Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-22
A GOOD COMPLEXION,
To Wash OF Not to Wash the Face is
the Question.

the Question.
Christine Terhune Herrick, I'm Harper's Bazaar.
The face is usually the part of their per-
sons women most desire to make attractive
There are exceptions to this order. who de-
clare that the face is unimpo-tant IL the
figure is good. but as a rule. the woman who
has a pretty face feels that the gods have
not dealt urgenerously with her.
Without a 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 nodded features, IL covered with a
greasy. blotched. colorless skin. do not show
for half their value.
On the other hand, a clear, pure COM
plexion will. to a great extent, atone for
irregular features. In consideration of this
1t is a great comfort to reflect how often 1t
lies within woman's power to materially
benefit even a poor complexion.
AS matter Of course, the bathing that
invigorates the whole body cannot fail 10
produce a salutary effect upon the face.
But more than this may be done.
1t has passed into a proverb, in speaking
of slatternly CT cateless woman, to say:
She does not know enough to wash her
face"
How many neat women know how 10
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 he, with the hands or with a
cloth or sponge, with soap or without when
she Is going out In the wind or when she is
coming out of the sun. She dries IL gently
with a soft towel polishes il on with
rough one. according to her fancy.
She never stops to think of The harm she
may be doing her complexion by this reck-
less treatment. There may be some skins
that Will stand such rough handling and
show no i'll effect There are very few that
would not be benefited by tenderar care.
The woman who has due regard for her
complexion VIII not wash her face lust be-
fore going out or just after coming in. The
temptation is great to dash water over the
face when one is heated by exercise in the
open ar, but the temporary relief will be
forgotten in the dry, burning sensa :ion that
VIII speedily follow. If the face must be
cleansed at such a time, il should be care
fuliy wiped with a soft cloth, and perhaps
powdered lightly.
On the same principle, the woman who
has become overheated I'm homework or by
other INDOOR exercise viii be wise if she
delays washing her face until the skin has
regained its normal temperature.
Some complexion specialists 60 even
farther than this, and say The face shousl
never be washed, At least one woman in
New York affirms that she has not washed
her face in seven years. She has n beauti-
full skin. and when compli;nented uron IL.
she says: All You should have seen MY
grandmothers skin. When she was seven
~, II was like rose leaf, and she lad not
washed her face for twenty-six years"
Similar stories are told of Nine Pattf
and other persons of remarkably fine corr
pleNtons, but the truth of these is rot
vouthed for by reliable authorities.
On the other hand, thare is a woman liy-
ing in New York who makes a practice of
washing h r face ever: night with soap and
not wafer She Is over fifty years cid, her
skin is So tin smooth. and the coloring as
delicate as that Of a young girl. A friend
of hers. who is about the same age and has
a complexion riyaling the others puts only
clear, pure water on her face, and has not
touched II with soap in fully twenty years
The weight of evidence is with the people
who use soap. bat all agree in saying that
only the purest soap must be employed,
ana th1t every particle of IL must be rnsed
on Authorities on the matter assert that
the face should not be washed oftener than
once day, and that the water should
never be dashed over IL, as is the delight
full and rerrehensible practice of most men
ana some women. Very little water should
be used. and it should be applied with a
soft cloth. a fine baby" sponge or one of
the high-priced facial spon,,es
Hot water is said to have 4 tendency 10
produce wrinkles. but this statement Is
open TO doubt Hot or warm water cleanses
the face more effectually than the cold. and
a sponging OFF with cool water Immediately
aiterward will probably obviate any posi-
BILE evil effect.
If there is any prediction toward erup-
tons OF the skim warm water is to be rec
commended. In winter cold water is some
unes preferable to not, as the latter. by
making the face tender renders q more
liable TO become chapped. When coli water
Is used. II should be soft, and hard water
should have added to II a little torax o. a
very few drops of diluted ammonia
Nothing is better for washing the fare
than rain water. and there is a Superstition
that that which falls in May or .Ilns is es-
pecially beneficial to the complexion. After
the face has been washed IL should be drieI
gently and very thoroughly A sof: towel is
better Tor TINS purpose than a rough one
py NAM people hne huckaback is pre-
ferred to damask. Either will serve tho
purpose. ~