Part 152

Prepare in a similar manner as the foregoing. Rose oil in either ointment makes a good perfume. Both ointments may, of course, be employed as a general skin bleach, which, in fact, is their real office—cosmetic creams.

«Emollient Skin Balm.»—

Quince seed 1 ounce Water 7 ounces Glycerine 1 1⁠/⁠2 ounces Alcohol 4 1⁠/⁠2 ounces Salicylic acid 6 grains Carbolic acid 10 grains Oil of bay 10 drops Oil of cloves 5 drops Oil of orange peel 10 drops Oil of wintergreen 8 drops Oil of rose 2 drops

Digest the quince seed in the water for 24 hours, and then press through a cloth; dissolve the salicylic acid in the alcohol; add the carbolic acid to the glycerine; put all together, shake well, and bottle.

«Skin Lotion.»—

Zinc sulphocarbolate 30 grains Alcohol (90 per cent) 4 fluidrachms Glycerine 2 fluidrachms Tincture of cochineal 1 fluidrachm Orange-flower water 1 1⁠/⁠2 fluidounces Rose water (triple) to make 6 fluidounces

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«Skin Discoloration.»—Discoloration of the neck may be removed by the use of acids, the simplest of which is that in buttermilk, but if the action of this is too slow try 4 ounces of lactic acid, 2 of glycerine, and 1 of rose water. These will mix without heating. Apply several times daily with a soft linen rag; pour a small quantity into a saucer and dip the cloth into this. If the skin becomes sore use less of the remedy and allay the redness and smarting with a good cold cream. It is always an acid that removes freckles and discolorations, by burning them off. It is well to be slow in its use until you find how severe its action is. It is not wise to try for home making any of the prescriptions which include corrosive sublimate or any other deadly poison. Peroxide of hydrogen diluted with 5 times as much water, also will bleach discolorations. Do not try any of these bleaches on a skin freshly sunburned. For that, wash in hot water, or add to the hot water application enough witch-hazel to scent the water, and after that has dried into the skin it will be soon enough to try other applications.

«Detergent for Skin Stains.»—Moritz Weiss has introduced a detergent paste which will remove stains from the skin without attacking it, is non-poisonous, and can be used without hot water. Moisten the hands with a little cold water, apply a small quantity of the paste to the stained skin, rub the hands together for a few minutes, and rinse with cold water. The preparation is a mixture of soft soap and hard tallow, melted together over the fire and incorporated with a little emery powder, flint, glass, sand, quartz, pumice stone, etc., with a little essential oil to mask the smell of the soap. The mixture sets to a mass like putty, but does not dry hard. The approximate proportions of the ingredients are: Soft soap, 30 per cent; tallow, 15 per cent; emery powder, 55 per cent, and a few drops of essential oil.

If an extra detergent quality is desired, 4 ounces of sodium carbonate may be added, and the quantity of soap may be reduced. Paste thus made will attack grease, etc., more readily, but it is harder on the skin.

«Removing Inground Dirt.»—

Egg albumen 8 parts Boric acid 1 part Glycerine 32 parts Perfume to suit. Distilled water to make 50 parts

Dissolve the boric acid in a sufficient quantity of water; mix the albumen and glycerine and pass through a silk strainer. Finally, mix the two fluids and add the residue of water.

Every time the hands are washed, dry on a towel, and then moisten them lightly but thoroughly with the liquid, and dry on a soft towel without rubbing. At night, on retiring, apply the mixture and wipe slightly or just enough to take up superfluous liquid; or, better still, sleep in a pair of cotton gloves.

«TOILET CREAMS:»

«Almond Cold Creams.»—A liquid almond cream may be made by the appended formula. It has been known as milk of almond:

I.—Sweet almonds 5 ounces White castile soap 2 drachms White wax 2 drachms Spermaceti 2 drachms Oil of bitter almonds 10 minims Oil of bergamot 20 minims Alcohol 6 fluidounces Water, a sufficient quantity.

Beat the almonds in a smooth mortar until as much divided as their nature will admit; then gradually add water in very small quantities, continuing the beating until a smooth paste is obtained; add to this, gradually, one pint of water, stirring well all the time. Strain the resulting emulsion without pressure through a cotton cloth previously well washed to remove all foreign matter. If new, the cloth will contain starch, etc., which must be removed. Add, through the strainer, enough water to bring the measure of the strained liquid to 1 pint. While this operation is going on let the soap be shaved into thin ribbons, and melted, with enough water to cover it, over a very gentle fire or on a water bath. When fluid add the wax and spermaceti in large pieces, so as to allow them to melt slowly, and thereby better effect union with the soap. Stir occasionally. When all is melted place the soapy mixture in a mortar, run into it slowly the emulsion, blending the two all the while with the pestle. Care must be taken not to add the emulsion faster than it can be incorporated with the soap. Lastly add the alcohol in which the perfumes have been previously dissolved, in the same manner, using great care.

This preparation is troublesome to make and rather expensive, and it is perhaps no better for the purpose than glycerine. The mistake is often made of applying the latter too freely, its “stickiness” being unpleasant, and it is {236} best to dilute it largely with water. Such a lotion may be made by mixing

Glycerine 1 part Rose water 9 parts

Plain water may, of course, be used as the diluent, but a slightly perfumed preparation is generally considered more desirable. The perfume may easily be obtained by dissolving a very small proportion of handkerchief “extract” or some essential oil in the glycerine, and then mixing with plain water.

II.—White wax 1⁠/⁠4 ounce Spermaceti 2 1⁠/⁠2 ounces Oil of sweet almonds 2 1⁠/⁠2 ounces

Melt, remove from the fire, and add

Rose water 1 1⁠/⁠2 ounces

Beat until creamy: not until cold. When the cream begins to thicken add a few drops of oil of rose. Only the finest almond oil should be used. Be careful in weighing the wax and spermaceti. These precautions will insure a good product.

III.—White wax 4 ounces Spermaceti 3 ounces Sweet almond oil 6 fluidounces Glycerine 4 fluidounces Oil of rose geranium 1 fluidrachm Tincture of benzoin 4 fluidrachms

Melt the wax and spermaceti, add the oil of sweet almonds, then beat in the glycerine, tincture of benzoin, and oil of rose geranium. When all are incorporated to a smooth, creamy mass, pour into molds.

IV.—Sweet almonds, blanched 5 ounces Castile soap, white 120 grains White wax 120 grains Spermaceti 120 grains Oil of bitter almonds 10 drops Oil of bergamot 20 drops Alcohol 6 fluidounces Water, sufficient.