Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-30
FINE COMPLEXIONS.
CONSIDERATION OF A MATTER IN
TERESTING TO LADIES.
Efforts. False and Correct. to Make the
Skin Bea uI- Foolish Practices That
Do More Harm Than Good-Clear, Soft
Water the Best of All.


Skin Bea1tifuI-Fooiisb Practices That
Do More Harm Than Good-Ciear, Soft
Water the Best of All.
or all the gifts that 60 to the making up of
beauty, nothing catches the eve so distinct
lively and instantaneously as the clear red and
white tints that render the most ordinary
face an Attractive one. The lack of at least a
good compile xion dims all other beauties, and
with coarse or dingy skin the most perfect
Greclan profile excites no admiration
Therefore 1t is that from the beginning of
history women have resorted to all sorts of
devises for improving their compilations, from
the pleasant and luxurious milk bath to the
repulsive application of raw veal, and the dis
comfort of masks and poultices. Many of
these devices sound anything but cleanly; yet
the end to ba attained was deemed worthy Of
any Inconvenience or suffering
The constant and perseveriug use of water
only, had these ancient danes but known it,
would have Effected the desired transforma
ton far more thoroughly; but fixed article
OF belief with them IN securing a good com
pleXion was to abstain from washing the face
This idea is said by keen writer to have had
some grains of sense in it, as, when the dogma
prevailed, bathing the body was not practised
to any extent, and had the face alone been
favored with abiutions the unclogged pores
would speedily have brought to the surface
the impurities that should have escaped
through the numerous outlets kept in work
ing order by the daily bath.
JUST A LITTLE SOAP
This error prevailed a long time ago. but
even now traditional woman somebody's
grandmother or great grandmother, who
must have had something feline in her ma.
ture, is brought to the front with her bit of
flannel, which she never even dampened,
merely polishing Off her pretty face with it
every morning; and because of this habit
we say in spite of it-she had u complexion
of lilies and roses
1t is quite possible to 60 TO the other ex-
treme, and utterly ruin the skin with soap
and water. A handsome brunette declared
that she owed her rich clear coloring and
satin texture to liberal use of common
brown soap; but as this soap is the coarsest
and strongest of allai preparations, nature
had probably been extra generous in this
case, and given q complexion that remained
beautiful in spite of the most ignorant at
temptS to spoil it. Twice q week is often
enough for the use of soap, which should be
of the purest and most delicate kind and
just before retiring is the hest time to ap-
ply it.
A lady who retained her fine, fresh com
plexion as long rs she lived, which was some
years over 40, always washed her face at
night with very warm water, using white
CASTLE soap once or twice week Her hands
did the worl; of a wash rag and the soap was
rinsed off with soft sponge. The complexion
should never be exposed to the outside air
nor TO the fire within an hour after washing
and the sam5 time should elapse after q walk
or drive before applying water to the face.
1t should at all times be protected from wind
and sun by L veil, the thicker the better, and
green and gray are the best colors to USE as
blue draws the sun and causes freckles
Sleeping in mask can scarcely be called
comfortable proceeding, but it is said to be
marvellous whitener of the complexion, and
two or three hundred years ago it was in
common use among the French court ladies.
The fashion mas been revived in the cosmetic
masks SO often advertised, and used with
very powerful applications. But soft water
and a CLOSELY fitted face covering of quilted
cotton or chamois skin are more eflicacious
than these elaborate and expensive appli-
ances, and they are certainly harmless.
EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL TREATMENTS.
A clear, fresh complexion gives look OF
cleanliness 20 the person possessing it, and
the practice of cleanliness will best accom-
pllsh this result, as there Is no beautifier
equal to the daily tepid bath But any water
will not do and hard water is almost worse
than none. If not naturally soft, it should
be made sc with ammonia or boraX That
wonderful old lady, Diana of Poitiers, who
persisted in being beautiful at such an un-
reasonable sc, is said to have used no COS
metic but daily bath of rain water. This
is q wonderful preserver and freShener Of tie
complexion, but at the present day it is
somewhat inaccessible remedy A handful
of bran to a basin of water has a very cleans
ing and softening effect, and oatmeal is
equally good.
The nncicft Egyptian women of the higher
class, whose compilations were of rose leaf
texture and coloring, bathed not only daily,
but almost hourly, and never wore their linen
a second time without washing. As frequent
a change OF underclothing as possible is a
decided heautifier of the complexion, and this
luxury, once indulged in, is not easily given
up. Diluted lotos water was the favorite
bath in the land of the pyramids, but our
own Florida and rose waters are considered
even better
A salt bath, too, is excellent; and it is not
necessary to 60 to the sea shore for it, as
few cents worth of rock salt will supply the
luxury for a month. A good sized lump dis
solved in u basin OF water is all that Is needed
for single application. Besides invigorating
the system, this bath is said to freshen the
complexion and restore the appearance of
youthfulnes One certainly feels goodn
after it.
Many simple purifiers, greatly in vogue two
generations ago, when cosmetics were con-
sidered sinful" have lost none of their active
virtues. Among these old fashioned remedies
tablespoonful of sulphur, with as much
molasses as IS needed to mix if, taken every
other morning for q week; and then, with an
interval of three days, resumed again for an-
other week, has quite a magical effect on
muddy or eruptive skin. Cream of tartar l.
also good; milk, if it does not disagree with
the stomach is a very beautifying beverage;
and grape juice, pure and simple, gives the
loveliest of tints, because it makes the purest
blood.
A glass of hot water. as near the boiling
point as can bc tolerated, taken about an hour
before each meal, helps greatly to keep the
complexion order: and half lemon may
be added if desired, but no sugar. Powdered
charcoal is often eflcacious. teaspoonful
mixed with water should he taken three
nights in succession, and then followed by
citrate OF magnesia to remove it from the
system.
Prevention, however, is always better than
cure; and proper or improper diet is sure to
tell upon the complexion --Harpers Bazaar.
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New Method of Sinking Shafts.
The old ms thod Of sinking wells OF shafts by
a wooden crib surInounted by masonry is
u