For Elegance and Beauty

There is nothing more attractive in a woman than soft skin and beautiful, lustrous hair. In these days it is not easy to obtain everything we want of the toilet requisites we were accustomed to using before, and so it has become necessary to replace them with other things.

Instead of cleansing cream, try olive oil — or perhaps you may prefer almond oil, which is somewhat finer. Get the best grade of this oil and mix it with a little eau de cologne. A few drops of this perfume are enough for a bottle holding two hundred grams of the liquid; it thins the oil and gives it a pleasant scent. Take a small piece of cotton and put a few drops of the oil on it, then cleanse your face and neck with it thoroughly, keeping the movement of your hand always upward. After that, massage a little of the oil into the skin of the face and neck, then remove whatever residue is left on your skin, so that it does not cover the pores. If you carry out this operation nightly, it will keep your skin clean, and it will become soft as velvet.

In countries where the climate is dry and dust abounds, oil is an effective help in keeping the skin soft and free of chapping. And if you rub a drop of oil daily into your nostrils and your ears, it will keep ulcerating inflammations away from them. Some people put oil in the bath water to soften it.

An oil shampoo is good for the hair in dry weather, and it is necessary for the process of setting the hair. To get the full benefit of the oil, rub a little of it into your scalp and massage it in with your fingertips before you go to bed. In the morning, wrap your head in a towel wrung out in hot water, then cover it with another, dry one, so that the oil steams into your scalp; then wash your hair afterward with a good soap or with any other preparation. If you own an electric drier, use brown paper in place of the damp towel and direct the heat at your head; this will make the oil penetrate into your scalp. And when you wash your hair and dry it, it will be soft, glossy, and graceful. In these two things — gloss and grace — lies the femininity that clothes you in an air of beauty, charm, and attraction. For a woman often falls into the error of neglecting her hair, imagining that the hair is not as important as the other members of the body.

Liquid paraffin works to strengthen the scalp if you rub a little of it into your scalp daily. Its direct effect is not confined to strengthening alone: it also refreshes the hair cells that produce the natural oil.

The virtues of oil are known in East and West. Just as a machine needs oil to keep running, and furniture and leather need cleaning and polishing to look attractive and last long, so the skin and hair of a human being need oil in many circumstances.