The Toilet.
To appear at all times neat, clean and tidy, is demanded of every
well-bred person. The dress may be plain, rich or extravagant, but there
must be a neatness and cleanliness of the person. Whether a lady is
possessed of few or many personal attractions, it is her duty at all
times to appear tidy and clean, and to make herself as comely and
attractive as circumstances and surroundings will permit. The same may
be said of a gentleman. If a gentleman calls upon a lady, his duty and
his respect for her demand that he shall appear not only in good
clothes, but with well combed hair, exquisitely clean hands, well
trimmed beard or cleanly shaven face, while the lady will not show
herself in an untidy dress, or disheveled hair. They should appear at
their best.
Upon the minor details of the toilet depend, in a great degree, the
health, not to say the beauty, of the individual. In fact the highest
state of health is equivalent to the highest degree of beauty of which
the individual is capable.
PERFUMES.
Perfumes, if used at all, should be used in the strictest moderation,
and be of the most _recherche_ kind. Musk and patchouli should always be
avoided, as, to many people of sensitive temperament, their odor is
exceedingly disagreeable. Cologne water of the best quality is never
offensive.
THE BATH.
Cleanliness is the outward sign of inward purity. Cleanliness of the
person is health, and health is beauty. The bath is consequently a very
important means of preserving the health and enhancing the beauty. It is
not to be supposed that we bathe simply to become clean, but because we
wish to remain clean. Cold water refreshes and invigorates, but does not
cleanse, and persons who daily use a sponge bath in the morning, should
frequently use a warm one, of from ninety-six to one hundred degrees
Fahrenheit for cleansing purposes. When a plunge bath is taken, the
safest temperature is from eighty to ninety degrees, which answers the
purposes of both cleansing and refreshing. Soap should be plentifully
used, and the fleshbrush applied vigorously, drying with a coarse
Turkish towel. Nothing improves the complexion like the daily use of the
fleshbrush, with early rising and exercise in the open air.
In many houses, in large cities, there is a separate bath-room, with hot
and cold water, but in smaller places and country houses this
convenience is not to be found. A substitute for the bath-room is a
large piece of oil-cloth, which can be laid upon the floor of an
ordinary dressing-room. Upon this may be placed the bath tub or basin,
or a person may use it to stand upon while taking a sponge bath. The
various kinds of baths, both hot and cold, are the shower bath, the
douche, the hip bath and the sponge bath.
The shower bath can only be endured by the most vigorous constitutions,
and therefore cannot be recommended for indiscriminate use.
A douche or hip bath may be taken every morning, with the temperature of
the water suited to the endurance of the individual. In summer a sponge
bath may be taken upon retiring. Once a week a warm bath, at from ninety
to one hundred degrees, may be taken, with plenty of soap, in order to
thoroughly cleanse the pores of the skin. Rough towels should be
vigorously used after these baths, not only to remove the impurities of
the skin but for the beneficial friction which will send a glow over the
whole body. The hair glove or flesh brush may be used to advantage in
the bath before the towel is applied.
THE TEETH.
The teeth should be carefully brushed with a hard brush after each meal,
and also on retiring at night. Use the brush so that not only the
outside of the teeth becomes white, but the inside also. After the
brush is used plunge it two or three times into a glass of water, then
rub it quite dry on a towel.
Use tooth-washes or powders very sparingly. Castile soap used once a
day, with frequent brushings with pure water and a brush, cannot fail to
keep the teeth clean and white, unless they are disfigured and destroyed
by other bad habits, such as the use of tobacco, or too hot or too cold
drinks.
DECAYED TEETH.
On the slightest appearance of decay or tendency to accumulate tartar,
go at once to the dentist. If a dark spot appearing under the enamel is
neglected, it will eat in until the tooth is eventually destroyed. A
dentist seeing the tooth in its first stage, will remove the decayed
part and plug the cavity in a proper manner.
TARTAR ON THE TEETH.
Tartar is not so easily dealt with, but it requires equally early
attention. It results from an impaired state of the general health, and
assumes the form of a yellowish concretion on the teeth and gums. At
first it is possible to keep it down by a repeated and vigorous use of
the tooth brush; but if a firm, solid mass accumulates, it is necessary
to have it chipped off by a dentist. Unfortunately, too, by that time it
will probably have begun to loosen and destroy the teeth on which it
fixes, and is pretty certain to have produced one obnoxious effect--that
of tainting the breath. Washing the teeth with vinegar when the brush
is used has been recommended as a means of removing tartar.
Tenderness of the gums, to which some persons are subject, may sometimes
be met by the use of salt and water, but it is well to rinse the mouth
frequently with water with a few drops of tincture of myrrh in it.
FOUL BREATH.
Foul breath, unless caused by neglected teeth, indicates a deranged
state of the system. When it is occasioned by the teeth or other local
case, use a gargle consisting of a spoonful of solution of chloride of
lime in half a tumbler of water. Gentlemen smoking, and thus tainting
the breath, may be glad to know that the common parsley has a peculiar
effect in removing the odor of tobacco.
THE SKIN.
Beauty and health of the skin can only be obtained by perfect
cleanliness of the entire person, an avoidance of all cosmetics, added
to proper diet, correct habits and early habits of rising and exercise.
The skin must be thoroughly washed, occasionally with warm water and
soap, to remove the oily exudations on its surface. If any unpleasant
sensations are experienced after the use of soap, they may be
immediately removed by rinsing the surface with water to which a little
lemon juice or vinegar has been added.
PRESERVING A YOUTHFUL COMPLEXION.
The following rules may be given for the preservation of a youthful
complexion: Rise early and go to bed early. Take plenty of exercise. Use
plenty of cold water and good soap frequently. Be moderate in eating and
drinking. Do not lace. Avoid as much as possible the vitiated atmosphere
of crowded assemblies. Shun cosmetics and washes for the skin. The
latter dry the skin, and only defeat the end they are supposed to have
in view.
MOLES.
Moles are frequently a great disfigurement to the face, but they should
not be tampered with in any way. The only safe and certain mode of
getting rid of moles is by a surgical operation.
FRECKLES.
Freckles are of two kinds. Those occasioned by exposure to the sunshine,
and consequently evanescent, are denominated "summer freckles;" those
which are constitutional and permanent are called "cold freckles." With
regard to the latter, it is impossible to give any advice which will be
of value. They result from causes not to be affected by mere external
applications. Summer freckles are not so difficult to deal with, and
with a little care the skin may be kept free from this cause of
disfigurement. Some skins are so delicate that they become freckled on
the slightest exposure to open air in summer. The cause assigned for
this is that the iron in the blood, forming a junction with the oxygen,
leaves a rusty mark where the junction takes place. We give in their
appropriate places some recipes for removing these latter freckles from
the face.
OTHER DISCOLORATIONS.
There are various other discolorations of the skin, proceeding
frequently from derangement of the system. The cause should always be
discovered before attempting a remedy; otherwise you may aggravate the
complaint rather than cure it.
THE EYES.
Beautiful eyes are the gift of Nature, and can owe little to the toilet.
As in the eye consists much of the expression of the face, therefore it
should be borne in mind that those who would have their eyes bear a
pleasing expression must cultivate pleasing traits of character and
beautify the soul, and then this beautiful soul will look through its
natural windows.
Never tamper with the eyes. There is danger of destroying them. All
daubing or dyeing of the lids is foolish and vulgar.
SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS.
Short-sightedness is not always a natural defect. It may be acquired by
bad habits in youth. A short-sighted person should supply himself with
glasses exactly adapted to his wants; but it is well not to use these
glasses too constantly, as, even when they perfectly fit the eye, they
really tend to shorten the sight. Unless one is very short-sighted, it
is best to keep the glasses for occasional use, and trust ordinarily to
the unaided eye. Parents and teachers should watch their children and
see that they do not acquire the habit of holding their books too close
to their eyes, and thus injure their sight.
SQUINT-EYES AND CROSS-EYES.
Parents should also be careful that their children do not become squint
or cross-eyed through any carelessness. A child's hair hanging down
loosely over its eyes, or a bonnet projecting too far over them, or a
loose ribbon or tape fluttering over the forehead, is sometimes
sufficient to direct the sight irregularly until it becomes permanently
crossed.
THE EYELASHES AND EYEBROWS.
A beautiful eyelash is an important adjunct to the eye. The lashes may
be lengthened by trimming them occasionally in childhood. Care should be
taken that this trimming is done neatly and evenly, and especially that
the points of the scissors do not penetrate the eye. The eyebrows may be
brushed carefully in the direction in which they should lie. In general,
it is in exceeding bad taste to dye either lashes or brows, for it
usually brings them into disharmony with the hair and features. There
are cases, however, when the beauty of an otherwise fine countenance is
utterly ruined by white lashes and brows. In such cases one can hardly
be blamed if India ink is resorted to to give them the desired color.
Never shave the brows. It adds to their beauty in no way, and may result
in an irregular growth of new hair.
TAKE CARE OF THE EYES.
The utmost care should be taken of the eyes. They should never be
strained in an imperfect light, whether that of shrouded daylight,
twilight or flickering lamp or candle-light. Many persons have an idea
that an habitually dark room is best for the eyes. On the contrary, it
weakens them and renders them permanently unable to bear the light of
the sun. Our eyes were naturally designed to endure the broad light of
day, and the nearer we approach to this in our houses, the stronger will
be our eyes and the longer will we retain our sight.
EYEBROWS MEETING.
Some persons have the eyebrows meeting over the nose. This is usually
considered a disfigurement, but there is no remedy for it. It may be a
consolation for such people to know that the ancients admired this style
of eyebrows, and that Michael Angelo possessed it. It is useless to
pluck out the uniting hairs; and if a depilatory is applied, a mark like
that of a scar left from a burn remains, and is more disfiguring than
the hair.
INFLAMED EYES.
If the lids of the eyes become inflamed and scaly, do not seek to remove
the scales roughly, for they will bring the lashes with them. Apply at
night a little cold cream to the edges of the closed eyelids, and wash
them in the morning with lukewarm milk and water. It is well to have on
the toilet-table a remedy for inflamed eyes. Spermaceti ointment is
simple and well adapted to this purpose. Apply at night, and wash off
with rose-water in the morning. There is a simple lotion made by
dissolving a very small piece of alum and a piece of lump-sugar of the
same size in a quart of water; put the ingredients into the water cold
and let them simmer. Bathe the eyes frequently with it.
THE STY.
A sty in the eye is irritating and disfiguring. Bathe with warm water;
at night apply a bread-and-milk poultice. When a white head forms, prick
it with a fine needle. Should the inflammation be obstinate, a little
citrine ointment may be applied, care being taken that it does not get
into the eye.
THE HAIR.
There is nothing that so adds to the charm of an individual, especially
a lady, as a good head of hair. The skin of the head requires even more
tenderness and cleanliness than any other portion of the body, and is
capable of being irritated by disease. The hair should be brushed
carefully. The brush should be of moderate hardness, not too hard. The
hair should be separated, in order that the head itself may be well
brushed, as by doing so the scurf is removed, and that is most
essential, as it is not only unpleasant and unsightly, but if suffered
to remain it becomes saturated with perspiration, and tends to weaken
the roots of the hair, so that it is easily pulled out. In brushing or
combing, begin at the extreme points, and in combing, hold the portion
of hair just above that through which the comb is passing, firmly
between the first and second fingers, so that if it is entangled it may
drag from that point, and not from the roots. The finest head of hair
may be spoiled by the practice of plunging the comb into it high up and
dragging it in a reckless manner. Short, loose, broken hairs are thus
created, and become very troublesome.
THE USE OF HAIR OILS.
Do not plaster the hair with oil or pomatum. A white, concrete oil
pertains naturally to the covering of the human head, but some persons
have it in more abundance than others. Those whose hair is glossy and
shining need nothing to render it so; but when the hair is harsh, poor
and dry, artificial lubrication is necessary. Persons who perspire
freely, or who accumulate scurf rapidly, require it also. Nothing is
simpler or better in the way of oil than pure, unscented salad oil, and
in the way of a pomatum, bear's grease is as pleasant as anything. Apply
either with the hands, or keep a soft brush for the purpose, but take
care not to use the oil too freely. An overoiled head of hair is vulgar
and offensive. So are scents of any kind in the oil applied to the hair.
It is well also to keep a piece of flannel with which to rub the hair at
night after brushing it, in order to remove the oil before laying the
head upon the pillow.
Vinegar and water form a good wash for the roots of the hair. Ammonia
diluted in water is still better.
The hair-brush should be frequently washed in diluted ammonia.
For removing scurf, glycerine, diluted with a little rose-water, will be
found of service. Any preparation of rosemary forms an agreeable and
highly cleansing wash. The yolk of an egg beaten up in warm water is an
excellent application to the scalp. Many heads of hair require nothing
more in the way of wash than soap and water. Beware of letting the hair
grow too long, as the points are apt to weaken and split. It is well to
have the ends clipped off once a month.
Young girls should wear their hair cut short until they are grown up, if
they would have it then in its best condition.
DYEING THE HAIR.
A serious objection to dyeing the hair is that it is almost impossible
to give the hair a tint which harmonizes with the complexion. If the
hair begins to change early, and the color goes in patches, procure from
the druggist's a preparation of the husk of the walnut water of _eau
crayon_. This will, by daily application, darken the tint of the hair
without actually dyeing it. When the change of color has gone on to any
great extent, it is better to abandon the application and put up with
the change, which, in nine cases out of ten, will be in accordance with
the change of the face. Indeed, there is nothing more beautiful than
soft, white hair worn in bands or clustering curls about the face. The
walnut water may be used for toning down too red hair.
BALDNESS.
Gentlemen are more liable to baldness than ladies, owing, no doubt, to
the use of the close hat, which confines and overheats the head. If the
hair is found to be falling out, the first thing to do is to look to the
hat and see that it is light and thoroughly ventilated. There is no
greater enemy to the hair than the silk dress-hat. It is best to lay
this hat aside altogether and adopt a light felt or straw in its place.
Long, flowing hair on a man is not in good taste, and will indicate him
to the observer as a person of unbalanced mind and unpleasantly erratic
character--a man, in brief, who seeks to impress others with the fact
that he is eccentric, something which a really eccentric person never
attempts.
THE BEARD.
Those who shave should be careful to do so every morning. Nothing looks
worse than a shabby beard. Some persons whose beards are strong should
shave twice a day, especially if they are going to a party in the
evening.
The style of the growth of the beard should be governed by the character
of the face. But whatever the style be, the great point is to keep it
well brushed and trimmed, and to avoid any appearance of wildness or
inattention. The full, flowing beard of course requires more looking
after in the way of cleanliness, than any other. It should be thoroughly
washed and brushed at least twice a day, as dust is sure to accumulate
in it, and it is very easy to suffer it to become objectionable to one's
self as well as to others. If it is naturally glossy, it is better to
avoid the use of oil or pomatum. The moustache should be worn neatly and
not over-large. There is nothing that so adds to native manliness as the
full beard if carefully and neatly kept.
THE HAND.
The beautiful hand is long and slender, with tapering fingers and pink,
filbert-shaped nails. The hand to be in proper proportion to the rest of
the body, should be as long as from the point of the chin to the edge of
the hair on the forehead.
The hands should be kept scrupulously clean, and therefore should be
very frequently washed--not merely rinsed in soap and water, but
thoroughly lathered, and scrubbed with a soft nail-brush. In cold
weather the use of lukewarm water is unobjectionable, after which the
hands should be dipped into cold water and very carefully dried on a
fine towel.
Be careful always to dry the hands thoroughly, and rub them briskly for
some time afterward. When this is not sufficiently attended to in cold
weather, the hands chap and crack. When this occurs, rub a few drops of
honey over them when dry, or anoint them with cold cream or glycerine
before going to bed.
CHAPPED HANDS.
As cold weather is the usual cause of chapped hands, so the winter
season brings with it a cure for them. A thorough washing in snow and
soap will cure the worst case of chapped hands, and leave them
beautifully soft.
TO MAKE THE HANDS WHITE AND DELICATE.
Should you wish to make your hands white and delicate, you might wash
them in milk and water for a day or two. On retiring to rest, rub them
well over with some palm oil and put on a pair of woolen gloves. The
hands should be thoroughly washed with hot water and soap the next
morning, and a pair of soft leather gloves worn during the day. They
should be frequently rubbed together to promote circulation. Sunburnt
hands may be washed in lime-water or lemon-juice.
TREATMENT OF WARTS.
Warts, which are more common with young people than with adults, are
very unsightly, and are sometimes very difficult to get rid of. The best
plan is to buy a stick of lunar caustic, which is sold in a holder and
case at the druggist's for the purpose, dip it in water, and touch the
wart every morning and evening, care being taken to cut away the
withered skin before repeating the operation. A still better plan is to
apply acetic acid gently once a day with a camel's hair pencil to the
summit of the wart. Care should be taken not to allow this acid to touch
any of the surrounding skin; to prevent this the finger or hand at the
base of the wart may be covered with wax during the operation.
THE NAILS.
Nothing is so repulsive as to see a lady or gentleman, however well
dressed they may otherwise be, with unclean nails. It always results
from carelessness and inattention to the minor details of the toilet,
which is most reprehensible. The nails should be cut about once a
week--certainly not oftener. This should be accomplished just after
washing, the nail being softer at such a time. Care should be taken not
to cut them too short, though, if they are left too long, they will
frequently get torn and broken. They should be nicely rounded at the
corners. Recollect the filbert-shaped nail is considered the most
beautiful. Never bite the nails; it not only is a most disagreeable
habit, but tends to make the nails jagged, deformed and difficult to
clean, besides gives a red and stumpy appearance to the finger-tips.
Some persons are troubled by the cuticle adhering to the nail as it
grows. This may be pressed down by the towel after washing; or should
that not prove efficacious, it must be loosened round the edge with some
blunt instrument. On no account scrape the nails with a view to
polishing their surface. Such an operation only tends to make them
wrinkled.
Absolute smallness of hand is not essential to beauty, which requires
that the proper proportions should be observed in the human figure. With
proper care the hand may be retained beautiful, soft and shapely, and
yet perform its fair share of labor. The hands should always be
protected by gloves when engaged in work calculated to injure them.
Gloves are imperatively required for garden-work. The hands should
always be washed carefully and dried thoroughly after such labor. If
they are roughened by soap, rinse them in a little vinegar or
lemon-juice, and they will become soft and smooth at once.
REMEDY FOR MOIST HANDS.
People afflicted with moist hands should revolutionize their habits,
take more out-door exercise and more frequent baths. They should adopt a
nutritious but not over-stimulating diet, and perhaps take a tonic of
some sort. Local applications of starch-powder and the juice of lemon
may be used to advantage.
THE FEET.
A well formed foot is broad at the sole, the toes well spread, each
separate toe perfect and rounded in form. The nails are regular and
perfect in shape as those of the fingers. The second toe projects a
little beyond the others, and the first, or big toe, stands slightly
apart from the rest and is slightly lifted. The feet, from the
circumstance of their being so much confined by boots and shoes, require
more care in washing than the rest of the body. Yet they do not always
get this care. The hands receive frequent washings every day. Once a
week is quite as often as many people can bestow the same attention upon
their feet. A tepid bath at about 80 or 90 degrees, should be used. The
feet may remain in the water about five minutes, and the instant they
are taken out they should be rapidly and thoroughly dried by being well
rubbed with a coarse towel. Sometimes bran is used in the water. Few
things are more invigorating and refreshing after a long walk, or
getting wet in the feet, than a tepid foot-bath, clean stockings and a
pair of easy shoes. After the bath is the time for paring the toe-nails,
as they are so much softer and more pliant after having been immersed in
warm water.
TREATMENT FOR MOIST OR DAMP FEET.
Some persons are troubled with moist or damp feet. This complaint arises
more particularly during the hot weather in summer-time, and the
greatest care and cleanliness should be exercised in respect to it.
Persons so afflicted should wash their feet twice a day in soap and warm
water, after which they should put on clean socks. Should this fail to
cure, they may, after being washed as above, be rinsed, and then
thoroughly rubbed with a mixture consisting of half a pint of warm water
and three tablespoonfuls of concentrated solution of chloride of soda.
BLISTERS ON THE FEET.
People who walk much are frequently afflicted with blisters. The best
preventative of these is to have easy, well-fitting boots and woolen
socks. Should blisters occur, a very good plan is to pass a large
darning-needle threaded with worsted through the blister lengthwise,
leaving an inch or so of the thread outside at each end. This keeps the
scurf-skin close to the true skin, and prevents any grit or dirt
entering. The thread absorbs the matter, and the old skin remains until
the new one grows. A blister should not be punctured save in this
manner, as it may degenerate into a sore and become very troublesome.
CHILBLAINS.
To avoid chilblains on the feet it is necessary to observe three rules:
1. Avoid getting the feet wet; if they become so, change the shoes and
stockings at once. 2. Wear lamb's wool socks or stockings. 3. Never
under any circumstances "toast your toes" before the fire, especially if
you are very cold. Frequent bathing of the feet in a strong solution of
alum is useful in preventing the coming of chilblains. On the first
indication of any redness of the toes and sensation of itching it would
be well to rub them carefully with warm spirits of rosemary, to which a
little turpentine has been added. Then a piece of lint soaked in
camphorated spirits, opodeldoc or camphor liniment may be applied and
retained on the part. Should the chilblain break, dress it twice daily
with a plaster of equal parts of lard and beeswax, with half the
quantity in weight of oil of turpentine.
THE TOE NAILS.
The toe-nails do not grow so fast as the finger-nails, but they should
be looked after and trimmed at least once a fortnight. They are much
more subject to irregularity of growth than the finger-nails, owing to
their confined position. If the nails show a tendency to grow in at the
sides, the feet should be bathed in hot water, pieces of lint introduced
beneath the parts with an inward tendency, and the nail itself scraped
longitudinally.
Pare the toe-nails squarer than those of the fingers. Keep them a
moderate length--long enough to protect the toe, but not so long as to
cut holes in the stockings. Always cut the nails; never tear them, as is
too frequently the practice. Be careful not to destroy the spongy
substance below the nails, as that is the great guard to prevent them
going into the quick.
CORNS.
It is tolerably safe to say that those who wear loose, easy-fitting
shoes and boots will never be troubled with corns. Some people are more
liable to corns than others, and some will persist in the use of
tightly-fitting shoes in spite of corns.
HOW TO HAVE SHOES MADE.
The great fault with modern shoes is that their soles are made too
narrow. If one would secure perfect healthfulness of the feet, he should
go to the shoemaker and step with his stockinged feet on a sheet of
paper. Let the shoemaker mark with a pencil upon the paper the exact
size of his foot, and then make him a shoe whose sole shall be as broad
as this outlined foot.
Still more destructive of the beauty and symmetry of our women's feet
have been the high, narrow heels so much worn lately. They make it
difficult to walk, and even in some cases permanently cripple the feet.
A shoe, to be comfortable, should have a broad sole and a heel of
moderate height, say one-half an inch, as broad at the bottom as at the
top.
[Illustration]