The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-02-05
A BEAUTIFUL COMPLEXION
How to Get and Keep lt-Sunshine
and Fresh Air Essential.

| heard a bright little woman say
the other day that If she had to
choose between all the gifts OF beauty
she would choose a beautiful com
J plexion. And most people would
think as she did; for no matter how
regular the features, how lovely the
teeth. hair or eyes may be. a lovelier
thing than any of them is a beautiful
complexion. Some are born with a
| good skin, some acquire 1t. OF the
latter-the vast majority-let us
speak. Every woman who Is a
womanly woman, naturally takes
great ain to make herself appear as
well as possible; TO make the most
of such good looks as she has-to
foster and carefully cultivate
such as she may have developed.
These u~ndeveloped good looks may
afterwards prove the greatest and
best. Some wonen foolishly think
that, aside from being a waste OF
time, nothing but vanity can prompt
any one to care whether her hand can
be made a little softer or her hair OF
glossier sheen, and that with cieanll-
ness and neatness her duty ends. And
SO IL UOtS. diiiONtt hht AOt 1AAe|f ~
all time spent upon the little beauti-
fying touches Will be tenfold paid for
by the extra admiration of ones dear
ones. Admiration must of necessity
be spontaneous, and cannot come
from duty or love alone, though one
may be OF the homeliest, and yet be
thought beautiful by ones family, for
great rs the power OF love; still, these
same dear mes will be the first to no
tice and admire any little added
charms and graces.
OF all the beauties a woman-and a
plain one especially-should court,
that OF a beautiful skin is first. A
beautiful skin ean a healthy one;
tor though a healthy person may have
q poor complexion, it is very seldom,
il ever, that i'll health and a good
complexion are found together. Cen
eral good health, absolute cleanliness,
plenty OF outdoor exercise and plenty
OF good, nourishing food are absolute
ly necessary to begin with. Any II
inclined to be too pimply should avoid
too rich food, pastry and meats espec-
tally. What is harmful for one skin
may not injure another; for coffee
makes some skins sallow and muddy,
while some inveterate coffee drinkers
have fair, rosy compilations. AS far
as diet is concerned every one must
learn to be, from experience, a judge
unto mes self.
All, except very delicate people,
should take every day throughout the
year a sponge bath, to be varied in
length and intensity according to the
persons Judgment. While it is true
that Turkish or steam baths taken
too often are facilitating, and that
few a endure a cold plunge bath
every day, it is tru that a daily bath
in tepid water, followed by brisk rub
bling, is indispensable for the pro-
motion of health and beauty in every
one. Few people realize the beneficial
effects produced upon the skin by
rubbing. Nothing will give such
color and softness to the skin as the
use of flesh brushes and Turkish tow
els upon the body, and brisk rubbing
with the hands upon the face; be-
sides, it is a preventive against taking
cold after bathing. One should be
careful not to expose ones self to a
draught after bathing; neither should
a bath be taken just after eating. A
little camphor or alcohol rubbed into
the skin will keep II from catching
cold. The use of anything that tends
to dry the skin or make it harsh
should be avoided, such as bay rum,
| alcohol, camphor and ammonia; for,
while they are all good If used very
moderately, they will ruin the best of
skins if used too often and too Law
ishly; they are much better for an
oily, shiny skin than for already
too dry.
Some people like a handful of salt
in their bath water, as it is both
cleansing and in~vigorating. A few
drops of ammonia will be found pleas
ant by those who perspire too freely.
A small bag filed with oatmeal laid
on the bottom of the bath tub will
make the water softer.
Here | may speak of a little econo-
my told Inc by a friend. She said she
made a little bag which she kept in
the drawer OF her washstand. Into it
she put all the little pieces of toilet
soap that were too small to be used
by themselves. When the bag was
full she sewed up the opening, and
then used it in place of a cake of soap
in her bath. Ii possible always use
rain water to battle in. Ii hydrant
water must be used, soften it with q
little borax.
The application of any kind of cos
metic is 70 be deplored. If a person
feels she must use something, let her
coniine herself to rice powder or some
such simple thing, for almost all pre-
pared face powders contain bismuth
or white lead. A noted physician
once said that no III who con-
stantly used face powder could ever
have a perfectly clean face; that the
pores Of the skin would be always
more or less clogged. Every night
tins face should be washed with soap
and water; if the skin is very sensi-