Take four ounces of Marsh-mallow Roots skinned and dried in the shade, powder them, and add an ounce of Starch, the same quantity of Wheaten Flour, six drachms of fresh Pine-nut Kernels, two ounces of blanched Almonds, an ounce and a half of Orange Kernels husked, two ounces of Oil of Tartar, the same quantity of Oil of Sweet Almonds, and thirty grains of Musk: thoroughly incorporate the whole, and add to every ounce, half an ounce of Florentine Orrice-root in fine powder. Then steep half a pound of fresh Marsh-mallow Roots bruised in the distilled Water of Mallows, or Orange Flowers, for twelve hours, and forcibly squeezing out the liquor, make, with this mucilage, and the preceding Powders and Oils, a stiff Paste, which is to be dried in the shade, and formed into round balls. Nothing exceeds this Soap for smoothing the skin, or rendering the hands delicately white.
Take of the best White Soap, half a pound, and shave it into thin slices with a knife; then take two ounces and a half of Florentine Orrice, three quarters of an ounce of Calamus Aromaticus, and the same quantity of Elder Flowers; of Cloves, and dried Rose Leaves, each half an ounce; Coriander-seeds, Lavender, and Bay Leaves, of each a drachm, with three drachms of Storax. Reduce the whole to fine powder, which knead into a Paste with the Soap; adding a few grains of Musk or Ambergrise. When you make this Paste into Wash-balls, soften it with a little Oil of Almonds to render the composition more lenient. Too much cannot be said in favour of this Wash-ball, with regard to its cleansing and cosmetic property.
251. A Wash-ball, an excellent Cosmetic for the Face and Hands.
Take a pound of Florentine Orrice, a quarter of a pound of Storax, two ounces of Yellow Sanders, half an ounce of Cloves, as much fine Cinnamon, a Nutmeg, and twelve grains of Ambergrise; beat the whole into very fine powder and sift them through a lawn sieve, all except the Ambergrise, which is to be added afterwards. Then take two pounds of the finest White Soap, shaved small, and infuse it in three pints of Brandy, four or five days. When it is dissolved, add a little Orange Flower-water, and knead the whole into a very stiff Paste with the best Starch finely powdered. Then mix the Ambergrise, with a little Gum Tragacanth liquefied in sweet-scented Water. Of this Paste make Wash-balls; dry them in the shade, and polish them with a Paste-board or Lignum Vitæ cup.
Take a pound of Italian Soap cut in small bits, and a quarter of a pound of Lime; pour on them two quarts of Brandy, let them ferment together twenty-four hours, then spread the mass on a sheet of filtring paper to dry. When quite dry, beat it in a marble mortar, with half an ounce of St. Lucia Wood, an ounce and a half of Yellow Sanders, half an ounce of Orrice-root, and as much Calamus Aromaticus, all finely powdered. Knead the whole into a Paste with Whites of Eggs, and a quarter of a pound of Gum Tragacanth dissolved in Rose-water, and then form it into Wash-balls according to the usual method.