THE YOUNG 
skin loses its transparency, and the 
soft brown hair wliich formerly enhanced 
the whiteness of the skin, now appears 
a lifeless yellow or mahogany red, 
without light or shade in it. The very 
men who pretend to admire these arti- 
ficial dolls, would hesitate to choose 
their wives from tiieir ranks. Thus 
once more verifying the old dictam, 
that "a thing may look well in a shop 
window, and yet not be adapted for house 
wear and tear." 
There are a few powders that are good 
for the skin. But njany of those pur- 
chased at the druggist's contain lead and 
other poisons. They are done up in ele- 
gant wrappers, and look very inviting in 
the glass cases of the apothecary ; but, 
beware of them, nearly all thicken and 
roughen the skin. 
The Eoman ladies used the fine dust of 
calcined shells for a toilet powder, and 
the juices of i:>lants to restore tlieir fresh- 
ness of color. The girls of to-day use to 
some extent crushed geranium leaves, 
the juice of strawberries, friction with 
red flannel, and many other homely sub- 
stitutes for rouge. 
If you will only take plenty of exercise, 
freely use pure water and soap, and eat 
wholesome food, avoiding pastry, you 
will have no need to resort to artificial 
color. 
Violet or baby's powder is one of the 
best powders as it contains neither lead 
noi bismuth, and is quite harmless, and 
looks better than the greasy or shiny ap- 
pearance that so many have. If used 
properly it cannot be detected. A layer 
of powder will prevent freckles and sun- 
burn. It cools feverish skins, and is ex- 
cellent for prickly heat and summer 
rashes caused by heat. The skin should 
be washed before using. Then take a 
little of the powder and put it in a coarse 
linen cloth, wash tlie face quickly with 
the linen, and the wet powder oozes in its 
finest state through the cloth, leaving a 
white deposit when dry. Press the face 
lightly with a damp cloth, to remove su- 
perflous powder. 
This mode of using powder, is less 
easily detected than when it is dusted 
on dry. 
SCIENTIST. 311 
The finest arrowroot scented with orris- 
root is also good and harmless. The rice 
powder prepared by Lubin, is very finely 
ground rice meal, scented with ottar of 
roses. Of powders made from metallic 
substances, the best is precipitated car- 
bonate of zinc. It is harmless, and if 
moderately used, beneficial to the skin. 
It is a favorite application in skin dis- 
eases, and where parts are chafed, or 
have slight eruptions, its use will be 
found healing as well as beautifying. 
With an equal amount of French chalk, 
it forms a pow^der highly extolled by 
some excellent authorities. 
If the ambition of beauty would stop 
here, there would be no complaint to 
make. But no! a more decided color is 
wanted — a tint more brilliant than na- 
ture herself ever grants. To obtain this, 
reconrse is had to those unwholesome 
metals, lead and mercury. Those in the 
form of carbonate of lead, or flake white, 
and the mercurial white precipitate, are 
vended for the purpose. They are cer- 
tain to destroy health, as well as beauty. 
Moreover, when used, they give a hue so 
brilliant, that any observer can see at a 
glance that it is unnatural. 
Therefore, from a cosmetic as well as 
hygienic point of view, they should be 
abolished, for the perfection of art is 1o 
achieve a i^erfect resemblance to nature 
at her best, not to surpass her, or fall be- 
hind her. 
Eose-powders, or flesh colored pow- 
ders, are prepared from any of the pow- 
ders mentioned by adding to them a lit- 
tle carmine until the desired tint is ob- 
tained. 
The most popular and easiest way to 
imitate the glow of youth on the cheek 
and lips, is " to rouge." 
The word rouge in French simply 
means red, and is apx^lied to many pro- 
ducts having this color. That which is 
put up and sold for the complexion, is 
generally, and should always be derived 
from one of two sources : either from 
cochineal, a small bug found on the 
leaves of the cactus i)lant of Brazil, 
which yields carmine, or from the plant 
known as " dyer's saffron." 
The preparation of rouge is one of the 
