THE FACE-HEALTH AS AN AID TO BEAUTY.
The first essential to good looks is good health. The clear complexion, the bright eyes, the lustrous hair that are such helps are born of good health rather than of creams and hair tonics. Health depends a good deal on wholesome diet and out-door exercise, which make pure blood. Pure air is invaluable. Country girls often have exquisite complexions because of the pure air they breathe—unless they eat too much heavy, greasy food.
Study hygiene, then, instead of relying upon "Bloom of Youth" and "Cream of Roses" as aids to a good complexion. Such things deceive no one, and by use ruin the skin, wrinkling and withering it. It is a good thing to drink plenty of water. A glass on retiring, another on rising, and a third an hour before the noon meal is little enough. Keep the stomach and bowels in good order.
BLACKHEADS.—The most frequent inquiry in the "beauty pages" of the papers is what to do for blackheads. In the first place, don't allow yourself to get them. Keep your face clean. A blackhead is simply a pore that is filled with oil and dirt. Sometimes they are as large as the head of a pin. When taken out they leave an enlargement known as a coarse pore. Do not steam the face to remove them. Wash the face well with soap and hot water; wring cloths out of hot water and hold to the face then massage with cold cream. Several treatments will soften them so they may be pinched out between the thumbs. Never attempt this treatment before going out; do it at night, before retiring.
Blackheads are a reflection upon one's personal cleanliness, therefore bathe the whole body often.
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PIMPLES.—Pimples are due to an impure condition of the blood, for which sulphur is a good remedy, taken internally and applied externally. One dram each of camphor and flowers of sulphur in four ounces of rose-water is a good lotion for external use. Do not pick or squeeze pimples, unless pus has formed in them. Nothing is more disgusting than a face broken out in pus-filled pimples. See a physician if thus afflicted.
FRECKLES.—These have been poetically called "the kisses of the sun," but no girl cares for evidences of that sort of affection. Prevention is easier than cure. Simple home remedies are lemon juice and glycerin, sour buttermilk, and elderflower soap used in bathing.
A well-known application is six grains of bichloride of mercury in one ounce each of glycerin and alcohol, and a few drops, say ten or twelve, of oil of lavender. The trouble is that after using these remedies the skin is delicate and freckles more easily.
The fad for going bareheaded has ruined many a girl's complexion.
SUNBURN.—Avoid it when possible. If going on the water, apply magnesia to the face rather thickly. If sunburned, rub the skin with cold cream, leaving it on as long as you can before using water on it. A wash that is good for tan and sunburn requires half an ounce of borax and an ounce of lemon juice in a pint of rose water.
CHAPPED HANDS AND FACE.—Many cases of "chaps" may be avoided by the simple precaution of wiping the face and hands perfectly dry. If the skin chaps easily keep at hand a bottle of glycerin and lemon juice mixed in about equal proportions, and after wiping rub a little on the hands. Before going out in the cold, rub a little cold cream or oil of sweet almonds over the face; leave it on a few minutes, rub off lightly with a dry towel and dust with rice powder. Camphor ice is good for chapped lips.
A PURE FACE CREAM.—Set a bowl in a basin of hot water over the fire. In it put a quarter of an ounce of white wax and two and a half ounces of spermaceti, and the same quantity of oil of sweet almonds. When melted and hot, add a pinch of borax and an ounce and a half of rose-water. Beat these ingredients with a silver fork, briskly, till the cream is cold. Warm the jar before filling it and keep in a cool place.
ANOTHER GOOD CREAM.—One ounce each of white wax and spermaceti; two ounces each of lanolin and cocoanut oil and four ounces of sweet almond oil. Melt in a double-boiler or a bowl set in hot water, and stir in two ounces of orange flower water and thirty drops of tincture of benzoin. Stir briskly till cold, and of the consistency of a thick paste. This is to be used at night, after thoroughly washing the face. It is a good cleansing cream also.
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WRINKLES.—It is a great deal easier to prevent wrinkles than it is to get rid of them after one has acquired them. A little study of women's faces will show how wrinkles, that no amount of massage will obliterate, are being made. They make perpendicular wrinkles between the eyes by drawing the brows together when sewing or reading, sometimes through habit and sometimes because of insufficient light. Some wrinkles are born of in-temper, of fretfulness, or sorrow. As the skin loses its elasticity, through age or ill-health, wrinkles come more and more easily. The best remedy for wrinkles is a light heart and a contented mind. Assist these with good, wholesome food that makes pure blood to feed the body, and render external aid through gentle massage and some good face cream and you have done the best you can. It is a good plan to some day take your hand-mirror with you as you go about your daily duties and watch the process of wrinkle-making. Say you are sewing and note the glass. Without changing your expression, take a look at yourself. The chance is it will be a revelation. You will realize why wrinkles come.
MASSAGE.—Unless properly done, massage may do more harm than good. If one can afford a few treatments by a scientific masseur and study her methods, it is a great help. The thing is not to rub in more than you rub out, by improper manipulation. Rub the face up, not down. This is because of the tendency of the muscles to sag.
Rub across, not with, the lines. Rub the "parentheses" around the month up and out, and give a rotary motion to the rubs given the checks, gently pinching and pulling them out.
But after all, there's nothing like good temper and steady nerves to prevent the tell-tale lines.
WRINKLED HANDS.—Wrinkled hands belong to age, and are due to loss of oil in the skin. After washing and wiping them, rub with a little cold cream or olive oil. Rub well into the skin. At night, use the cream or oil freely and put on a pair of old gloves.
Camphor is a good whitening agent for the hands, and a teaspoonful of spirits of camphor beaten into any greasy, cold cream will be beneficial. A piece of the gum camphor melted with the ointment blends more readily. A piece of camphor size of a walnut to two tablespoonfuls of the cream is about right proportions.
RED HANDS AND NOSE.—Sometimes a too tight corset, impeding the circulation of the blood, is responsible for the blemishes; sometimes poor circulation due to poor health. Cold feet may send the blood to the nose. Find out what is the cause and remove it. Local applications are ineffective.
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COLD OR FEVER SORES.—These unpleasant afflictions may be cured if taken at the first indication of what is coming—a smarting or burning sensation—by frequent applications of dilute spirits of camphor.
FACE POWDERS.—There are few women who do not at times have occasion to use face powder. A woman once remarked: "It isn't decent not to in summer—one looks so greasy without." There are many face powders on the market, some of which are comparatively harmless, while others are deleterious. The injury done by powder is that it fills the pores, stopping them up and thus clogging the skin. Many powders contain lead or bismuth, both of which are very injurious. Magnesia is drying. Rice powder is most harmless, but does not adhere. The most innocent powder is probably a preparation of French chalk. Weigh a box of powder in your hand before purchasing. If heavy, it doubtless contains lead, and should be refused. Find some powder that agrees with your skin and then buy that brand. Suit the color of the powder to your complexion. Don't use flesh tint if you are sallow, the "outlying regions" of neck and ears betray you.
TO USE POWDER.—Wash the face; rub a little cold cream over it, rubbing it in well, wipe with a dry towel, gently, then apply the powder with a chamois—a clean one. Do not keep it on unnecessarily. Remove by rubbing with the cleansing cream, then wash the face. Never go to bed with powder on your face.
LIQUID WHITENERS.—Avoid these. They are "whitewashes" that wither and wrinkle the skin and make it prematurely old. Almost without exception they contain lead in some form. Constant use may produce a facial paralysis due to lead poisoning. Moreover they deceive no one, and give an unpleasing impression as regards one's good sense.
ROUGE.—Well, don't do it. There may be a few who can have a rouge especially prepared that is the exact tint that harmonizes with the skin, the hair, the eyes, and can apply it so carefully as to look "natural." But ordinarily the deception is evident, and rouge in conjunction with liquid washes and penciled eyes and brows, suggest the aids employed by women of the demi-monde.
If any rouge is used, let it be the "Spanish lady's rouge" or crepons—bits of white woolen crepe dyed with an ammoniacal solution of carmine. These are gently rubbed on the skin to produce the required glow.
THE HAIR.—Beautiful hair is woman's crown of glory. Thousands of the sex wear it unbecomingly. They follow the latest fashion in arrangement without reference to whether it suits the lines of the face and head or otherwise. One should never be satisfied with a front view alone. Study the back, the sides, the lines produced, just as you study the becomingness of a hat from all angles. If a new fashion is unbecoming, either avoid it, or modify it into becomingness if you can. So many women make guys of themselves by a slavish devotion to the freaks of fashion.
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CARE OF THE HAIR.—The hair is kept in order by frequent brushings, which excite the natural oil by which it is fed, and by washing it. Dr. Leonard, an authority on the hair, says once a month is as often as the hair needs washing. As a shampoo, he advises yolk of egg, well rubbed into the scalp and roots of the hair, then washed out with tepid water and castile soap. A brisk rubbing with dry towels excites the blood-vessels of the scalp. There is no doubt that this simple shampoo is more beneficial than many new-fangled ones.
The hair should be taken down and well brushed every night, This removes dirt and makes it glossy. Use a brush with bristles as stiff as you can use without irritating the scalp too much, and keep it clean. Don't drag a fine comb through the hair. The proper comb has regular and even teeth, rounded, not sharp. If a tooth becomes split, remove it; it will break the hair. Wire brushes are nothing more or less than combs, and are not as good for the hair as good bristle brushes. Keep combs and brushes clean.
USE OF POMADES.—Hair that is dry and brittle really requires some oleaginous preparation, used in moderation. Yellow vaselin is good. Part the hair and rub it into the scalp with the tips of the fingers. A sufficient amount will find its way to the hair itself to relieve the dryness. Cocoanut oil is also good. Never apply anything of this kind to the hair itself, which is simply made greasy. The benefit should be to the roots. The application of vaselin may be made a couple of days before the monthly washing, or if the hair is very dry, may follow it. Remember not to overdo the matter. It does not follow that because a little is good, more is better.
A specialist on the hair who makes biennial trips abroad to advise himself as to the most recent methods and treatment, in a moment of confidence admitted to a customer that after all pure cold water was as good a hair tonic as he knew of. "Do not wet the hair." he said. "Dip the tips of your fingers in cold water and rub the scalp, wetting it and at the same time massaging it. Do this as faithfully as you would apply a tonic, and in all but certain exceptional cases it will be as beneficial.'
CLIPPING THE HAIR.—It is a good plan to clip the ends of the hair once a month to keep the growth even. If the hair splits, trim to a point above it, as the tendency is for the split to extend further up the hair-shaft.
DANDRUFF.—Dandruff is the scaling off of dead cuticle. In excess, it becomes a disease, forming so thick a scale as to kill the roots of the hair and cause it to fall out. It is rightly called "itch dirt." Cleanliness therefore helps a cure.
An old-fashioned recipe for dandruff calls for five ounces of bay rum, one ounce of olive oil, one ounce tincture of cantharides. Dr. Leonard advises free applications of sweet oil for the purpose of softening the scales, then a washing with warm water and castile soap, or the "green soap" of the pharmacy. If the disease is bad, or obstinate, apply a little oxide of zinc ointment.
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WASHING THE HAIR.—One suspects that those who advise washing the hair once a week have more of all eye to the increase of their business than to the welfare of their customers' hair. The egg shampoo has been advised. Use a soap made of vegetable oil if possible. Never rub soap in the hair, and be very careful to rinse thoroughly, to get all the soap out using hot water for washing, then graduating the temperature till the final douche of cold. Do not use ammonia, soda or borax on the hair.
COLOR OF THE HAIR.—Nature has suited the hair to the complexion in every case, and we cannot improve upon her idea of harmony. That is why any attempt to change the color is so unsatisfactory. The "bleached blonde" is always recognizable; so is the woman who dyes her faded locks in vain effort to retain her "youth." As the hair changes by natural processes the complexion changes to match it, so that we never get a chance to improve upon nature's handiwork.
In Elizabethan days, wigs were worn to harmonize or match with the costume. Queen Elizabeth had over eighty. Think of purple hair? Yet some dyes give a purple tinge to the locks.
DYED HAIR.—Dyed hair is a sorry makeshift at best. Far better let nature have her way. There is but one hair-dye that is not positively harmful, this is henna, and its use entails no end of trouble because it must be frequently renewed,—some use it every day.
To prepare the dye, get a quarter pound of henna leaves; to this add two quarts of cold water. Let stand on the back of the range where it will steep slowly for four or five hours. Add three ounces of alcohol and bottle. Apply with a tooth-brush. It gives a sort of reddish-brown color. Women whose hair is prematurely gray often use this, declaring their white hair prevents them from obtaining or holding business positions. But where hair has whitened prematurely there is always a freshness and vitality about eyes and complexion that bespeaks youth.
Physicians strongly deprecate the use of hair dyes. No matter how strenuously the label insists on "absolute harmlessness," the dye relies for its effectiveness upon the presence of lead in some chemical combination. The frequent application of lead to the scalp induces a certain dangerous form of poisoning, which results in paralysis. If "dye you must," pin your faith to henna.
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GRAY HAIR.—"The only thing to do with gray hair is to admire it." This is true. Nothing so sets off an aged face like the crown of silver. To color it is a great mistake. There is absolutely no cure for it; the one thing we can do is to make it a beauty. Gray hair is due to the exhaustion of the pigment or coloring cells of the hair, supposed to be occasioned by the lack of a regular supply of blood.
For the progressive whitening of the hair due to the advance of age, curative agents are rarely of any avail, especially if the trouble is hereditary. Not that gray hair and baldness are handed down from father to son, but that the peculiarities of constitution which produce them are inherent in both. Nervousness, neuralgia, a low physical condition, aid the falling and blanching of the hair, and the victim should build up the general system. Preparations of iron and sulphur, taken internally, are supposed to supply certain elements of growth and pigment-forming power to the hair.
A solution of iron for external application to the hair, calls for two drams each of citrate of iron and tincture of nux vomica, and one and one-half ounces each of cocoanut oil and bay rum. It may be mentioned here, that faithfulness in treatment means even more than the tonic applied. To gain any real benefit, one must be persistent in application.
Hair often turns gray "in streaks" to the chagrin of the victim. Or it whitens above the forehead and temples and remains dark at the back. Nothing can be done for this.
Gray hair should be kept scrupulously clean, and requires more frequent washing than hair that holds its color. A very little blueing in the rinsing water gives a purer, clearer white. For this use indigo, not the usual washing fluid which is made of Prussian blue. Five cents worth of indigo will last a lifetime.
A HAIR TONIC.—A lotion Dr. Leonard recommends for the hair, especially where it is coming out calls for two drams tincture cantharides, half an ounce nux vomica, one dram tincture capsicum, one and a half ounces castor oil, and two ounces of cologne. Apply with a bit of sponge twice a day.
A preparation which is tonic in its properties and is also said to darken gray hair, and which certainly contains nothing injurious, calls for one ounce of sage and a pint of boiling water, allowed to stand twenty-four hours in an iron pot, and then filtered through filtering papers.
Digest half an ounce of pine tar in a pint of water for forty-eight hours, stirring occasionally; filter, and put with the other fluid, then add one pint of bay rum, one ounce each of cologne and tincture of cantharides, two ounces of glycerin and ten ounces of distilled water. Apply daily, using a tonic brush.
THE HAIR AND HEALTH.—The condition of the hair is largely predicated on the condition of the general health. In health, it should be abundant, glossy and bright—"live"—in color. A low physical condition may make it look dry and dead, and induce falling out. Take care of the general health for the sake of the hair as well as for the sake of the complexion.
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THE HANDS.—One of the woman's continuous tasks is trying to keep her hands clean, and one thing that militates against their good looks is careless washing. They are washed indiscriminately in hot or cold water, the soap not properly rinsed off, nor the drying complete. To keep them soft and white, wash in soft, tepid water, dry thoroughly, then rub in a little cold cream or compound of glycerin, or fine cornmeal. Use rubber gloves in dish washing, and if you must have your hands in soapy water for a long time, after washing them in pure water rub over with a few drops of lemon juice or cider vinegar. This kills the potash in the soap that has been used.
CARE OF THE NAILS.—It is a luxury to have one's nails done by a manicure, and if one can not afford this, always, it is profitable to have it done a few times and carefully observe the process, because the nails are a very important part of the care of the hands.
Finger Nail Powder, Old Tried Remedy for—
"Violet Talcum Powder 1/2 ounce
Pulverized Boric Acid 1/2 ounce
Powdered Starch 1/2 ounce
Tincture of Carmine 15 drops
If the nails become hard or brittle, immerse them in warm olive oil every night or rub vaselin into them."
IMPLEMENTS.—The tools required are a pair of manicure scissors, which have small curved blades; get a good pair of steel scissors, the silver are not so good; a package of emery boards, an orange-wood stick, a flexible nail file, a small bottle of peroxide of hydrogen for bleaching, a bit of pumice stone, a cake of polishing powder, a chamois covered "buffer" and a box of rosaline or other paste.
THE PROCESS.—The nails are to be shortened by filing, as cutting thickens them. The orange-wood stick is then dipped in peroxide and run under the nail to bleach, then the pumice stone, powdered, is used in the same way to cleanse. During this the left hand is soaking in tepid, soapy water. Of course, if you do your own manicuring you will go on with the right hand, waiting while the cuticle at the base of the nail softens. This is then anointed with a little cold cream or vaselin; the cuticle is loosened and trimmed if necessary,—do not trim if you can avoid it, as cutting thickens it. When both hands have been thus treated, they are again soaked a few minutes, then a little of the rosaline paste—a very little—is put on each nail, the buffer dipped in the polishing powder and the nails polished. The hands are then washed, rubbed dry, and the fingers gone over a second time in search of roughness of nail or cuticle; they are then polished again with a clean buffer, and may be sprayed with perfume from an atomizer.
MOUTH AND TEETH.—Many young people owe their homely mouths to infantile habits. Sucking the thumb, and these horrible "pacificators" or "baby comforters" are responsible for some ill-shaped mouths. A large mouth, if not malformed, is not ugly unless filled with bad teeth or set in a disagreeable expression. Thus, in a way, we mould this feature ourselves, to a considerable degree.
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CLEANSING THE TEETH.—A good brushing twice a day, using cold water and some pleasant antiseptic wash, like listerine, does much to keep the mouth and teeth clean. Particles of food lodged between the teeth should be removed with a bit of dental floss.
VISITS TO THE DENTIST.—Pain and expense are saved by consulting the dentist in good season. The smallest cavity should be filled as soon as discovered. At least once a year the teeth should be carefully examined by one's dentist; it would be better to go every six months. Let the dentist clean them and remove the tartar, if any, as commercial preparations often injure. Most dentists will save a tooth wherever possible. There is little excuse for bad teeth these days, since modern dentistry can work marvels.
CHILDREN'S TEETH.—On no account let a child's second teeth come in crowded, irregular or projecting. A good dentist can remedy all these malformations and though it may be troublesome at the time, the child, when grown, will blame you for not having relieved him of them. From babyhood, the child should be taught that cleansing the teeth is as important a part of the toilet as washing the hands.
THE EYES.—No gift is more precious than sight. Therefore take care of your eyes. Don't overstrain them, don't put anything in them, don't follow any casual prescription, nor use belladonna to brighten them. Consult an oculist, not an optician, if there is anything the matter with them. Bathe them in hot water when they feel tired and drawn. Eyesight is too precious to be tampered with. If a child is cross-eyed, a simple operation will straighten them, and it is a crime not to have it done.
EYELASHES AND EYEBROWS.—The best application for these is the simplest.
Just a little yellow vaselin, which encourages growth. Don't clip, either.
Frequent brushing will generally train the brows into a shapely line. A
heavy, coarse hair may be pulled out with the fingers.
THE FEET.—The three most frequent evils to which the feet are heir are corns, bunions or enlarged joints, and chilblains. Ingrowing nails are much less common, but make up in painfulness.
CORNS.—Corns are of three kinds: callous spots, soft corns, and corns. Callous spots may be rubbed or pared down and rubbed with cocoa butter. Soft corns come between the toes and are very painful. Soak absorbent cotton in a little turpentine and put between the toes; or sprinkle the cotton with powdered alum. These corns are supposed to be due to moisture between the toes and are sometimes cured and often prevented by keeping absorbent cotton between the toes. Prevention saves a lot of suffering. "Just corns" are calloused spots with hard center; pressure on this causes pain. Soaking in hot water, and shaving off as much of the hardened skin as can be removed with safety, affords relief. The little hard core should be taken out.
Precautions.—Be sure that your knife, razor, or whatever implement is used is perfectly clean (sterilized) and avoid drawing blood. If this happens, use some antiseptic. Cases of blood-poisoning that have resulted fatally have been caused by such wounds. If you wear colored hose, have them washed before wearing, as the dye may be injurious.
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BUNIONS.—These painful enlargements are due to a too short shoe, or one that does not fit well. Better discard such footwear; it will be cheaper in the end. Paint the sore joint with a mixture of equal parts of glycerin, tincture of iodine and carbolic acid; using a camel's hair brush. Stockings that are too short may produce the same affliction.
CHILBLAINS.—People who have, or do not want chilblains should avoid woolen stockings. Neither should they "toast their toes" at the fire, wear bed-socks, or take a hot water-bottle to bed with them. Warm the feet by exercise, or vigorous rubbing. If very painful, try ice-cold applications, tincture of iodine, camphor, and tincture of chloride of iron are healing.
INGROWING NAILS.—A bad case should be taken to the chiropodist. Shaving the nail thin on the top, or cutting a V-shaped piece out of it, tend to relieve. Raise up the nail and put a bit of absorbent cotton under it. The best way is to avoid foot troubles by wearing well fitting shoes which are sufficiently large.
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NURSERY HINTS AND FIRESIDE GEMS
For Mother and Her Little Family
TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR RAISING CHILDREN.
1. Thou shalt not frighten thy child by threats of punishment.
2. Thou shalt not visit thine own disappointments upon thy child, nor speak to him sharply without just cause.
3. Thou shalt not administer any rebuke while feeling anger toward thy child.
4. Thou shalt not require more of thy child than of thyself.
5. Thou shalt not speak discourteously to thy child.
6. Thou shalt not lie to thy child, neither break thy promise, nor deceive.
7. Thou shalt not waste thyself upon the effort to destroy evil tendencies and wrong activities in thy child, but shall remove temptation from him and cultivate his virtues and his righteous activities.
8. Thou shalt not curtail thy child's liberty but shall insist he respect the liberty of all others, even as his is respected.
9. Many hours shalt thou labor with thy child and do all thy work, dressing him, feeding him, teaching him, amusing him, but for one hour out of every seven waking hours shalt thou let him alone, and bother him not, neither thou, nor thy husband, nor thy nursemaid, nor thy friends, nor thy relatives nor any that are in thy house. For in that hour shall the Lord come unto him.
10. Thou shalt not force thy child in any respect, neither physically, mentally or morally. Thou shalt not force obedience, for forced obedience is not righteous; but thou shalt gently lead thy child along the way that he should go, having first passed over the road thyself.