Part 149

Alum, powdered 10 grams Whites of 2 eggs Boric acid 3 grams Tincture of benzoin 40 drops Olive oil 40 drops Mucilage of acacia 5 drops Rice flour, quantity sufficient. Perfume, quantity sufficient.

Mix the alum and the white of eggs, without any addition of water whatever, in an earthen vessel, and dissolve the alum by the aid of very gentle heat (derived from a lamp, or gaslight, regulated to a very small flame), and constant, even, stirring. This must continue until the aqueous content of the albumen is completely driven off. Care must be taken to avoid coagulation of the albumen (which occurs very easily, as all know). Let the mass obtained in this manner get completely cold, then throw into a Wedgwood mortar, add the boric acid, tincture of benzoin, oil, mucilage (instead of which a solution of fine gelatin may be used), etc., and rub up together, thickening it with the addition of sufficient rice flour to give the desired consistence, and perfuming at will. Instead of olive oil any pure fat, or fatty oil, may be used, even vaseline or glycerine.

«Face Bleach or Beautifier.»—

Syrupy lactic acid 40 ounces Glycerine 80 ounces Distilled water 5 gallons

Mix. Gradually add

Tincture of benzoin 3 ounces

Color by adding {232}

Carmine No. 40 40 grains Glycerine 1 ounce Ammonia solution 1⁠/⁠2 ounce Water to 3 ounces

Heat this to drive off the ammonia, and mix all. Shake, set aside; then filter, and add

Solution of ionone 1 drachm

Add a few drachms of kaolin and filter until bright.

«BLACKHEAD REMEDIES.»

I.—Lactic acid 1 drachm Boric acid 1 drachm Ceresine 1 drachm Paraffine oil 6 drachms Hydrous wool fat 1 1⁠/⁠2 ounces Castor oil 6 drachms

II.—Unna advises hydrogen dioxide in the treatment of blackheads, his prescription being:

Hydrogen dioxide 20 to 40 parts Hydrous wool fat 10 parts Petrolatum 30 parts

III.—Thymol 1 part Boric acid 2 parts Tincture of witch-hazel 18 parts Rose water sufficient to make 200 parts

Mix. Apply to the face night and morning with a sponge, first washing the face with hot water and castile soap, and drying it with a coarse towel, using force enough to start the dried secretions. An excellent plan is to steam the face by holding it over a basin of hot water, keeping the head covered with a cloth.

IV.—Ichthyol 1 drachm Zinc oxide 2 drachms Starch 2 drachms Petrolatum 3 drachms

This paste should be applied at night. The face should first be thoroughly steamed or washed in water as hot as can be comfortably borne. All pustules should then be opened and blackheads emptied with as little violence as possible. After careful drying the paste should be thoroughly rubbed into the affected areas. In the morning, after removing the paste with a bland soap, bathe with cool water and dry with little friction.

«HAND CREAMS AND LOTIONS:»

«Chapped Skin.»—

I.—Glycerine 8 parts Bay rum 4 parts Ammonia water 4 parts Rose water 4 parts

Mix the bay rum and glycerine, add the ammonia water, and finally the rose water. It is especially efficacious after shaving.

II.—As glycerine is bad for the skin of many people, here is a recipe which will be found more generally satisfactory as it contains less glycerine: Bay rum, 3 ounces; glycerine, 1 ounce; carbolic acid, 1⁠/⁠2 drachm (30 drops). Wash the hands well and apply while hands are soft, preferably just before going to bed. Rub in thoroughly. This rarely fails to cure the worst “chaps” in two nights.

III.—A sure remedy for chapped hands consists in keeping them carefully dry and greasing them now and then with an anhydrous fat (not cold cream). The best substances for the purpose are unguentum cereum or oleum olivarum.

If the skin of the hands is already cracked the following preparation will heal it:

Finely ground zinc oxide, 5.0 parts; bismuth oxychloride, 2.0 parts; with fat oil, 12.0 parts; next add glycerine, 5.0 parts; lanolin, 30.0 parts; and scent with rose water, 10.0 parts.

IV.—Wax salve (olive oil 7 parts, and yellow wax 3 parts), or pure olive oil.