of your awesome videos I am no longer afraid. It just seemed so barbaric to be only because I didn't know what you all do. The level of respect and care even after death is amazing. Thank you for being so kind and educating the world with these amazing videos. I seriously could do this for a career I think. Very intriguing.

My daughter, 25yrs old, is a funeral director and licensed embalmer. Through college and job, she tells me so much. Some may not want to hear, I find it fascinating, as I love science and the human body. She explains things, but seeing thi video helps me to fully understand. I love your candor and honesty, yet discreetness for the deceased and their families. ❤ Btw, my daughter never shares with me details or names of the deceased til after it’s gone public. She is a true professional, like you.

I am 72 years old, and it is past time that I make my final death plans. I am compiling a file called "Disposition" that includes many of your videos. Thank you so much for clarifying and simplifying the after death process. You have enabled many to make informed decisions

Takes a very special person to be able to embalm the deceased. I was accepted to a mortuary science school in 1992. I did not pursue the career after all due to having a life changing event that caused anxiety and panic attacks. This profession takes an absolute angel. Thank you for being a blessing to so many families.

Wow Kari, this is probably one of your best videos. Not that all of your other videos aren't great, but the thought and detail both you and Chris gave in this one was amazing. I haven't seen a video like this done before here on RU-vid. I hope you realize how much the hard work you put into these videos really helps students like me and those who might be interested in entering the field. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and I hope to see more video's like this in the future!

This was freaking FASCINATING!! Love your creativity with showing detailed steps without using a body.

Very excellent presentation. Us old school practioners didn't use a drain tube very much. We preferred the forceps inserted into the jugular vein to get the drainage going and that was sufficient. Great instructional video!

That was so interesting and the professionalism is notorious. Thank you so much Kari and Chris for taking the time to create this quality content!

I have finally received my acceptance letter for funeral director here in Canada. I start September 2020. You provide such valuable information that will be so beneficial when I start school and , I hope to carry this information throughout my program. I also recently sent a join request to your Facebook group. I am so excited for this new chapter in my life. Thank you for your inspiration

I’m 25 and want to be a mortician! This video is one of the best I’ve seen! Thank you so much for this!

Thank you for doing this. I will say it has sealed the deal on a full natural/green burial for me.

Kari also kudo's to the " embalmer" he did a great job in explaining in an easy to understand format:)

Thank you for such a detailed and specific demonstration of the embalming process. This is the first video I've seen that shows and explains thing so thoroughly. The photographs really helped to actually see what you were conveying. Embalmers have to be scientists, biologists, chemists, anatomists, cosmetologists, as well as artists!!! It takes very special people to do this essential work and I commend those who are able to do such skilled tasks. I am also pleased to know that so many women have chosen this career path that for many years was dominated by males. The mortician my family worked with when our mother passed away was a young lady who did an amazing job. She was kind, sensitive and respectful, yet not morbid nor foreboding and then carried out the actual embalming and preparation of our beloved mother and presented her in such a beautiful, regal manner for our last visual memory of her. We will be forever grateful to her.

Wow, this is quite a process. Now I understand why the costs of funerals are Soo high. You are fabulous.

ABSOLUTELY MOST PROFESSIONAL, RESPECTABLE TEACHING VIDEO

This was a really great idea! I’m so glad that you are bringing this information out because people are curious, but it’s always been considered a morbid curiosity by society. Can hardly wait until the next one! Thank you both for your professionalism and your humor for making it fun.👍🏻

No one is looking forward to having this done to them however this has taken a lot of the mystery out of what goes on. Kari you're the prettiest corpse Ive ever seen. LOL. Thanks

I am 71 and have learned so much watching you the last year.

Kari you and the gentleman gave the best demonstration of embalming I have seen. I guess you can tell this was my dream job I was already and my wife couldn’t handle me embalming. I was more attracted to the funeral directors position, I was blessed with the ears to listen closely and get a family to a compromise that was acceptable to everyone. I settled for Funeral Florist this brought a lot of comfort and harmony to the family. I sent single roses to the FH for the burial complimentary when I did any family flowers. Enough to cover the folks mentioned in the obituary. Was a nice touch. I saw the roses in peoples homes years later.

Kari this whole process , shows how vitally important math and science is . Thank you Ma'am for sharing , this is very educational 👏

I just keep coming back to this video I am just absolutely thrilled you guys did this for us. Beyond fascinating and you guys really did such a great job!! I am probably over commenting on everything I am just so excited and I cannot wait to start my studies and get my career going in this line of work & may God bless me (I am hoping) with the abilities that Kari has! She is an inspiration and just a hero!! An amazing strong woman who I just hope one day to imitate & follow to help others also. I just can't say thank you enough Kari ❤

You’re braver than I am to lay on that table. I think this is the best one on RU-vid. Very tastefully done.

Mouth closure: eventually I'll get that septum piercing, I'll just be dead when it happens.

Wow! You are a great teacher! I love your teachings. Have always been scared of embalming and also think that some parts of the deceased's body parts are removed but know I understand better. More grace and blessings to you, ma'am.

Kari this was magnificent! Everything was explained so perfectly and respectfully. Lots of interesting material here. I really loved this! Thank you for the education.

Fascinating video. Very informative. Both of you are skilled professionals.

That is a lot of work, wow I never imagined how involved it was. Neither of my parents were embalmed and my husband and I are going to be cremated. Thank you.

OMG! This video was awesome!! I loved how you and Chris actually showed us what exactly has to be done and why it is needed.This is the first time I have heard about the breasts, I never realized that. Thank you both so much for doing this excellent video for us! :)

This is probably my favorite video you've made so far! Creative and interesting!!! Thanks for the work you put in your channel .

Wow... What a great video! I knew about a lot of these steps but not all! It definitely takes a very special person to do this job. ❤️ Thankful for you all!

Kari this was wonderful. I'm two classes away from getting my degree in FSE and I'm currently in Lab and Theory one, (I'll be in lab/theory 2 in a couple months). We embalm one body a week at school and this video was very well done and respectful. Obviously anyone not in the real thing can't see the "harder" side of things, but to help shed light on the over-all process this was wonderful. I also learned quite a bit myself watching this. (I honestly didn't know, nor have heard about the upper female anatomy part), but I will be asking about it this week in school. (So far we've only embalmed males as we haven't received a female yet). Anyway, just wanted to say thank you very much. This was informative and very well done. :)

Great video Kari, Guess I am 1 of those people that wants to know what is going to happen to my body once I die, and you're video really goes into detail. My thanks to you both.

Very educational for those of us who are considering work in the field of death care.

As a 35 year old that had decided years ago I wanted to be cremated, as does my husband, I still appreciate your informative and superbly professional videos. So fascinating! Thank you for sharing.

My grandad died three days ago and this evening I suddenly got very confused with the thought of what has been done to preserve his body and it made me really sad. Your video has been very helpful for me in processing his death. Thank you.

Thank you so very much! Yes,it was tearful for me because I lost my mother over a year ago but wanted and had to know what they did for her. Also saw just before this one your answer to the question how long it takes an embalmed person to decompose. I know that in addition to her casket she(and my dad) were placed inside a cement- like box so it might help. Thank you again.

I have been curious about what goes on in funeral homes during embalming since I was a child. Thank you for sharing a video of how everything works.

Very very well done. Thanks for making a nice clean presentation of this procedure. Thank you thank u

I just found this video. It helped me come a long way in getting rid of my fear of death. Thank you for that. Now if I can only get over my fear of cremation!

Such an amazing video the work you’ve two put into this really shows thanks so much!

Very VERY interesting!! I have had an interest in this type of subject for a very long time!!! Learning about the pulse mode was VERY INTERESTING!!!

Great way to respectfully direct us through the embalming process. Fascinating to me. I was eating a tuna sandwich while I was watching and got tickled at myself wondering if I could manage that in real life. Lol. I love all of your videos. I’m realizing more and more that this should have been my profession. I’m going to start looking around for any jobs in the funeral industry around here that wouldn’t require me to go to school. We only have one school in Louisiana and that’s in New Orleans. I live in the top northwest corner of the state. Not possible.

this brought back memories of my first embalming lab! i can't wait to complete my second lab in October! thanks Kari!

Wow! That was really eye opening, very informative, but somewhat disturbing! I had no idea that the process was so intense with so much being done. Will you do a video from that process on as to how the body is dressed? Thank you for sharing!

Wonderful video!! There are so many details to think of! Thank you for all of the info! God Bless!

Absolutely fascinating! From the very first visitation/funeral I can consciously remember, this field has intrigued me... I think I'm a bit old to start now but a funeral assistant would be something I'd be very interested in pursuing.

Kari, I am a first semester mortuary student and I have spent the past few nights binge watching your videos and this one is my absolute FAVORITE so far! You & chris are both so informative and detailed in your explanations. I just love your videos and cannot wait to be doing this one day! thanks for the great content!!!

Guys that was GREAT!!!!! Thank you so much

Thanks Kari. Seeing this done for the first time I found it quite a shock but you have educated me and I’m very grateful. You are just the prettiest model body x

Extremely educational and thorough thank you Happy New Year 2023 from Central Florida💗

Its alot of work! My biggest fear would be the body turning green or blue or some wild color on me! I am highly considering this line of work. Thanks for the video! Well done guys.

This is very fascinating. I appreciate you taking the time to make these videos to shed some light on the mystery of what happens to the body after one passes on. I find it very therapeutic.

My sister and I have a pact that when either of us pass first we'll go to the nursing home and pluck all our chin and nose hairs! Nice to know we won t have to! This was very good at showing the process. I always thought I'd love to see an autopsy. After seeing the arteries lifted, well let's just say I'm so glad I never did!!

WARNING! 1:36 Video time. I think people’s greatest fear happened during the video at 1:36! I am a hospice nurse and families frequently ask, “do you think he/she will wake up?” Or “I think I see his/her chest moving”. Great video! I learned so much!

This is so interesting my grandfather passed last week and I was wondering how this worked

Excellent presentation! Thank you so much!

The pain that I have as a hospice nurse is not being able to close the mouth which was very disturbing to the family and myself. I can’t forget the pain it caused the family. Unfortunately I am left forever with my patients image left to myself and the family. I always wanted to leave peace and beauty on my family’s

You know I’m a retired Firefighter/Paramedic I’ve worked on all kinds of bad trauma. But being a coward of death I couldn’t finish watching you always amaze me with your videos and your knowledge and professionalism

Thank you Kari. This gave me even more insight as to what the process was like for mom. I'm really grateful that you put yourself on the table for us(me).whey to do a wonderful demo lol! You go.

My son is looking to enter the field of being a mortician. Needless to say I will be forwarding him a link to this incredibly comprehensive video. Thank you from extreme upstate New York. If he finds this interesting, I am sure that he will have picked a great career field.

So informative! Love the creativity and how well everything was explained! Just love your channel!

Nice I was enlighten as I has a fear of seeing or being around a dead body. Give me a better understanding and eased my fear.

Thanks, Kari for removing the mystery for those of us who always wanted to know. I appreciate this; it was Very well done!👍🏾

This was fantastic! I would be super interested in another video where the irregularities are discussed. Such as autopsy or even how do you color correct jaundice? Also when Chris was talking about the pressure and flow rate, he mentioned that it could puff out features, could that be used almost like tissue builder? Also is there a way to remove tissue builder if you do too much?

A star indeed. Your humour made it even more personal. Great Thankyou. Your best video so far I think indeed.

Way back in 1986 my girlfriend at that time told me that her aunt and her cousins All work in the funeral business also did full embalming services from A to Z a funeral home located in the island of Puerto Rico they were doing very well financially in the mid 1980s I truly believe that this is extremely honorable vocation it's also to some extent inflation proof employment Way back in 1983 when my grandmother passed away the funeral director was so polite and so professional The funeral director such a blessing in the whole family's time of grief I was impressed but his demeanor his knowledge his natural down mannerisms I was extremely impressed by him his profession sparked a lot of curiosity in me as a Young Man I truly curious and knowledge hungry In my mind I even think as of today what if I had an apprenticeship with intentions to achieve an education a Associates in this vocation Under this wise funeral director but I was too young I just turned 18 I was always fascinated by different types of odd Sciences As well as embalming

Thank you for this informative video! I’ve never really been that curious about this process until the recent passing of my father. I had only ever seen a human corpse one other time in an open casket funeral prior to that and I was only 2 years old and do not remember much about it and did not feel the need to physically touch or hold my passed on loved one the same way until my fathers viewing. I was so shocked at how hard and cold the skin was and was overall curious of the process so this was an interesting video for me to see now that I’ve been able to process some of my feelings and try and learn and understand more about the process. Thank you for the informative video. Definitely something I could never do as a job but I greatly commend those who do this to help honour and respect the deceased and their loved ones

This was helpful, I've just made burial arrangements, and I wasn't quite sure which choice to make btwn burial or cremation. Scary, but thank you 😊

I lost my parents 10 mts apart, Hardest 2 funerals I had to ever make decisions for, I was with my dad when he past and he past with his mouth opened, my momma she past at home, I was on my way when she past, when I got there she past with her mouth open also and her hands was already laying the way you put the hands 😭😭, my question is, why was their mouths open for? Is it where you relax? I cried on this cause my Momma hated needles or anything Surgical that had to happen at the doctor or surgery, I didn't know they did all this to my parents but they looked so good at their viewing, the director who embalmed them both did an amazing job. I also thought I would pass out cause I can't handle this kind of stuff, but you 2 did an amazing job at showing how this process goes. Thank you both so much. And I have one question, when you go to the funeral and see a person, what is the smell? It's not a bad smell just a smell you can't explain. Not sure if it's just the funeral home setting or the makeup..

Your video was getting right to the point. I am want to start taking classes very soon so I can get my licenses to be able to embom I have always been very intrigued about the anatomy of the body

Right side the money side ! I know I work in funeral homes as well . Great job !

Thank you for making this video!

I've been watching your videos for years. I've never seen this one. So interesting!

Thank you so much for this! I'm going to school for this soon after working as a body removal attendant for almost a year and this was very informative.

LIke others, I found this informative and most professionally and respectfully presented. Thanks for making a mysterious and scary practice much more relatable. Thanks for your time and devotion to helping families come to informed decisions about pre-need and at-need care.

Thank you Kari for the videos you are awesome

Kari and Chris, this was such an excellent video; tastefully and professionally done. Once again Kari, you have demystified what happens behind closed doors. The lay person's mind probably imagines far worse things. I hope sometime you will do a video of facial reconstruction with the wax or plastic compounds.

Amazing! I had no idea of the total procedure!

Thank you both,from the Netherlands 🙏

Hello Kari, can you please show us or tell us some more about cosmetics on the deceased

What an intriguing concept for a video. Awesome

Outstanding "tutorial" Kari and Chris..!!!

Great video. It helps when the deceased can hold the hose and look amazingly beautiful while doing it.

This was such a great way to illustrate the process. Thanks so much for sharing. Very interesting!

This stuff have the body so hard🥺I will never forget that feeling when I touched my baby bro,,riip Joseph ♥️💔💔💔

Thank you so so much, Kari😮‍💨

Fantastic video Kari, both informative and fascinating! As always, look forward to more!

Fantastic... Im from Brazil.

I love the way you brokedown the process its very informative and i didn't feel scared

That was so informative, thank you for doing this

Very interesting. Liked the way he showed all of the steps to embalming.

Great video -- you and Chris did an amazing job explaining what is done at every step. Question: what is done to prevent leakage of stomach contents from the mouth when you turn the body to dress it? How is soiling from stool or bladder leakage prevented?

Kari thank you very kindness from you 💖💖🌼

Very educational. Thank you!

Excellent video, thank you.

Because I heard of embalming in the home. I am fascinated by the information regarding such

Thank you for doing this video it helps me understand the process of how it all works ❤❤

🤗❤️Well Kari, you did it again!!! This video was absolutely amazing and was so well thought out and put together buy you and Chris!!! I love your channel and will continue to support you! This answered so many questions I had about the arteries and placement. Thanks for such an outstanding video, just like all of them are. God bless and Merry Christmas ❤️🤗❤️🤗

Excellent Video - Your videos are so informative - Thanks for all you do!!!