BEAUTY IN CHILDHOOD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16032, 25 September 1915, Page 6 (Supplement)

BEAUTY IN CHILDHOOD.

One wishes mothers always knew what a very good thing it ia to groom their children well and set the little feet in a path of tidy aristocratic tidiness from the very first. It's a way to insure to them a maturity full of health and beauty.

The first essential in the programme of the mother who follows this advice is plenty—-there cannot be too much—of pure air and sunshine.

If children have those and their diet is properly regulated, they will grow like the flowers and be as lovely as they are. However, in the effort to supply them light and air do not allow little girls to freckle. Freckles once attained are often very difficult to get rid of. A wise precaution is to shade the child's face with a cotton sun-bonnett or a broad brimmed hat. Should freckles make their appearance the sun-bonnet will have given sufficient protection so that they will not be deep-seated.

The complexion most likely will get tanned from the hot winds even when protected. Should this occur, when home is reached the affected parts should be bathed at once with some lotion; elderflower water is an excellent lotion in such cases it is also an ideal wash in summer to cool the skin.

Soft rainwater should always be used on the complexion of children; it not only cleanses better, but its action is not so harsh as hard water upon the skin. The soap used should be both pure and mild. The delicate skin of the child often suffers from the use of impure or harsh soaps.

The daily tub bath should never be neglected : not simply for cleanliness, but if the pores of the entire body are kept clean and open by frequent ablutions, the impurities of the body will pass off more freely, and there will be less danger of ill health. The temperature of the bath should be regulated by the child's physical condition. :

111-shaped features may be remodelled by the diligent care of the mother. Each day when the little one's toilet is made, the wee nose should be caressingly stroked between the thumb and finger. In this manner a snub nose may. bo lengthened, a sharp nose flattened, or a broad nose made narrow.

Shouid a child's" eyebrow's be scanty they may be improved by gently rubbing them at bedtime with coooanut oil or some good hair, tonic. This should be applied with the fingers and rubbed in the natural direction that the hair grows. To massage roughly usually makes the hairs loose at the roots which results in then* dropping out. The eyelashes usually do best when left alone, but should they "be " weak or iilathaped their growth may be encouraged by applying cocoanut oil. The 'lashes may be trained to grow as desired by shaping them with the fingers when applying the oil. The mother may cut (carefully) the eyelashes of the sleeping child ; this, procedure often produces long curled lashes by and by. Good teeth are essential for proper digestion and assimilation of food, because digestion begins in the mouth with the mastication of the food. Hence the care of the teeth should be one of the" first considerations the mother should give the child. As the teeth grow they should be watched closely and brushed after each meal, and at the first sign of decay the child should be taken to a dentist for advise. •■ ■ I ... . „.' The teeth, should, in early manhood,'" be cleaned with a good dental preparation or castile soap, using a cloth to apply same. »■ The bristles of -an' ordinary brush are too stiff and apt to injure the gums. That the hair «will make or mar one's beauty is a conceded fact, and the foundation for a beautiful head of hair is laid in childhoot". Scanty or weak hair may be strengthened by keeping it trimmed and applying a good tonic. -, Strong hair should not be cut except to clip the split

Greasing a child's head should be discouraged ; it* results are often harmful because of impure grease. Keep the hair clean by washing and then daily brushed with a soft brush the scalp will supply sufficient natural grease to the hair provided the child is healthy. The soap used in washing the child's hair should be mild. Strong . soap will rob it of its natural oil-that is needed for its beauty and health.

The beauty of the hand, which plays such an important part in life, is often destroyed by neglect during childhood. Lifting heavy objects, cracking the joints, biting the nails, neglect of manicuring, etc., are but a few of the many enemies of a beautiful hand. Anything that tends to distort the hand should be discouraged. Encourage cleanliness, and at a very early age supply the child with a manicure set of her own. - Teach her the importance of the daily use of this and it will become a habit that will not likely to be forgotten in later years.