Wax
(Cera alba), the well-known product of the bee; in perfumery only bleached (white) wax is employed. In recent years Japanese wax has appeared in commerce; this is of vegetable origin, but in its properties resembles beeswax.
Subnitrate of Bismuth,
bismuth white, pearl white, bismuthi subnitras, blanc de bismuth, blanc de perles, the basic nitrate of bismuth, the chief ingredient of many skin cosmetics, is prepared by dissolving metallic bismuth in moderately strong nitric acid, and pouring the solution into a large quantity of water, whereupon the subnitrate is precipitated.
The precipitated powder is collected on a funnel and washed with pure water until the wash water no longer changes blue tincture of litmus to red. The bismuth white is dried and preserved in well-closed vessels, since in the air it gradually assumes a yellowish color; for any sulphuretted hydrogen present in the air is greedily absorbed by this salt, and the resulting combination with sulphur has a black color.
Oxide of Tin
is obtained by treating metallic tin with fuming nitric acid, adding the solution to a large quantity of water, and washing the product, which forms a white insoluble powder used cosmetically for polishing the finger nails.
Besides the chemical products here enumerated, some others find application in perfumery; we shall describe their properties in connection with the articles into which they enter. In this connection mention may be made of the fact that more and more aromatic substances are now made artificially which were formerly obtained with difficulty from plants. Besides vanillin mentioned above, cumarin, oil of wintergreen, and some other products are prepared artificially. Heliotropin and nerolin are artificially prepared substances, possessing an odor resembling that of heliotrope and oil of neroli, respectively, but not identical chemically with the natural odorous substance. Artificial musk (Baur’s), is playing a rôle at present, but is not identical with the natural substance.