The Ladies' Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness

RECEIPTS. FOR THE COMPLEXION. COLD CREAM, 1.--Take 2-1/2 ounces of sweet oil of almonds, 3 drachms of white wax, and the same of spermaceti, 2-1/2 ounces of rose-water, 1 drachm of oil of bergamot, and 15 drops each of oil of lavender, and otto of roses. Melt the wax and spermaceti in the oil of almonds, by placing them together in a jar, which should be plunged into boiling water. Heat a mortar (which should, if possible, be marble) by pouring boiling water into it, and letting it remain there until the mortar is uniformly heated; the water is to be poured away, and the mortar dried well. Pour the melted wax and spermaceti into the warm mortar, and add rose-water gradually, while the mixture is constantly stirred or whisked with an egg-whisp, until the whole is cold, and, when nearly finished, add the oils and otto of roses. In the absence of a mortar, a basin plunged into another containing boiling water will answer the purpose. COLD CREAM, 2.--Take 10 drachms of spermaceti, 4 drachms of white wax, half a pound of prepared lard, 15 grains of subcarbonate of potash, 4 ounces of rose-water, 2 ounces of spirits of wine, and ten drops of otto of roses. Proceed as above. Some persons prefer orange-flower-water instead of rose-water, in which case use the same proportions. Cold cream is a useful local application to hard and dry parts of the skin, to abrasions and cracks. When spread thickly upon rag, it is an excellent application to blistered surfaces or burns, or may be used to protect exposed parts from the influence of the sun.