i.; BKAUTY
- vith trying various experiments in order
to find a treatment which might, if she were lucky, prove of use. And as often as not she kept the secret of her success, when she once found it, in the same private cell of her memory as the name of her best dressmaker. We all prefer to be called natural rather than artful. All this is altered now. If your com- plexion is not what you would like, be sure there is somewhere a treatment suitable to your case, and all you need to do is to Submit yourself to a sharp, severe, and im- partial self-observation. This advice, however, is given only to be avoided. The self-conscious person is ner- vous, and requires open-air exercise, plain and nutritious diet, and health-treatment generally. It is not yet fully realised how closely connected are ailments of the nerves and ailments of the skin. If you are pale, of weak and capricious appetite, if you sleep lightly and insufficiently, and are subject to head- aches and irritability, suspect "nerves," and get your doctor to prescribe. He will probably give you iron. A bad complexion is caused also by indigestion, but, again, indigestion is often the result of poor nerves. Bromide of po- tassium, iodide of potassium, sulphate of quinine, and preparations of iodine — these things are as charms in the hands of a sympathetic medical man, to whom resort should be had before beginning outward treatment of the skin. A General Surve> A blonde skin wears better than a brunette, and does not appear to be so subject to blackheads. The brunette skin, however, is coarser and thicker. It endures heat better than does a blonde. The blonde is, when out of order, likely to become dry, so that it cracks and chaps in cold weather, and becomes red and irritated in hot. The brunette's great trouble is greasiness. Both dryness of the skin and greasiness, opposite effects as they are, are due to the same cause — to disturbances in the action of the innumerable sebaceous glands which secrete the fatty matter meant for the nutrition of the skin and the hair. To obtain a bright, clear complexion (and a good head of hair) great attention must be paid to the action of the pores. Black specks and red blotches are both outward and visible signs of inward derangement. Sulphur is one of the first of complexion medicines. A well-known doctor recom- mended two teaspoonfuls of flowers of sulphur mixed in a teacupful of cold or shghtly warmed milk. Mix smoothly and take fasting, an hour before breakfast. Another form is 10-20 grains of sulprtiur mixed with marmalade, or i-ioth grain of sulphide of calcium, to be taken three times a day. Sulphur soap and sulphur ointment are still the best outward remedies, when they are used in connection with massage. There is no doubt that a skin properly massaged two or three times a week must become clear, healthy, firm, and young- looking, since ma.ssage puts it, and then keeps it, in good working order. 9 The Rij^ht Way to Matsnge The right way to massage is with your hands, two instruments infinitely superior to any to be bought. The right time is at night, just before retiring. Fill a basiu with boiling water, hold the face over it, and by enveloping head and basin within a towel thrown over the whole you form a little cabinet in which " steam- ing " is carried out perfectly. Steaming opens the pores and releases the stagnant matter which is making your complexion muddy. (Unless blackheads are very conspicuous, they should not be pressed out either with the fingers or a watch-key, because such pressure tends to set up an equally disagreeable irritation.) Dry the skin with a fairly rough towel and rub it gently till it glows. Then massage with any good cold-cream, such as the following : Pure white wax . . . . i ounce Spermaceti 2 ounces Almond oil J pint Mix together by gentle heat in a glazed earthenware pot, then add : Glycerine 3 ounces Otto of roses 12 drops Stir till nearly cold, then let the mixture settle. To massage, use the tips of the fingers gently but firmly, and in a circular move- ment over the affected parts on chin and forehead, and with a straight sweep from nose to ears over the affected parts round the nose. This movement helps at the same time to counteract the ugly line which forms in time from the corners of the nose to the mouth. Generally speaking, massage for tonic effect is in circular movements, and for the removal of wrinkles across the hne. Where there are spots which are inflamed or full of matter the following lotion is useful, and is to be used finally before going to bed : Sulphur praecip. Calamin praep. . Aquae Rosae Aquae Calcis 2 drachms ^ ounce 5 5 Most skins will, after this treatment, require the application of an astringent lotion to be applied in the morning. Rain- water and bran- water are simple and nice. To he contintud in Part 2 of Every Woman's ENCYCIOP/EDIA.
