[CHAPTER XII.]
HAIR POMADES, HAIR OILS, AND HAIR TONICS; HAIR DYES AND DEPILATORIES.
To properly preserve the hair it requires to be occasionally oiled, and the scalp to be frequently cleansed. Pomades and oils serve for the former purpose, and hair tonics for the latter. For the preparation of pomades, fats, such as lard, beef-tallow, and beef-marrow, are principally used, though cocoa butter, cocoanut oil, castor oil, almond oil, spermaceti, and wax, and, more recently, vaseline are also employed. For the preparation of hair oils, fat oils, especially olive oil and almond oil are used, but also poppy oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, etc. The fats and oils used should not be rancid, for, on the one hand, the bad odor arising from rancidity is troublesome in perfuming, and, on the other, what is of still greater importance, rancid fat injuriously affects the scalp and the growth of the hair. Of the oils above mentioned, which are sometimes used, poppy oil is a drying oil, and, therefore, not suitable for the purpose.
Some fats enjoy a special reputation as hair pomades, the property of strengthening the scalp and promoting the growth of the hair being ascribed to them. This is especially the case as regards beef marrow and horse fat,[22] whilst in olden times the bone marrow of the deer (cerval medullæ) and bear's grease were believed to possess this property. Cleopatra is said to have used the latter, and many ladies are at the present time under the impression that they apply it to their hair when they use Pommade à la graisse d'ours. Thoroughly purified lard renders no doubt the same service as the above-mentioned fats.
Pomades. Pomades are prepared by two different methods; the desired odor is imparted to the fat by the extraction of the flowers of various plants, or the fat in a semi-congealed state is perfumed with different volatile oils.
The fats used for pomades should, as above indicated, be as fresh and pure as possible, so that they will keep for a long time. Fats intended for fine pomades, for which lard and beef-tallow are chiefly used, are generally first subjected to purification by, for some time, treating them with cold water, constantly renewed, and thoroughly washing, so that all adhering particles of dirt and mucus are removed, and the pomades prepared from them are better protected against rancidity. For the removal of the water adhering from washing, the fats are remelted. Still greater durability is imparted to the fat by adding in remelting a small quantity of salicylic acid (2¾ drachms of the acid to 2 lbs. of fat), or of gum benzoin. A small addition of ethyl nitrite also renders the fats more durable.
The purification of the fat, which generally consists of 2 to 3 parts lard and 1 part beef-tallow, is frequently effected as follows: Boil for about one hour 125 lbs. of fat with about 30 gallons of water containing 1 lb. each of common salt and alum in solution, constantly removing the scum formed. After standing for several hours, the fat thus purified is carefully taken off from the sediment and water; it is then, together with 4 to 6 lbs. of pulverized benzoin, for some time heated at 167° F., and finally strained into stone jars, which, after the fat is cold, are closed with a piece of bladder or waxed paper and kept for use. Fat thus prepared keeps for years.
For coloring the pomades are used: 1. For red: Alkannin, cinnabar, carmine (triturated with a small quantity of sal ammoniac and added to the fat) and safranin (1 part of it dissolved in 20 parts alcohol and 80 parts water and added to the melted fat). 2. For yellow: Annotto, turmeric, cadmium sulphide. 3. For brown: Cocoa powder and ochre. 4. For green: Chlorophyl. Besides the above-mentioned coloring substances, a very intense coloring matter for pomades is brought into commerce under the name "Lederin" by Saltzer & Voigt, of Oker, Germany. It is manufactured in lemon color, orange, cinnabar, violet, and brown shades, and 10 to 12 drachms of it, triturated in a porcelain dish with about 1 lb. of the warm fat, will impart a truly beautiful color to 100 lbs. of fat or oil.