Keeping Yourself Tidy / Aimee's Victorian Armoire

In keeping with this month’s theme, it would be wrong to avoid the ever going routine of keeping oneself neat and clean. Sometimes I wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and think “do I really have enough time to make this look good?”….anyone else? 😉

But nothing boosts more confidence than a clean and put together house…and person. While keeping clean relies on a lot of water and soap, the additional concoctions to aid in the overall beauty can be just as important. But on the road to a clean body, it is important to start with the basics!

Bathing

“Baths have many functions aside from their avowed intention of keeping the body clean. There is the early morning bath of warm water or tepid water followed by a cooler spray and a brisk rub that brings a healthy glow to the skin and sets you up for the day.

There is the relaxing bath to be taken just before going to bed. A tepid bath is most relaxing if you’re tense and tired, for water that is too hot is likely to be more stimulating than soothing.

Then there is the warm, luxurious bath that draws all the ache out of tired muscles, that gently soothes and restores ragged nerves and frayed dispositions. The ideal time for this is in the afternoon or evening, especially if one is going out afterwards and wishes to feel particularly fit and relaxed.” (1.)

Now that you are feeling clean and refreshed, why not try any one of these toilet recipes taken from the late 1800’s

Toilet Recipes

Lavender Water

Oil of lavender, two ounces; orris root, half an ounce; spirits of wine, one pint. Mix and keep two or three weeks. It may then be strained through two thicknesses of blotting paper and is ready for use.

Cold Cream

Melt one ounce oil of almonds, half-ounce spermaceti*, one drachm** white wax, and then add two ounces of rose-water, and stir it constantly until cold.

Lip-Salve

Melt one ounce white wax, one ounce sweet oil, one drachm** spermaceti*, and throw in a piece of askant root to color it, and, when cooling, perfume it with oil rose, and tun pour it into small white jars or boxes.

Toilet or Face Powder

Take a quarter of a a pound of wheat starch pounded fine; sift it through a fine sieve, or a piece of lace; add to it eight drops of oil of rose, oil of lemon thirty drops, oil of bergamot fifteen drops. Rub thoroughly together. The French throw this powder into alcohol, shaking it, letting it settle, then pouring off the alcohol and drying the powder. In that case, the perfume is added lastly. (2)

Soak and be beautiful!

~Aimee