Household Discoveries and Mrs. Curtis's Cook Book

Household Discoveries and Mrs. Curtis's Cook Book, (c)1914 — the great household encyclopedia: cleaning, curing, building, baby care, and a whole cookbook bound in.

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Toilet Preparations: Water

Rose Water. - Dissolve 1 dram of attar of rose, or a proportionate quantity of other essential oils, in 1 pint of rectified spirits; while hot place in a 2-gallon jug and add 14 gallons of pure distilled water, heated, but not quite to the boiling point-say 190°. Cork the jug and shake, cautiously at first but thoroughly afterwards, until cold. This form of rose water will be found equal to the commercial article.

Or drop 12 drops of attar of rose on a half ounce of cube sugar. Add 2 drams of carbonate of magnesia.

Put in a fruit jar and pour in gradually 1 quart of water, stirring briskly. Add 2 ounces of rectified spirits. Place a funnel of filtering paper in another fruit jar, and pour through the funnel to filter. The effect of the magnesia is to break up the oil globules and assist in forming an emulsion with water. The magnesia is removed by filtering. Other perfumed waters may be prepared in a similar manner.

Violet Water.-Put 1 pint of alcohol or proof spirits in a quart fruit jar. Add 1 pound of orris root, cover, and shake. Let stand on the dregs for a week or 10 days. Filter through filter paper to remove the orris root.

Or mix deodorized alcohol, 15 ounces; rose water, 2 ounces; extract of cassia, 1 ounce; and extract of violet, 2 ounces. Mix, shake, and filter.

Or mix 1 pint of alcohol and 1 ounce each of neroli and essence of violets.

Lavender Water. - A favorite article for the toilet is the oil of lavender diluted with rectified alcohol, to which various other perfumes may be added according to taste. To prepare lavender water, it is only necessary to first mix the oil of lavender and other essential oils (if any) with a little of the alcohol; then add the remaining alcohol in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Finally stir in the other ingredients. The whole should be placed in a glass fruit jar with rubber rings, or other closely stoppered vessel, and allowed to stand for several months before using. It should be shaken frequently. The longer it can be allowed to stand before being opened the better the quality will be. The English oil of lavender is the best.

Other perfumed toilet waters may be prepared by substituting any of the essential oils, according to taste, in the following table. - The Perfumed Toilet Waters. number of possible combinations of perfumes diluted with distilled or soft water, which form the perfumed toilet waters of commerce, is, of course, unlimited. The following examples illustrate the method of combining these, and may be recommended to be as desirable as any: Put in a pint glass bottle or fruit jar ounce of oil of rosemary and 1 dram of essence of ambergris; add 1 pint of 95 per cent alcohol. Shake well, remove the cork, and let stand 24 hours. Then cork tightly and let stand a month or 6 weeks, shaking frequently, after which put in a tightly stoppered bottle until ready for use. This is the well-known "Hungary water."

Or put in a 2-quart fruit jar 1 ounce of oil of bergamot, ounce of tincture of benzoin, 1 dram of oil of cinnamon, and cover with 1 quart of LAVENDER. TOILET WATER Princess.

Hoyt's.

Fragrant.

Elegant.

Queen's.

Plain.

Old Virginia.

Princess.

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