We give below a number of such articles, which come as near as possible to this ideal without injuring the skin. As every skin cosmetic cannot but occlude the pores of the skin, it should be removed as soon as possible—an advice to be heeded particularly by actors and actresses, who must appear painted on the boards.
A. White Skin Cosmetics.
French White (Blanc Français).
| Talcum | 4 lb. |
| Oil of lemon | 75 grains. |
| Oil of bergamot | 75 grains. |
The talcum must be reduced to the finest powder, levigated, dried, and then perfumed. Owing to its unctuous nature, it readily adheres to the skin, and as it has no effect on it and does not change color, it is the best of all powders.
Liquid Bismuth White; Pearl White (Blanc Perlé Liquide).
| Subnitrate of bismuth | 1 lb. |
| Rose water | 1 qt. |
| Orange-flower water | 1 qt. |
When standing at rest, the subnitrate of bismuth sinks to the bottom, while the supernatant fluid becomes quite clear. The bottle must therefore be vigorously shaken immediately before use. When this preparation remains on the skin for some length of time, it loses its pure white color and becomes yellow, or darker, through the gradual formation of a black sulphur compound.
Venetian Chalk (Craie Venétienne).
is made exactly like the French white, above; the only difference between the two preparations is that the talcum for the latter is brought to a red heat, which, however, causes it in part to lose the power of adhering to the skin.