Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-06-27
a GOOD CoMPLExIoN.
There Is Much In Knowing How to Wash
the Face.

the Face.
The face is usually the part of the
person women most desire to make at
tractive. There are exceptions to this
order who declare that the face is un-
important if the figure is good, but as
rule the woman who has pretty face
feels that the gods have not dealt un-
generously with her.
Without good complexion all other
beauties fail to show to advantage. A
pair of magnificent eyes are never at
their best set in a sallow, unhealthy
looking face, and perfectly-molded feat
ures, if covered with greasy, blotched,
colorless skin, do not show for half
their value.
On the other hand, clear, pure COM
pleXion will to a great extent atone for
irregular features In consideration of
this it is great comfort to reflect how
often it lies within woman's power to
materially benefit even a poor COM
pleXion.
As a matter of course, the bathing
that invigorates the whole body can
not fail to produce a salutary effect
upon the face. But more than this
may be done.
1t has passed into a proverb, in speak
ing of slatternly or careless woman,
to say: "She does not know enough to
wash her face"
How many neat women know how to
wash their faces in the right way?
1t is one of those processes commonly
supposed to come, as Dogberry said of
reading and writing, by nature. A
woman washes her face in hot or cold
water, as the fancy strikes her, with
h. lie 10th owe
with soap or without, when she is going
out in the wind or when she comes in
out of the sun. She dries it gently with
soft towel or polishes it off with a
rough one, according to her fancy.
She never stops to think of the harm
she may be doing her complexion by
this reckless treatment. There may be
some skins that will stand such rough
handling and showno ill effects. There
are very few that would not be bene-
flied by tenderer care.
The woman who has due regard for
her complexion will not wash her face
just before going out or just after COM
ing in. The temptation is great to
dash water over the face when one is
heated by exercise in the open air, but
temporary relief will be forgotten in
speedily follow. If the face must be
cleansed at such a time, it should be
carefully wiped with a soft cloth, and
perhaps powdered lightly.
On the same principle, the woman
who has become overheated in house
work or by other indoor exercise will
be wise if she delays washing her face
| until the skin has regained it's normal
temperature.
Some complexion specialists go even
farther than this, and say the face
should never be washed. At least one
woman in New York affirms that she
has not washed her face in seven years.
| She has a beautiful skin, and when
| complimented upon it, she says: ''Ah,
you should have seen my grandmother
skin. When she was seventy, it was
like rose leaf and she had not washed
| her face for twenty-six years"
Similar stories are told of Madame
Patti and other persons of remarkably
1 fine compilations, but the truth of these
| is not vouched for by reliable author
| tiles.
On the other hand, there is a woman
/ living in New York who makes prac-
/ tice of washing her face every night
| with soap and hot water. She is over
| fifty years old, her skin is satin smooth,
| and the coloring as delicate as that of
a young girl. A friend of hers, who is
| of about the same age, and has COM
| plexion rivaling the others, puts only
| clear pure water on her face, and has
not touched it with soap in fully twenty
years.
The weight of evidence is with the
| people who use soap, but all agree in
| saying that only the finest, purest soap
must be employed, and that every par
| ticle must be rinsed off. Authorities
| on the matter assert that the face
| should not be washed oftener than
| once a day, and that the water should
| never be dashed over it, as is the de
| lightful if reprehensible practice OF
| most men and some women. Very lit
| tie water should be used, and it should
be applied with a soft cloth, a fine
"baby" sponge, or one of the high
priced facial sponges.
| Hot water is said to have a tendency
to produce wrinkles, but this state
ment is open to doubt. Hot or warm
water cleanses the face more effectually
than the cold, and a sponging off with
cool water Immediately afterwards
will probably obviate any possible evil
| effect.
If there is any prediction towards
eruptions on the skin, warm water is
to be recommended. In winter cold
water is sometimes preferable to hot,
as the latter, by making the face ten
der, renders it more liable to become
chapped. When cold water is used il
should be soft, and hard water should
have added to it little borax or a very
few drops of diluted ammonia. Moth
ing is better for washing the face thar
rain-water, and there is a superstition
that that which falls in May or June il
especially beneficial to the complexion
After the face has been washed il
should be dried gently and very thor
oughly. A soft towel is better for thi,
purpose than rough one. BY many
people fine huckaback is preferred t,
damask. Either will serve the pur
pose.-Harper's Bazaar.
i