Parts thirteen and fourteen of the book "The Art of Perfume Making and Methods of Obtaining Plant Scents"
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| Parts thirteen and fourteen of the book "The Art of Perfume Making and Methods of Obtaining Plant Scents" |
SECTION XIII.
HAIR DYES AND DEPILATORY.
By way of personal adornment, few practices are of more ancient origin than that of painting the face, dyeing the hair, and blackening the eyebrows and eyelashes.
It is a practice universal among the women of the higher and middle classes in Egypt, and very common among those of the lower orders, to blacken the edge of the eyelids, both above and below the eye, with a black powder, which they term kohhl. The kohhl is applied with a small probe of wood, ivory, or silver, tapering towards the end, but blunt. This is moistened sometimes with rose-water, then dipped in the powder, and drawn along the edges of the eyelids. It is thought to give a very soft expression to the eye, the size of which, in appearance, it enlarges; to which circumstances probably Jeremiah refers when he writes, "Though thou rentest thy face (or thine eyes) with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair."—Jer. 4:30. See also Lane's Modern Egyptians, vol. i, p. 41, et seq.
A singular custom is observable both among Moorish and Arab females—that of ornamenting the face between the eyes with clusters of bluish spots or other small devices, and which, being stained, become permanent. The chin is also spotted in a similar manner, and a narrow blue line extends from the point of it, and is continued down the throat. The eyelashes, eyebrows, and also the tips and extremities of the eyelids, are colored black. The soles, and sometimes other parts of the feet, as high as the ankles, the palms of the hands, and the nails, are dyed with a yellowish-red, with the leaves of a plant called Henna (Lawsonia inermis), the leaf of which somewhat resembles the myrtle, and is dried for the purposes above mentioned. The back of the hand is also often colored and ornamented in this way with different devices. On holidays they paint their cheeks of a red brick color, a narrow red line being also drawn down the temples.
In Greece, "for coloring the lashes and sockets of the eye they throw incense or gum labdanum on some coals of fire, intercept the smoke which ascends with a plate, and collect the soot. This I saw applied. A girl, sitting cross-legged as usual on a sofa, and closing one of her eyes, took the two lashes between the forefinger and thumb of her left hand, pulled them forward, and then, thrusting in at the external corner a sort of bodkin or probe which had been immersed in the soot, and withdrawing it, the particles previously adhering to the probe remained within the eyelashes."—Chandler's Travels in Greece.
Dr. Shaw states that among other curiosities that were taken out of the tombs at Sahara relating to Egyptian women, he saw a joint of the common reeds, which contained one of these bodkins and an ounce or more of this powder.
In Constantinople there are some persons, particularly Armenians, who devote themselves to the preparation of cosmetics, and obtain large sums of money from those desirous of learning this art. Amongst these cosmetics is a black dye for the hair, which, according to Landerer, is prepared in the following manner:—
Finely pulverized galls are kneaded with a little oil to a paste, which is roasted in an iron pan until the oil vapors cease to evolve, upon which the residue is triturated with water into a paste, and heated again to dryness. At the same time a metallic mixture, which is brought from Egypt to the commercial marts of the East, and which is termed in Turkish Rastiko-petra, or Rastik-Yuzi, is employed for this purpose. This metal, which looks like dross, is by some Armenians intentionally fused, and consists of iron and copper. It obtains its name from its use for the coloration of the hair, and particularly the eyebrows—for rastik means eyebrows, and yuzi stone. The fine powder of this metal is as intimately mixed as possible with the moistened gall-mass into a paste, which is preserved in a damp place, by which it acquires the blackening property. In some cases this mass is mixed with, the powder of odorous substances which are used in the seraglio as perfumes, and called harsi, that is, pleasant odor; and of these the principal ingredient is ambergris. To blacken the hair a little of this dye is triturated in the hand or between the fingers, with which the hair or beard is well rubbed. After a few days the hair becomes very beautifully black, and it is a real pleasure to see such fine black beards as are met with in the East among the Turks who use this black dye. Another and important advantage in the use of this dye consists therein, that the hair remains soft, pliant, and for a long time black, when it has been once dyed with this substance. That the coloring properties of this dye are to be chiefly ascribed to the pyrogallic acid, which can be found by treating the mass with water, may be with certainty assumed.
Litharge Hair Dye.
Mix by sifting, bottle, and well cork.
Directions to be sold with the above.—"Mix the powder with enough water to form a thick creamy fluid; with the aid of a small brush; completely cover the hair to be dyed with this mixture; to dye a light brown, allow it to remain on the hair four hours; dark brown, eight hours; black, twelve hours. As the dye does not act unless it is moist, it is necessary to keep it so by wearing an oiled silk, india-rubber, or other waterproof cap.
Before using this dye it is necessary to free the hair from grease by washing it with soda or pearlash and water. The hair must be quite dry prior to applying the dye, which is best laid on with an old tooth-brush. This dye does not "strike" for several hours. It needs scarcely be observed that its effects are more rapidly produced by exposing the hair to sunshine and air.
Hair Dye, with Mordant. (Brown.)
Hair Dye, with Mordant. (Black.)
The mordant is to be applied to the hair first; when dry, the silver solution.
Great care must be taken that the sulphuret is fresh made, or at least, well preserved in closed bottles, otherwise, instead of the mordant acting to make to make the hair black, it will tend to impart a yellow hue. When the mordant is good, it has a very disagreeable odor, and although this is the quickest and best dye, its unpleasant smell has given rise to the
Inodorous Dye.
Blue bottles.—Dissolve the nitrate of silver in the water as in the above, then add liquid ammonia by degrees until the mixture becomes cloudy from the precipitate of the oxide of silver, continue to add ammonia in small portions until the fluid again becomes bright from the oxide of silver being redissolved.
White bottles.—Pour half a pint of boiling rose-water upon three ounces of powdered gall-nuts; when cold, strain and bottle. This forms the mordant, and is used in the same way as the first-named dye, like the sulphuret mordant. It is not so good a dye as the previous one.
French Brown Dye.
Blue Bottles.—Saturated solution of sulphate of copper; to this add ammonia enough to precipitate the oxide of copper and redissolve it (as with the silver in the above), producing the azure liquid.
White Bottles.—Mordant.—Saturated solution of prussiate of potass.
Artificial hair, for the manufacture of perukes, is dyed in the same manner as wool.
Liquid hair dye, not to blacken the skin, may be thus prepared:—Dissolve in one ounce of liquor potassæ as much freshly-precipitated oxide of lead as it will take up, and dilute the resulting clear solution with three ounces of distilled water. Care must be taken not to wet the skin unnecessarily with it.
Quick Depilatory or Rusma. (For removing hair.)
As the ladies of this country consider the growth of hair upon the upper lip, upon the arms, and on the back of the neck, to be detrimental to beauty, those who are troubled with such physical indications of good health and vital stamina have long had recourse to rusma or depilatory for removing it.
This or analogous preparations were introduced into this country from the East, rusma having been in use in the harems of Asia for many ages.
Mix the material by means of a sieve; preserve the same for sale in drumwell-corked or stoppered bottles.
Directions to be sold with the above. Mix the depilatory powder with enough water to render it of a creamy consistency; lay it upon the hair for about five minutes, or until its caustic action upon the skin renders it necessary to be removed; a similar process to shaving is then to be gone through, but instead of using a razor, operate with an ivory or bone paper-knife; then wash the part with plenty of water, and apply a little cold cream.
The precise time to leave depilatory upon the part to be depilated cannot be given, because there is a physical difference in the nature of hair. "Raven tresses" require more time than "flaxen locks;" the sensitiveness of the skin has also to be considered. A small feather is a very good test for its action.
A few readers will, perhaps, be disappointed in finding that I have only given one formula for depilatory. The receipts might easily have been increased in number, but not in quality. The use of arsenical compounds is objectionable, but it undoubtedly increases the depilating action of the compounds. A few compilers of "Receipt Books," "Supplements to Pharmacopœias," and others, add to the lime "charcoal powder," "carbonate of potass," "starch," &c.; but what action have these materials—chemically—upon hair? The simplest depilatory is moistened quicklime, but it is less energetic than the mixture recommended above; it answers very well for tanners and fellmongers, with whom time is no object.
SECTION XIV.ABSORBENT POWDERS.
A lady's toilet-table is incomplete without a box of some absorbent powder; indeed, from our earliest infancy, powder is used for drying the skin with the greatest benefit; no wonder that its use is continued in advanced years, if, by slight modifications in its composition, it can be employed not only as an absorbent, but as a means of "personal adornment." We are quite within limits in stating that many ton-weights of such powders are used in this country annually. They are principally composed of various starches, prepared from wheat, potatoes, and various nuts, mixed more or less with powdered talc—of Haüy, steatite (soap-stone), French chalk, oxide of bismuth, and oxide of zinc, &c. The most popular is what is termed
Plain or Unscented Hair Powder
Rose Face Powder.
Wheat starch, 7 lbs.
The use of a white paint by actresses and dancers, is absolutely necessary; great exertion produces a florid complexion, which is incompatible with certain scenic effects, and requires a cosmetic to subdue it.
Madame V——, during her stage career, has probably consumed more than half a hundredweight of oxide of bismuth, prepared thus:—
These preparations are in demand, not only for theatrical use, but by private individuals. Various shades of color are made, to suit the complexions of the blonde and brunette. One of the best kind is that termed
Bloom of Roses.
Place the carmine into a pint bottle, and pour on it the ammonia; allow them to remain together, with occasional agitation, for two days; then add the rose-water and esprit, and well mix. Place the bottle in a quiet situation for a week; any precipitate of impurities from the carmine will subside; the supernatant "Bloom of Roses" is then to be bottled for sale. If the carmine was perfectly pure there would be no precipitate; nearly all the carmine purchased from the makers is more or less sophisticated, its enormous price being a premium to its adulteration.
Carmine cannot be manufactured profitably on a small scale for commercial purposes; four or five manufacturers supply the whole of Europe! M. Titard, Rue Grenier St. Lazare, Paris, produces, without doubt, the finest article; singular enough, however, the principal operative in the establishment is an old Englishman.
"The preparation of the finest carmine is still a mystery, because, on the one hand, its consumption being very limited, few persons are engaged in its manufacture, and, upon the other, the raw material being costly, extensive experiments on it cannot be conveniently made."—Dr. Ure.
In the Encyclopédie Roret will be found no less than a dozen recipes for preparing carmine; the number of formulæ will convince the most superficial reader that the true form is yet withheld.
Analysis has taught us its exact composition; but a certain dexterity of manipulation and proper temperature are indispensable to complete success.
Are prepared of different shades by mixing fine carmine with talc powder, in different proportions, say, one drachm of carmine to two ounces of talc, or one of carmine to three of talc, and so on. These rouges are sold in powder, and also in cake or china pots; for the latter the rouge is mixed with a minute portion of solution of gum tragacanth. M. Titard prepares a great variety of rouges. In some instances the coloring-matter of the cochineal is spread upon thick paper and dried very gradually; it then assumes a beautiful green tint. This curious optical effect is also observed in "pink saucers." What is known as Chinese book rouge is evidently made in the same way, and has been imported into this country for many years.
WSources
eBook of The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plantshen the bronze green cards are moistened with a piece of damp cotton wool, and applied to the lips or cheeks, the color assumes a beautiful rosy hue. Common sorts of rouge, called "theatre rouge," are made from the Brazil-wood lake; another kind is derived from the safflower (Carthamus tinctorius); from this plant also is made
Pink Saucers.
The safflower is washed in water until the yellow coloring-matter is removed; the carthamine or color principle is then dissolved out by a weak solution of carbonate of soda; the coloring is then precipitated into the saucers by the addition of sulphuric acid to the solution.
Cotton wool and crape being colored in the same way are used for the same purpose, the former being sold as Spanish wool, the latter as Crépon rouge.
Sources
eBook of The Art of Perfumery, and Methods of Obtaining the Odors of Plants
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