D. Toilet Powders.
Toilet powders are used to impart whiteness and smoothness to the skin; hence they are merely a kind of dry cosmetic which are applied by means of a powder puff or a hare’s foot. Their main ingredients are starch and talcum powders, perfumed and sometimes tinted a rose-red color. It is immaterial what kind of starch is used; rice, wheat, and potato starch are equally effective, provided they are clear white and in the finest powder. In some cases the bitter-almond bran remaining after the expression of the fixed oil and the preparation of the oil of bitter almond is likewise used for toilet powders. The more thoroughly these powders are rubbed into the skin, the whiter the latter becomes and the less easily can they be detected.
White Toilet Powder.
| Fine levigated zinc white | 1¾ oz. |
| Venetian talcum | 1¾ oz. |
| Carbonate of magnesia | 1¾ oz. |
| Oil of rose | 20 drops. |
| Oil of orris | 20 drops. |
Mix intimately.
Pink Toilet Powder.
| White toilet powder (see above) | 5½ oz. |
| Carmine | 8 grains. |
Poudre de Pistaches.
| Pistachio meal | 10 lb. |
| Talcum | 10 lb. |
| Oil of lavender | ¾ oz. |
| Oil of rose | ½ oz. |
| Oil of cinnamon | 75 grains. |
The oil must have been completely extracted from the pistachio meal, which is to be reduced to the finest powder.
Poudre à la Rose.
| Starch powder | 20 lb. |
| Carmine | ¾ oz. |
| Oil of rose | ½ oz. |
| Oil of santal | ½ oz. |
| Oil of vetiver | 150 grains. |
Poudre à la Violette.
| Starch powder | 20 lb. |
| Orris root, in fine powder | 10 lb. |
| Oil of bergamot | ¾ oz. |
| Oil of lemon | ¾ oz. |
| Oil of clove | 150 grains. |
| Oil of neroli | 150 grains. |
Poudre Blanche Surfine (Poudre de Riz).
| Starch powder | 20 lb. |
| Subnitrate of bismuth | 2 lb. |
| Oil of lemon | ¾ oz. |
| Oil of rose | 150 grains. |
Blanc de Perles Sec (Dry Pearl White).
| Venetian chalk | 20 lb. |
| Subnitrate of bismuth | 42 oz. |
| Zinc white | 42 oz. |
| Oil of lemon | 1½ oz. |
Anti-Odorin.
| Starch powder | 1 lb. |
| Salicylic acid | 150 grains. |
This mixture, which is best left unperfumed, does excellent service when used to prevent an offensive odor in stockings or shoes. The inside of the stockings is dusted with the powder, and every week a teaspoonful is sprinkled into the shoes.
Skin Gloss.
| Carbonate of potassium | 1¾ oz. |
| Powdered spermaceti | 1¾ oz. |
| Starch powder | 1 lb. |
| Benzoin | ¾ oz. |
| Oil of bitter almond | 150 grains. |
Mix intimately and preserve in well-closed boxes. For use, stir some into water.