Hair Preparations

 

 As can be seen from the bottles & pot lids in the preceding sections, a variety of hair care products were marketed by chemists in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the following are a selection of 1892 recipes for these products utilizing some rather odd ingredients;

 

Pomades

 

Cacao nut Pomade

 

Take of –

 

Oil of Verbena……..1/4 oz

Oil of Neroli………..6 minims

Otto of Rose……….6 minims

Yellow wax…………1 ½ oz

Cacao butter………..1 ½ oz

Olive oil…………….5 oz

 

The wax, butter and olive oil are melted together, well stirred whilst cooling, and adding perfumes just before the end of the process

 

Camphor Pomade

 

Take of –

 

Oil of bitter almonds………….1 drm

Oil of cloves………………….20 drops

Camphor……………………..1 ½ oz

White wax……………………4 oz

Lard, prepared……………….1 lb

 

Melt the wax and lard together, then add the camphor in saturated solution in spirit; put in the perfumed oils when nearly cold.

 

Dandruff Pomade

 

Take of –

 

Oil of bergamot……………….10 drops

Red oxide of mercury, levigated………3 drms

Precipitated sulphur……………3 drms

Jasmin pomade………………...2 oz

Soft paraffin……………………7 oz

 

Melt the soft paraffin, dissolve the jasmin pomade in it, and well rub with the powders in a mortar, adding the oil last.

 

Preparations

 

Capillary Fluid

 

Take of –

 

Otto of rose………………….5 minims

Oil of rose geranium………….25 minims

Oil of cloves…………………30 minims

Oil of cassia………………….30 minims

Tincture of cantharides……….2 oz

Eau de Cologne……………...2 oz

Nut oil……………………….2 pints

 

Mix; “for renewing & strengthening the hair”

 

 

Hair Restorer

 

Take of –

 

Hyposulphite of sodium……………..4 drms

Glycerine…………………………...4 drms

Acetate of lead……………………..1 drm

Distilled water………………………A sufficiency

 

Dissolve the soda and lead in separate portions of water, mix the solutions, filter, and add the glycerine, making up with water to 8 oz. “To be applied with a brush to the roots of the hair”

 

 

Erasmus Wilson’s hair wash

 

Take of –

 

Rectified spirit……………….1/2 oz

Honey water………………...1 oz

Spirit of rosemary……………1 oz

Strong solution of ammonia…..1 oz

Nut oil……………………….1 oz

Distilled water, to make………8oz

 

Mix. This wash differs from most others of the same nature, in that it does not separate for some time.

 

 

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