Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-06-23

5Mh Hl F EVERY woman who
lMlN ggI buys cosmetics knew how
ftN outrageously she was
cheated in the value Of them her right I
eous indignation would do more to stop
the sale of those things than the clearest
knowledge Of the dangerous drugs they
contain and the peculiar injury to
health and beauty they infiict
The writer Of this was at one time
engaged in the preparation and sale
Of cosmetics, and therefore knows ex-
actly what each and every one Of
them costs to prepare and what the
women pay for them. And now prob
ably for the first time will the truth be
told regarding the ingredients used III
the most prominent Of such articles and
the danger attending the use of each.
First come the various blooms,
balms and lotions, each with its title
and imaginary history and high sound
ing recommendations. These are di-
vided into two classes-the bad and the
very bad The first, an eight ounce bot
tie, win contain ~ ounces rosewater
and five of distilled water, and half an
ounce of light oxide of zinc. This must
be shaken and applied to the face, and,
while not Immediately harmful, dries
and shrivels the skin eventually, 50 that
one must keep on using it. This costs
for bottle. wrapper, stopper, ribbon and
box eight cents, and for rosewater and
zinc about the same, SO that sixteen
cents is the actual cost of what women
willingly pay two dollars for. The very
bad are made in the same way, only
with less rosewater and with common
fake white. which is pure lead. This
sells for the same price, two dollars,
and costs less. A few drops Of ammonia
will turn this black The effect is that
it shrivels the skin soon, and is liable to
bring an attack of lead palsy, or partial
paralysis Of the muscles Of the face and
eyelids, as well as regular symptoms Of
lead poisoning Of the whole body. and
death
Another balm" has as foundation
white powder containing arsenic in So
luton, which soon induces dropsical
swelling and frequently death This
costs twelve cents and sells for two dol
lars.
The creams" all without exception
contain lead. zinc or bisnuth as
whitener. with lard and olive oil to hold
it to creaniike consistency, and they
cost about ten cents per pot pretty pots,
with dainty ribbons) and sell from 81 %
to $l.50 apiece. The lead and zinc are
most often used, as bisInuth is a little
dearer. II il also finer and more deli
cate. but soon turns TO a violeU or asheu
color on the face il. exposed to gas or
smoke.
Eyebrow pencils are made OF mutton
tallow and lampblack, cost one-half
cent apiece and sell for twenty-five cents
to one dollar. according TO the con-
science Of the dealer Eyelid darkeners
have belladonna in them to enlarge the
pupils. and they cost one dollar to buy.
perhaps one cent to make. The use Of
these is bound to destroy the sight in
short time
Rouge IS made of carlnine saucers. the
common Of red ink and aniline red, and
costs about ~ cents in pretty bottles.
and always brings 81 to Sc if a very high
sounding name is added Indelible
rouge is made by soaking alkanet root in
alcohol An ounce bottle of this would
cost, all finished. about cents Sells
for $3.50. Rouge does not seem to do
any constitutional injury. but does not
look refined on anybody
Powder for the face is made Of vaIi-
Gus things, among them magnesia. pow
dered egg shells. rice -four, fake white.
dry oxide of zinc. fuller's earth, starch.
bismnth and a mixture Of two or three
of these same things combined Mag
nesia and fake white are the two most
injurious of these. Veloutine is made of
rice -four and bismuth. with little gly-
cerine to make it sticky. All powders
sell well for from % cents to $3.50
box. The cost is nominal
There are several face bleaches" on
the market. every one dangerous. Some
Of them are made Of the corrosive subli-
mate of mercury, some of arsenical com
pounds and one is made of the same fluid
that embalmers rlse to blanch the faces
Of the dead. The cost Of these is never
more. advertising included. than fifteen
{
pay two dollars bottle. have known
Of three cases of salvation and two Of
blood poisoning and one Of the burning
off of the whole skin Of the face by the
use of these vile compounds.
Ia whatever other way woman may
be economical. she il not III the buying
of cosmetics. She never haggles at the
price and the more one asks the better
she considers the stuff. She Will Stint
herself on necessities to buy these abo1n-
nations.
The hair dyes all have nitrate of silver
or nitrate Of nickel in them, and they
cost to produce less than ten cents and
sell for $3.50 to SO. The bleachcs have
powerful alkaloids and will destroy the
vitality of the hair, and often the use Of
the bleaches brings on stubborn scalp
diseases, besides injuring the eyesight.
3Ieaches cost almost nothing beyond
the bottles they come in and sell from
one dollar to five dollars. according TO
the style oi the store.
Nail polishers are made of little
balsam of tolu in a small bottle with
tiny brush. With this the tolu is painted
on the finger nails and left to dry on It
costs five cents and brings $3.50 and
; more
Ono OF the greatest humbugs IS the
'.skin food, which consists Of a little
hypophosphites and codliver oil mixed
with arsenic. This is rubbed into the
skin after it has been steamed until the
pores are open The oil and arsenic
penetrate by being rubbed i'll, and create
a dropsical condition. which at first
makes the skin look fair and plump and
smooth. The massage which goes with
this treatment i often paid for with
checks Of a thousand dollars. The use
of arsenic in this manner is told of by
Georg Ebers in his Egyptian Princess.
and it is now, as it always was another
form of arsenieaI poisoning.
Codliver oil mas been made the basis
of several creams and balms for the de-
velopment Of form, al il will fatten BY
absorption, but when twenty-five cents
worth is mixed with little heeswax to
give it consistency ami cochineal for
color. it sells readily fer five dollars
pot
An effectual deod0rizer and antiper-
spirator is made of an ounce OF alumn
pulverized ana sold in q box for ono dol